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When a Bishop Forbids Kneeling
Catholic priests in the Diocese of Charlotte, in North Carolina, are asking the Vatican to possibly intervene as their bishop continues to strip priests and the faithful of traditional Catholic devotions, customs, and liturgies. Last month, Bishop Michael Martin authored a “pastoral” letter on the reception of Holy Communion in the diocese, ostensibly in an effort “to strengthen unity in worship, uphold the Church’s liturgical norms, and encourage active participation by the faithful.”
Martin has established himself, since taking over the diocese in 2024, as a staunch opponent of traditional Catholic practices.
In effect, however, his letter ordered the removal of altar rails and kneelers for the reception of Holy Communion, which the Catholic Church proclaims as the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ Himself. Why would a bishop, a successor to the Apostles and a shepherd of souls, prohibit his flock from kneeling before their God?
“As missionaries of hope, our Eucharistic life is oriented toward living the sacrifice and banquet with others. For this reason Jesus says, ‘you are the light of the world,’” Martin wrote, citing Matthew 5:14. “In accord with universal and episcopal conference norms, I offer the following norms and guidelines for all public celebrations of the Most Holy Eucharist in the Diocese of Charlotte.”
The bishop observed that while the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has prescribed standing as the postural “norm” for receiving Holy Communion, individuals receiving Holy Communion are free to choose instead to kneel and to receive the Body of Christ upon the tongue, as was the custom in the Latin Rite for centuries upon centuries. “Communion cannot be denied this individual solely based on their posture,” Martin noted. So he developed a novel approach: since the faithful cannot be denied Holy Communion, deny them the posture of kneeling. Martin ordered, “The use of altar rails, kneelers, and prie-dieus are not to be utilized for the reception of Communion in public celebrations” and “[t]emporary or movable fixtures used for kneeling for the reception of communion are to be removed by January 16, 2026.”
Martin also demanded that priests, catechists, and “extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion” “instruct communicants according to the normative posture in the United States,” meaning standing while receiving Christ’s Flesh, and to inform parishioners that kneeling to receive Holy Communion is not “better, preferred, more efficacious” than standing. “The faithful who feel compelled to kneel to receive the Eucharist as is their individual right should also prayerfully consider the blessing of communal witness that is realized when we share a common posture.”
According to a report from The Pillar, a band of 31 Charlotte priests wrote a letter to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Legislative Texts, asking, “Since an altar rail is a common and traditional ‘structure and ornamentation’ that marks off the sanctuary from the body of the church within the Roman rite, it is asked whether a diocesan bishop has the legitimate authority to prohibit the erection of altar rails within churches or other sacred places in his diocese.”
Catholic News Agency (now EWTN News) further reported that roughly half of the diocese’s priests agree with the line of questioning presented to the Vatican, but many did not sign the letter due to an “atmosphere of fear, retaliation, and mistrust.”
Martin has established himself, since taking over the diocese in 2024, as a staunch opponent of traditional Catholic practices. When celebrating Mass in churches where altar rails or kneelers are in place, Martin will reportedly stand in front of the kneelers in order to prevent communicants from using them. Last year, he imposed heavy restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), which had surged in popularity over the preceding years.
Martin’s is an example of episcopal cruelty. Many bishops have failed, particularly in recent decades, to protect or to nourish the souls entrusted to their care, but bishops like Martin actively wound those souls.
READ MORE from S.A. McCarthy:
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College of Cardinals To Meet Annually Under Pope Leo XIV
Is Hostility Against Christians Going to Increase in 2026?
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