December 19th, 2025

Most Rev. Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv.

Diocese of Charlotte

1123 South Church Street

Charlotte, NC 28203

Re:      Pastoral Letter (Prot. No. B. 339), December 17, 2025

Your Excellency,

I pray that your Advent preparations have born great spiritual fruit this year.

I write to you today to express my grave concern at the directives within your recent “Pastoral Letter” Prot. No. B 339/25, and to ask you to please RESCIND this Protocol.

As I read the Letter, I see no solid reasoning provided for the removal of altar rails and kneelers. When pondering the result of such a removal, the only thing that I see as the fruit of such a mandate is pain, both spiritual and physical.

Catholics have a right to kneel. Kneelers and altar rails are a way to support and accompany the people of God who exercise this right. Many Catholics have various ailments and age-related aches and pains which make kneeling on the hard floor with no support not only dangerous but practically impossible.

It is with this in mind, not even considering the failure of justification on your part regarding the mandated use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, the mandate of the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds, and the prohibition of the clearly-permitted practice of intinction, that I write to you today to ask you to RESCIND Prot. No. B 339/25.

This latest act from your administration of our Diocese has only further shaken our trust in you and will only further tear at the unity and peace of this Diocese.

Sincerely in Christ,

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