The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is formally reviewing a canonical appeal against sweeping liturgical restrictions in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, as a reported incident on April 29 at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, in which a family says it was passed over for Holy Communion while kneeling, has intensified scrutiny of their enforcement under Bishop Michael Martin. The case, filed on February 9 and registered under protocol number 369/25, concerns the bishop’s handling of requests on liturgical matters and has now entered the Vatican’s administrative process.
In its letter of February 16, the dicastery – headed by Arthur Roche – confirmed receipt of a “hierarchical recourse” citing an “apparent refusal” to respond to petitions. Such recourse is a formal mechanism in canon law allowing clergy or laity to challenge administrative acts; once accepted, the competent Vatican office examines the “Acta”, or documentation, before determining whether the measures comply with universal Church law.
The appeal arises from a series of directives introduced over the past year in Charlotte. Most notably, the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass has been discontinued in parish churches and restricted to a single non-parochial site. Additional norms circulated within the diocese have included instructions to remove altar rails and kneelers used for the distribution of Holy Communion, as well as draft proposals, later revised after feedback, limiting the use of Latin, the celebration of Mass ad orientem, and certain traditional vestments and practices.
These measures have drawn formal questions from clergy. In January, a group of diocesan priests submitted dubia to the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, seeking clarification on the legal basis for some of the restrictions. The dubia process, while distinct from hierarchical recourse, similarly invites authoritative interpretation of Church law from the Holy See.
The situation escalated with the reported incident at the Greensboro parish during a Confirmation Mass. A witness account states that while most of the congregation received Communion in the usual manner, those who approached the altar rail and knelt were not communicated. The allegation has circulated alongside photographic material and has not been publicly addressed in detail by diocesan authorities.
The report is being examined against existing universal norms. The 2004 Vatican instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum states that the faithful “cannot be denied Holy Communion solely on the grounds … that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling”. This principle has been reiterated in subsequent clarifications, including responses issued by the same dicastery now reviewing the Charlotte case.
In his December 17 pastoral letter, Bishop Martin wrote that the “normative posture” for receiving Communion in the United States is standing, following a bow of the head, in line with guidance from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He described the Eucharist as a “communal act of worship”, emphasising uniformity of gesture as a sign of ecclesial unity. The directive also instructed parishes that had reintroduced altar rails or kneelers to discontinue their use, calling them “a visible contradiction” of diocesan norms, while simultaneously stating that individuals are not to be refused Communion if they kneel.
The broader legal and ecclesial framework is shaped by the 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, issued under Pope Francis, which assigned diocesan bishops primary responsibility for regulating the older form of the Roman Rite. Subsequent guidelines from the dicastery have underscored both episcopal authority and the need to ensure that liturgical discipline remains consistent with universal law.
The Diocese of Charlotte’s measures reflect a broader pattern seen in several dioceses since 2021, where bishops have acted to consolidate liturgical practice under the reformed Roman Rite. At the same time, disputes have arisen in multiple jurisdictions over the extent of those powers, particularly where longstanding practices, such as kneeling for Communion or the use of altar rails, are restricted or removed.
No timeline has been given for the Vatican’s decision in the Charlotte case. The dicastery’s review may result in confirmation of the diocesan measures, modification of specific provisions, or instructions for their reconsideration. The Diocese of Charlotte has not issued further comment on either the recourse or the reported Confirmation Mass incident.
