It is men like you who strongly imply that the Protestants had it right, and I was wrong to leave, and instead we should be more like them.
Bishop Martin,
As a member of the Diocese of Charlotte, I have been amazed at the transformation of the character of our Diocese over the last year. What once felt vibrant and full of life now feels cowed, disjointed, and fearful. Entire congregations of faithful Catholics feel like they are losing their home, and they rightfully feel marginalized and ghettoized—reading the remarks you’ve made against the traditions of the faith, particularly behind closed doors where you’re unconcerned with public image, makes your disgust for the traditional evident and would make anyone feel as though they are intentionally being pushed aside for a more preferred populace to replace them.
In your letter “Go In Peace, Glorifying The Lord By Your Life” [sic], you stated things like: “I find it disturbing that so many pastors and celebrants are inclined to force an unknown language [Latin] on their congregation,” “So many of our faithful simply wake up away when they don’t understand the language,” “I cannot comprehend why a vocal minority of the faithful who themselves admit to not understanding Latin would advocate a revival of the Latin language within our diocese, rendering the liturgy unintelligible for all but a few of our people,” “All these parts are rendered less engaging by the use of Latin,” “the first [unacceptable tendency] is a rejection of the Novus Order Missae,” “Second, pastoral leaders who use Latin in the liturgy are creating within their own communities a divide between the haves and have nots,” “This fosters a clericalism that is unacceptable,” “To instruct the faithful that kneeling is more reverent than standing is simply absurd,” “This reminds me of what my Novice Master taught us years ago: ‘Don’t try to be holier than Holy Mother Church’,” “overly ornate vestments that put more focus on the ministers than the Eucharist,” “Latin responses and Mass parts are not to be utilized in parish churches during regular celebrations since they hinder people’s participation. Retaining the use of Masses celebrated in Latin is not opportune in our present reality since the faithful are not accustomed to it. Even in places where they have become used to it by more recent practice, this becomes problematic for visitors and/or new parishioners or those coming to the faith for the first time.”
There has been plenty of ink spilled about the contents of this letter from a sacramental, theological, or canonical standpoint, and I do not need to rehash those points made by people more educated than myself. I want to focus on the character of the letter, because you make it quite obvious by your choice of phrasing what you think of people who prefer tradition: you call us disturbing, you accuse us of driving people away, you call us uneducated and vocally opinionated, you accuse us of disobedience to the Church, you accuse us of being divisive, you call our practices unacceptable on multiple occasions, and that our piety is absurd, you accuse us of trying to be “holier than Mother Church” and imply strongly that we have a false piety, and label us a stumbling block for visitors and converts.
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