June 15th, 2025

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

To His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit!

Please accept this humble address in which we, your sons and daughters, offer this petition to Your Holiness, seeking your paternal attention, spiritual guidance, and intervention.

Our writing is prompted by what is being called the completion of the implementation of the norms of Traditionis Custodes in our local Church, the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, in which our new Bishop, Michael T. Martin, has announced the cessation of the Traditional Latin Mass at the four remaining parish churches and two missions, as of October 2nd, 2025.  

Our Diocese had been the home of many thriving communities in which the Traditional Latin Mass had been freely offered, which, after the first wave of reductions imposed by the initial implementation of Traditionis Custodes, were reduced to four parishes and two missions only. These, as of October 2nd, 2025, will then be directed to attend the Traditional Latin Mass at a single center that will eventually be adapted for Catholic worship. This will present an unneccesary and insurmountable hardship for many throughout the Diocese and will compel them to worship Our Lord in a manner that is disconnected from their normal parish life.

The Traditional Latin Mass, which has been a source of deep spiritual nourishment across the world for centuries, fostering vocations and drawing young families into a deeper and more fruitful commitment to Christ and His Church, has had a similar effect on those within the Diocese of Charlotte.

The cessation of this ancient and enduring form of Catholic worship is disheartening and painful to a great many throughout the Diocese.

We respectfully ask Your Holiness to consider abrogating Traditionis Custodes, since suppressing the Traditional Latin Mass risks alienating devoted Catholics, stifling spiritual growth within the univeral Church, and undermining the unity it seeks to promote. 

In a spirit of pastoral care and unity, we appeal to you to restore the rights of these communities within the Diocese of Charlotte, and those many that exist throughout the world, to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass within their parish churches, and to guarantee, by the abrogation of Traditionis Custodes, that future generations will have full access to all the rich blessings that flow from the traditional liturgy. 

Dear Holy Father, we trust in your mercy and wisdom as the Servant of the Servants of God, and we commit ourselves to remaining faithful to Christ and His Church. May the Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, grant Your Holiness continued health and strength in your apostolic ministry.

With deep respect and devotion,