Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] “Bread Not Stones”: Bishop Martin shows no pastoral care for his TLM flockThe clergy and lay people featured in “Bread Not Stones” remind viewers that the Church’s traditions, including the TLM, are not merely relics of a past long gone, but relevant gems that greatly enhance one’s Catholic Faith and identity. Arguably, it can be said that this film is calling for a Church that truly listens and addresses the spiritual needs of Her children, with pastoral prudence and compassion.In the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, a major shift threatening to undermine the basis of a devout community...

[Catholic Caucus] News from Charlotte: Bishop Comes for the Catholic Schools' MassesWe have received a report of the new liturgical directives which Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte wishes to impose on the masses of Paul VI celebrated in the three Catholic high schools under his jurisdiction. The goal is apparently the decatholicization of the new liturgy in the schools under his authority.Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, they are exactly what we would expect, given what we have previously seen of his ideas about “liturgical norms.”The use of kneelers and communion rails for the distribution of Holy Communion is forbidden.There must be...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte Bishop Forbids Communion Bench (Rail) at Catholic SchoolBishop Michael Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, has forbidden to use the Communion bench for the daily Novus Ordo Eucharist at the Catholic High School in Charlotte.According to the social media account “Charlotte Latin Mass Community” students and staff now kneel on the floor to receive Holy Communion.The beautifully carved Communion bench was installed in spring 2017 (pictured). A teacher at the school had raised the money to fund the project in memory of a younger brother who passed away.Effective July 8, Bishop Martin has forbidden all Masses in...

[Catholic Caucus] Full-Length Documentary on Latin Mass Restrictions in Charlotte, North CarolinaFor the background, see our two previous posts:(1) Traditionis Custodes Persecution continues under Leo XIV - Traditional Masses Removed from Parish Churches in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina(2) Rorate Exclusive: The Anti-Traditional and Anti-Liturgical Pastoral Letter to be Sent by the Bishop of Charlotte on Liturgical Norms in His Diocese***Regina Magazine just released a lengthy documentary on the situation of the Latin Mass in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina. We encourage you to watch it below and make it known: Link to video Labels: Anti-Tradition in Charlotte

[Catholic Caucus] WATCH: Trailer for upcoming documentary on Diocese of Charlotte’s Latin Mass suppression'Bread Not Stones' captures the stories and lives of Catholics who deeply cherish the TLM and will suffer from the forthcoming ban on the Latin Mass in parish churches.Regina Magazine released a teaser trailer for its upcoming documentary film about the Traditional Latin Mass crackdown in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina.The film, Bread Not Stones, captures the stories and lives of Catholics who deeply cherish the TLM and will suffer from the forthcoming ban on the Latin Mass in parish churches to be enacted across the...

[Catholic Caucus] Diocese of Charlotte backs school that expelled children after parents challenged woke, LGBT contentBishop Michael Martin’s diocese is supporting Charlotte Latin, a private school that expelled students whose parents opposed a sacrilegious image of Jesus, a ‘how-to-manual’ of homosexual activity, and other obscene content.CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — The Diocese of Charlotte – headed by Bishop Michael Martin, who notoriously banned the Latin Mass in his diocese – is siding with a school that expelled children after their parents complained about the school’s adoption of woke ideology, including graphic, sexually explicit LGBTQ+ books.The lawsuit by parents of the...

[Catholic Caucus] EXCLUSIVE: Catholics explain why they knelt for Communion at Charlotte bishop’s MassCatholics who knelt for the Eucharist at a concelebrated Mass with Charlotte's bishop present said they were motivated by love for God and the desire to give Him glory.CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — Catholics who knelt for Holy Communion at a Mass with the bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte present have spoken out about how they were motivated by the love of God and the desire to give him “glory.”In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews, Friends of Catholic Reverence explained why they orchestrated Catholics’ attendance at...

[Catholic Caucus] Catholics kneel to receive Communion on tongue at Mass with Charlotte bishop, other bishops presentCatholics at a bishops' conference Mass said their intent was to 'show a reverent resistance' to the anti-traditional agenda of Bishop Michael Martin.CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — Traditional Catholics showed up en masse to kneel to receive Holy Communion on the tongue at a Mass with Bishop Michael Martin, OFM, of the Diocese of Charlotte and about a dozen other bishops present.At a concelebrated Tuesday Mass for the Atlanta Province Bishops Conference held at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Charlotte, North Carolina, almost...

Wall Street Journal highlights Gen Z’s interest in the Latin Mass, reverenceGen Z respondents praised the Latin Mass, the Sacraments, and beauty and reverence in the Catholic Church as to why they and their peers are drawn to Catholicism.Pilgrimage on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Summorum Pontificum, Pontifical Mass in Vetus Ordo Mass in Latin, Holy Mass at the Saint Peter's ChairThe Wall Street Journal became the latest mainstream media outlet to pick up on the increased interest among Millennials and Gen Z in the Catholic Church, with many particularly drawn by beautiful Latin Mass liturgies, the...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte’s War on Reverence: A Priesthood UndoneRunning the Church of the 60's playbook nicknamed "The Spirit of Vatican II," Bishop Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte is stamping out tradition with the "Spirit of Traditionis Custodes."he leaked Liturgical Norms document from Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte reads like a parody of 1970s fervor, delivered by a tyrannical hand through a series of ironically rigid dictates. They are poised to cause direct harm to the priests of the diocese and, through their pain, to faithful parishioners. The man who claims that the liturgy is not the...

