Sample LEtter to the Bishop

October 1, 2025

Most Reverend Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv.

Diocese of Charlotte

Office of the Bishop

1123 S. Church St.

Charlotte, NC 28203

Re: Protocol No. B 319/25

Your Excellency,

I write to you with deep respect and concern regarding Protocol Letter (Prot. No. B 319/25) and its impact on the faithful who cherish the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in the Diocese of Charlotte. I respectfully request that you rescind this Protocol and fully restore the TLM to the four parishes where it has long been offered and request an extension of permissions from Rome for the four parishes to continue offering the TLM in our Diocese.

The Protocol has raised significant concerns among the laity, clergy, and canon lawyers. The central issue is that the designated chapel does not adequately provide for the number of TLM adherents, as called for in Pope Francis’s Traditionis Custodes. The faithful are deeply affected by the chapel’s location, which is distant from many who wish to attend, and by its limited size, which cannot accommodate the known groups devoted to the TLM.

Traditionis Custodes, Art. 3, § 2, instructs that “[The Bishop] is to designate one or more locations where the faithful adherents of these groups may gather for the eucharistic celebration.” However, your Protocol Letter acknowledges that the chapel “is not meant to be able to accommodate all who are currently attending the TLM in their respective parishes.” Furthermore, the suggestion to treat Little Flower Chapel as a shrine for occasional visits does not meet the spiritual needs of those who wish to participate regularly in the TLM as part of their parish life.

It is evident from these provisions that the current arrangement does not fulfill the intentions of Traditionis Custodes. The faithful cannot “gather for the eucharistic celebration” if they are unable to reach the chapel due to distance or are unable to enter due to space constraints. This situation risks alienating a vibrant part of our diocesan community and undermines the unity and pastoral care that the Church seeks to foster.

Therefore, I urge you to reconsider the Protocol and restore the TLM to its previous locations, ensuring that all who desire to worship according to this venerable tradition may do so fully and freely. Such a step would honor both the letter and spirit of Traditionis Custodes and demonstrate pastoral sensitivity to the needs of the faithful.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Yours respectfully,