A faithful priest who must remain anonymous has sent this letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, who are attached to the Traditional Latin Mass.
He requested us to have it published here as well.
Dear TLM Faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte,
You may not know me, but I am well-acquainted with your diocese and the challenges you face, as I regularly speak with your priests and many among your community. I am a priest in good standing, and though I would prefer to sign this letter openly, the current climate in the Church, though hopefully fading, requires me to remain anonymous for prudence’s sake.
As you embark on your liturgical exile this week, I am reminded of the letter the prophet Jeremiah sent to the Jewish exiles in Babylon as they adjusted to their new reality, far from their liturgical home (see Jer 29). Though I lack the prophetic charism, I feel moved to offer you this unsolicited message of encouragement.
First, unlike the people of Jerusalem before their exile, you have committed no sin. Your devotion to the traditional Mass, which has sanctified the Church and countless saints across centuries, remains both legitimate and praiseworthy. As Pope Benedict wrote: “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.”
Moreover, thanks to Diane Montagna’s reporting, we know that the rationale for restricting the traditional Mass in Traditionis Custodes was based on falsified survey results from the world’s bishops. Take heart! A house built on the sand of deceit cannot endure the buffeting winds of truth.
The overly and needlessly harsh enforcement of Traditionis Custodes by your bishop is simply baffling. The world knows your priests advocated for a more compassionate and pastoral approach, yet their pleas went unheard. While the FSSP and ICKSP continue to expand into other dioceses, Bishop Martin declined such an invitation. While other dioceses received extensions from Rome, Bishop Martin would not request one. And though other bishops have provided multiple Mass locations, Bishop Martin, overseeing a diocese spanning nearly five hours by car, refused to do so.
Even more striking, Bishop Martin’s letter, read by your four pastors last Sunday, admitted: the designated chapel was never intended to meet your pastoral needs. “Understand that the chapel is not meant to accommodate all who currently attend the TLM in their parishes,” he wrote, suggesting you view it as “a shrine chapel you might visit occasionally.” Traditionis Custodes demands no such thing. This level of severity almost rivals Bishop Martin’s initial plan to cut the permissions short and begin the Mooresville Masses in a gym in July, before renovations were even complete. Public outcry forced the bishop to change his plan on the timing. I encourage you to continue to make your pastoral needs known, especially in light of Martin’s stunning admission that he never intended to provide for them.
Returning to Jeremiah, we recall the prophet’s advice to the exiles to prepare for a long stay: “Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce” (Jer 29:28). Without claiming prophetic insight, I urge the opposite: don’t unpack. The injustice and harshness you face cannot persist.
It is noteworthy that, as you are confined to your liturgical reservation, the TLM visibly returns to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome for the first time since the unhappy year of 2021 and TC. Soon, the world will witness an even more prominent Mass there, celebrated by Cardinal Burke during the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage. These events surely have the Holy Father’s approval. Additionally, Pope Leo’s recent Crux interview hinted at forthcoming dialogue with those devoted to the TLM. These developments offer hope for a softening of restrictions from the Vatican.
Like Jeremiah, who urged the exiles to pray for the city of their captivity, I encourage you to pray for Bishop Martin, who has forced you from your parishes and imposed this liturgical exile. As a Franciscan, pray that he discerns the difference between the obedience expected in a diocese and that of a religious order. Having served as a pastor for mere months throughout his decades of priesthood, pray that he grows in pastoral care and understands the harm caused by a my-will-is-law approach. And though it may sound sharp, I say the following with charity: based on what I have heard and read, both publicly and privately, Bishop Martin seems unwell. His evident need for constant attention and absolute control over others (to the point of prohibiting silent vesting prayers!) suggests something deeply unsettled and a need for healing.
Pray for him, bear your exile and the sufferings therein with patience, offer these sufferings as a sacrifice, and trust that your return is near. Through your stripes, you can help mend these liturgical wounds. Return follows exile; renewal follows persecution; restoration follows destruction.
“For behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people…and I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it” (Jer 30:3).