[Catholic Caucus] New Pope - New Methods: Charlotte Bishop Martin Pauses Restrictions on Latin Mass until (at least) October Thank you to all Catholics who reached out to request a reprieve -- and to all authorities who asked the bishop of Charlotte, Michael Martin, to be reasonable in his struggle against the Traditional Latin Mass. Did he get a phone call about his restrictions? Apparently...Here's hoping this minor reprieve will be extended indefinitely. (Notice important point near the middle of the article: "In the interim, Bishop Martin said, should the Vatican issue any official changes to Traditionis Custodes, the diocese...

The Charlotte CharlatanBishop Martin of the NC diocese, appointed only one year ago as the ordinary, wasted no time drafting a pastoral letter to diocesan priests on the “Celebration of the Liturgy.” This Charlotte Charlatan screed is 8,000 words. We will not quote extensively from the wordy screed but selectively, to provide just a whiff of the stench.IT IS COMMON nowadays for diocesan clergy to gather annually or more frequently as a presbyterate, with their bishop, for fellowship, prayer and study. Several years ago, the featured speaker at one such clergy gathering was a diocesan liturgist, who also taught in...

[Catholic Caucus] Sources: Charlotte bishop shelves Mass manifesto, for nowAfter TLM pushback, liturgical controversy continues in North CarolinaThe Bishop of Charlotte, North Carolina is expected to release new policies governing the ordinary celebration of the Mass in his diocese, local sources say, but a recently leaked draft policy text has already been spiked internally in the diocese, after widespread pushback against the bishop’s plans.The leaked text follows widespread controversy last week over new restrictions on older liturgical forms in the Charlotte diocese.And while Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin has urged Catholics to pray for an end to division in the diocese,...

Charlotte bishop denounces Latin, altar rails, kneeling in leaked letterIn a letter obtained by Rorate Caeli, Bishop Michael Martin attacked core Catholic traditions, including the use of Latin, kneeling, and clergy prayers before and after Mass.UPDATE: Sources inside the diocese have attested to The Pillar that the proposed document has in fact been already laid aside by the bishop, due to widespread opposition amongst clergy in the diocese. LifeSite has not been able to corroborate this claim.CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — The bishop of Charlotte is set to issue even more restrictions on the liturgy in the coming days, harshly...

[Catholic Caucus] Father Chris Alar speaks out against suppression of Latin Mass in CharlotteOn this episode of Faith and Reason, Father Chris Alar, MIC, joins John-Henry Westen to discuss the bishop of Charlotte’s crackdown on the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop appointments, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s project aimed at renewing reverence in the liturgy, and more. The panel opened the episode by discussing Bishop Michael Martin’s suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in the Diocese of Charlotte. Martin ordered last week that the Latin Masses at all parish churches – 4 in total – be merged...

[Catholic Caucus] Rorate Exclusive: The Anti-Traditional and Anti-Liturgical Pastoral Letter to be Sent by the Bishop of Charlotte on Liturgical Norms in His DioceseRorate was able to obtain the letter written by the Bishop of Charlotte, North Carolina, Michael Martin OFM Conv, who last week decreed the almost extinction of the Traditional Latin Mass in his diocese. This letter is supposed to be made public sometime in the future, and it was being kept secret (since it was written while Francis was still pope, Francis is referenced in the document -- it also leads to believe that the decision to...

[snip] Joey Cook is back! Check out what we did with Cage The Elephant's "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" from Borderland, also starring clarinetist Jacob Scesney doing a bit of decorating. [/snip]Ain't No Rest For The WickedVintage Jazz | Cage The Elephant Cover ft. Joey CookPostmodernJukebox | 5.86M subscribers7,366,351 views | January 12, 2017

Michael Martin will become the first Commons Speaker in more than 300 years to be forced out this afternoon. In a historic statement to MPs at 2.30pm, he will announce his resignation. It comes after dramatic scenes in Parliament yesterday where his authority was openly challenged during a bumbling performance. Ministers were said to have put pressure on Gordon Brown last night to get Mr Martin to stand aside. Mr Martin's spokeswoman said: 'I can confirm that the Speaker is making a statement this afternoon and that it is about himself.' His decision to go frees the Prime Minister from...

Parliament suffered its darkest day yesterday as MPs and peers were suspended for alleged misconduct and the Commons faced an exodus of shamed and demoralised Members. MPs caught up in the expenses scandal admitted that they could be dropped by their local parties. Others were said by colleagues to be ready to walk away. Some who have been unaffected declared that the attractions of life as an MP had disappeared. It was the grimmest time that most could remember, with many still fearful about future disclosures and none able to raise enthusiasm for immediate concerns such as the European and...

Labour faces the possibility of being all but wiped out in the South in next month’s council elections, putting a swath of its parliamentary seats in jeopardy at the general election. Gordon Brown will launch the party’s local and European election campaign today in Derbyshire, one of Labour’s last four counties, all of which could fall on June 4. Although the four in jeopardy are in the Midlands or the North the Prime Minister will be equally worried that Labour councillors could disappear from a string of counties in the South. Labour has seen its local government base fall alarmingly...