Charlotte priests ask Vatican if Bishop Martin can ban altar rails, kneelers, and traditional vestments amid sweeping liturgical reforms.
Newsroom (07/01/2026 Gaudium Press )On January 5, a group of 31 priests in the Diocese of Charlotte took the unusual step of appealing directly to the Vatican, submitting formal dubia—requests for clarification—regarding a series of liturgical changes announced by their bishop. The letter, addressed to the Dicastery for Legislative Texts and obtained by The Pillar, signals growing unrest among local clergy over what many view as restrictive and unprecedented measures.
At the heart of the controversy are directives issued by Bishop Michael Martin, OMF Conv., who since assuming leadership of the diocese in May 2024, has sought extensive changes to the way the liturgy is celebrated across his parishes. In a December pastoral letter, Martin ordered the elimination of altar rails, kneelers, and prie-dieus used for receiving Holy Communion. Beginning early in 2026, these fixtures will be banned from all diocesan churches, and any temporary kneeling aids must be removed by January 16.
Two-thirds of the priests signing the January 5 dubia are pastors—representing roughly a quarter of the diocese’s clergy, according to the official priest directory. Their letter expresses deep concern over both the practical effects and the canonical legitimacy of the bishop’s mandates.
Questions of Authority
The priests’ central question revolves around whether a diocesan bishop possesses the authority to prohibit the installation or use of altar rails—features rooted in centuries of Roman Rite tradition. Quoting the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM 295), the letter emphasizes that the sanctuary should be “appropriately marked off from the body of the church either by its being somewhat elevated or by a particular structure and ornamentation.” The signatories argue that the altar rail fulfills exactly that role.
“Since an altar rail is a common and traditional ‘structure and ornamentation,’” the priests wrote, “it is asked whether a diocesan bishop has the legitimate authority to prohibit their erection within churches or other sacred places in his diocese.”
Other questions probe similar issues of pastoral rights and liturgical discretion. One dubium asks whether priests or rectors may provide kneelers for those who freely choose to receive Communion kneeling, in light of GIRM provisions explicitly permitting that posture. Another questions the legality of banning vestment styles that are otherwise canonically permissible.
A Broader Pattern of Restriction
Bishop Martin’s December letter is only the latest move in what several clergy describe as a pattern of increasingly rigid liturgical intervention. A leaked policy draft circulating last summer suggested he planned to bar Roman-style vestments, altar crucifixes, and candles in traditional configurations—directing that only processional candles be used, placed beside rather than upon the altar. The same draft proposed discouraging the use of Latin and prohibiting the private vesting prayers long recited by priests before Mass.
Although not all of these proposed measures have been officially enacted, their circulation has amplified anxiety among clergy and laity alike. “Both the leaked letter from this past summer and the pastoral letter of December 17 have caused a great deal of concern,” the priests wrote, “especially in those parishes that have allowed the faithful to use an altar rail or prie-dieu for the reception of Holy Communion.”
Communion Practices and Liturgical Forms
The dubia also challenge Bishop Martin’s prohibition on distributing Communion by intinction—dipping the consecrated host into the chalice before distribution—a method explicitly referenced as an acceptable option in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The priests ask whether a bishop may forbid an option directly sanctioned by universal liturgical law.
Another query raises the issue of whether a diocesan bishop may ban elements of worship solely because they are perceived as reminiscent of pre–Vatican II practices. The letter points to authoritative Church documents, including Redemptionis Sacramentum, that affirm the legitimate use of traditional gestures, vestments, and prayers within the reformed liturgy.
Growing Division and Unresolved Questions
The submission of the dubia marks a significant escalation in ongoing tensions between Bishop Martin and segments of his presbyterate. Since taking office, Martin has also limited the use of preconciliar liturgical texts and implemented policies critics describe as “arbitrary micromanagement.” His supporters, meanwhile, have framed the reforms as efforts to promote unity and consistency across parishes.
Whether Rome will respond to the priests’ questions remains uncertain. Yet by formally petitioning the Dicastery for Legislative Texts—the Vatican body responsible for interpreting canon law—the Charlotte clergy have ensured the matter now falls squarely within the Holy See’s jurisdiction.
For many Catholics in the diocese, the Vatican’s eventual response may set a precedent extending far beyond North Carolina—determining how far a bishop may go in reshaping the liturgical life of his flock.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from The Pillar
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