St. James the Less Catholic Parish

The Catholic bishops backed a suit by a coalition of Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, in their lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit argued that their freedom of religion was violated when the federal government announced its intention to sell formerly protected land in Arizona to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket

CNA Staff, May 28, 2025 / 17:41 pm (CNA).

A Native American group whose attempt to halt the transfer of a sacred land site received backing from the U.S. bishops was dealt a blow to that effort when the U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to stop the sale from taking place. 

The high court denied the request from the coalition group Apache Stronghold to consider halting the sale of the Oak Flat site to a copper mining corporation. The religious liberty law group Becket represented the group in the case.

The federal government several years ago moved to transfer Oak Flat to Resolution Copper — a British-Australian multinational company — after having protected the site for decades for the use of the Apaches. 

The proposed mining operations would largely obliterate the site, which has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals.

Apache Stronghold argued that the transfer would violate both the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and an 1852 treaty protecting Apache territory. A U.S. district court ruled earlier this month to halt the sale of the site while the Supreme Court considered the question. 

On Tuesday the court declined to take up the case. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented from the decision, with Gorsuch arguing that the Supreme Court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”

A lower court had decided that though RFRA generally prohibits the government’s “substantial burdening” of religion, that guidance does not apply in cases of “disposition of government real property.” That decision, Gorsuch said, was “far from obviously correct.” 

He noted that the novel interpretation of RFRA law could have much wider implications than the Apache case. The justice pointed to a legal dispute involving the Knights of Columbus, who in 2023 were denied permission to celebrate a long-held Mass in a Virginia federal cemetery, with the government citing the new RFRA standard. 

The government eventually relented and allowed the Knights to hold the Mass, but, Gorsuch argued, “seemingly nothing would prevent it from trying its hand again” so long as the newly revised law is allowed to stand. 

After the court’s decision on Tuesday, Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said it was “hard to imagine a more brazen attack on faith than blasting the birthplace of Apache religion into a gaping crater.” 

“The court’s refusal to halt the destruction is a tragic departure from its strong record of defending religious freedom,” he said. “We will do everything in our power to ensure that the Apaches can continue worshipping at Oak Flat as they have for generations.”

Last year the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) joined an amicus brief with the Christian Legal Society and the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, arguing that the lower court decisions allowing the sale represent “a grave misunderstanding of RFRA that fails to apply its protections in evaluating that destruction.”

The transfer of the land “jeopardizes Native American religious practice and religious liberty more broadly,” the groups argued.

The Knights of Columbus similarly filed a brief in support of the Apaches, arguing that the decision to allow the property to be mined “reads into RFRA an atextual constraint with no grounding in the statute itself.”

The decision is devastating not just to the Apaches but to “the myriad religious adherents of all faiths and backgrounds who use federal lands every day for their religious exercise,” they said.

Pope Leo XIV smiles during his general audience on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

CNA Staff, May 28, 2025 / 17:11 pm (CNA).

Those attending the June 14 celebration honoring Pope Leo XIV at Rate Field in Chicago will hear directly from the new pontiff.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced that recently installed Pope Leo will deliver a “special video message” to the world’s youth at the event at the Chicago White Sox’s home stadium.

The celebration will also include a Mass, music, a film, and in-person testimonials about Pope Leo XIV, a South Side native and lifelong White Sox fan. 

The public is invited to attend the upcoming “celebration of the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pope born and raised in the Chicago area.”

The event is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. on June 14 with Mass at 4 p.m. Gates open at 12:30 p.m., according to the archdiocese. Ticket details are forthcoming. 

Last week, the White Sox unveiled a graphic installation honoring Pope Leo on the lower-level concourse near the seat from which he watched Game 1 of the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros. The White Sox internal design services team designed the mural, which is not a painting. 

Brooks Boyer, the White Sox executive vice president and chief revenue and marketing officer, told MLB.com last week that the pope “has an open invite to throw out a first pitch” at any White Sox game.

Downtown Wilmington, Delaware. / Credit: Real Window Creative/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 28, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Wilmington’s Catholic Business Network launches next month, connecting Delaware’s Catholic business leaders for networking and collaboration.

The Catholic Business Network (CBN) “will unite professionals who are not only driven in their industries but also guided by their faith, offering a space where success is measured not just by profit but by impact, service, and witness to the Gospel in the workplace,” Sheila McGirl, CBN founder and development director for the diocese’s newspaper, The Dialog, told CNA. 

