Apostolate For the Advocacy of the Rights of the Faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte
“The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.” c. 212 §2
Faithful Advocate is a group of the Faithful working in consultation with Canon lawyers to advocate for the religious rights of Catholics living in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Due to the change in the Bishop’s plan, issued June 3rd, 2025, in which he pushed back his plan to cancel all parish-based TLMs, there is no longer any need to write to the Bishop and ask him to revoke his Protocol letter. That being said, there is still cause for concern:
We still have the looming deadline for the TLM - October 2nd. Therefore, we now need to petition and write to the Bishop to ask the Holy See for a renewal of the permissions granted under Bishop Jugis. CLICK FOR DETAILS
Further, we still have the Bishop’s Liturgical Norms (for the Novus Ordo Missae) looming on the horizon. The fact that they were “shelved” does not mean that they are no longer under consideration. These norms reflect the liturgical disposition of Bishop Martin. Therefore, he may still desire to implement them in the near future. We must write to the Bishop asking him to drop these plans in their entirety and to announce this decision publicly. CLICK FOR DETAILS
In addition, we need to write to the Holy Father himself and ask him to abrogate Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes and restore the Church to the liturgical structures implemented by Pope Benedict XVI through his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, a document which more faithfully represents the mind of the Church on the Sacred Liturgy. This process requires us to send mail directly to Rome rather than through the Nuncio, which is a bit more expensive. Individuals could consider pulling together and sending a large envelope with many letters, in order to accomplish this more cost-effectively. Faithful Advocate is considering options to facilitate this. CLICK FOR DETAILS
Further still, we must continue to pray. Our prayers call down many graces from Almighty God (read more here). Faithful Advocate intends to call for another Novena to begin at the close of the current Novena. Thus, on Pentecost, we intend to mobilize the Faithful to begin a Novena of Holy Face Chaplets (here). This will span the entire Octave of Pentecost, plus one day.
Please feel free to print and share this flyer and PDF of the Holy Face Chaplet! (Here and Here)
Stay tuned for more specific recommendations on plotting our course, and accomplishing these tasks, given the adjusted liturgical situation.
Get Help on Key Issues
Contribute with Your Prayers and Action
The Mission of Faithful Advocate
Education
This Apostolate is dedicated to informing the Faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte of their religious rights as guaranteed by the Church and protected by Canon Law.
Prayer
By encouraging the faithful of the Diocese to take up the call to “pray and fast,” this Apostolate hopes that God will look favorably on our efforts to maintain the Sacred Traditions of the Holy Catholic Faith in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Organization
Through a pious and hope-filled effort, this Apostolate is dedicated to helping organize the Faithful of the Diocese in order to give a unified response to any concerns that may emerge regarding the respect for our religious rights.
“I will not leave you orphans”
Holy Mother Church is our Recourse
The Rights of the Faithful
We must know our religious rights and desire that they be respected by the Bishops who are our spiritual fathers and shepherds.
The Catholic Church, in which dwells the Kingdom of God on earth, is governed by rules. Many of these are to ensure open access to the spiritual means God has provided for the successful sojourn of His Faithful toward eternity. These rules are for the more complete dispensation of the graces entrusted to her by the Divine Master, Jesus Christ Our Lord. Learn your rights and let the Bishops and priests know that these must be honored.
“Our Help is in the Name of the Lord”
Our Union with Christ obtains the divine assistance
“The Prayer of a Righteous man…”
We must live in accordance with our spiritual dignity in order to defend our Church and convert the hardened hearts of those who go astray.
By virtue of our Baptism, we are made true members of the Mystical Body of Christ. As a result, we cooperate with Christ in His work of salvation. By His gracious will, Christ our God has chosen to depend on us for the spreading of His Kingdom and for the salvation of souls. Our prayers and penances are powerful means of interceding with God and obtaining graces. Learn more about the power of prayer by which we may obtain from Our Lord the graces our Diocese desperately needs.