McGirl and Joseph P. Owens, The Dialog’s editor and general manager, are spearheading the effort. McGirl previously launched a similar campaign in New Jersey when she worked for the Diocese of Camden.

“After founding the Catholic Business Network in South Jersey, I witnessed firsthand the power of connecting faith and enterprise, where relationships rooted in shared values led to collaboration, mentorship, and a deeper sense of purpose. It is our hope to bring that same vision to Wilmington,” McGirl said. 

“We have so many Catholics who do great work in their businesses in the diocese and we believe they can help each other grow while engaging with other Catholics in business,” she said.

Owens and McGirl intend to help attendees promote their businesses by providing them with print and digital advertising packages to grow their networks. They have invited interested businesses to apply online for the upcoming event. 

The initiative will kick off June 4 with a breakfast at the parish center at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church in Greenville, Delaware, with keynote speaker Bishop William E. Koenig of Wilmington, who will speak on “The Vocation of the Business Leader.”

After the first event, McGirl plans to hold future meetings around Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland to include other business centers in the diocese. 

Similar efforts are taking place across the United States.

Earlier this year, the Diocese of Toledo held a breakfast event with a talk titled “Bringing Your Christian Faith into Your Business” with the intent “to engage and empower northwest Ohio business leaders and professionals to promote Catholic values in the workplace.”

On June 18, the Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia will hold an evening event to help individuals network and create “fellowship with like-minded Catholic business professionals and owners.”

In addition, Baltimore businesses will also have the chance to participate with other Catholics at a “leadership breakfast” hosted by the Catholic Business Network of Baltimore. The gathering is set to take place at the end of June.

Portland Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny. / Credit: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

CNA Staff, May 28, 2025 / 16:11 pm (CNA).

Portland, Oregon, Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny, who led the northeastern U.S. archdiocese from 1997 to 2013, died this month at his home near the city. He was 88 years old. 

The archdiocese announced the prelate’s passing on Sunday. The retired archbishop passed away at his home in Beaverton, just a few miles from St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Portland. A funeral is scheduled for Friday, June 6. 

In a statement, Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample described Vlazny as a “great spiritual father” who led the archdiocese “through some of its most challenging days.”

“He was a man who always fully exhibited the joy of the Gospel,” Sample said. “He was truly one of the kindest and most thoughtful men I have ever known.”

Ordained in Chicago on Dec. 20, 1961, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of that city on Oct. 18, 1983. He then served as bishop of Winona, Minnesota, before being appointed the archbishop of Portland, where he was installed on Dec. 19, 1997, and served for just over 15 years. 

Vlazny was archbishop of the Portland Archdiocese when it declared bankruptcy in July 2004 as a result of sex abuse cases, becoming the first U.S. diocese of any size to do so. 

“This is not an effort to avoid responsibility,” the prelate said at the time. “It is in fact the only way I can assure that other claimants can be offered fair compensation.”

Vlazny was adjacent to another U.S. first when Oregon in 1998 allowed the first-ever physician-assisted suicide to take place, that of a woman with breast cancer. 

The archbishop said at the time that he was “deeply saddened” by the death.

“The suicide of this elderly woman can only bring anguish to those who have resisted the public policy initiatives that changed the law in Oregon,” he said. 

Sample said that Vlazny “has left a lasting and remarkable legacy in this local Church in western Oregon.” 

“He will be missed very deeply by all of us,” the archbishop said. “We now commend him to the mercy of the Lord, whom he served so well.”

Doug Burton of Truth Nigeria speaks to “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Erik Rosales on May 27, 2025, about the brutal massacre in Nigeria that occurred May 25. / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly” screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 28, 2025 / 10:37 am (CNA).

A brutal attack by extremist Muslim herdsmen in Nigeria on Sunday left dozens dead and resulted in the kidnapping of a Catholic priest and several nuns.

Hundreds of Jihadist Fulani herdsmen gunned down nearly 40 people, more than half of them Christians, across several villages on Sunday, according to a report by Truth Nigeria, a humanitarian-aid nonprofit that seeks to document Nigeria’s struggles with corruption and crime.

The attack occurred three days after the shooting of Father Solomon Atongo, a priest of St. John Quasi Parish in Jimba, and the kidnapping of two of his companions. Atongo is currently receiving treatment for his wounds.

Some of Sunday’s attacks took place in Aondona, the hometown of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi, and appear to be retaliatory after Anagbe, who is a Claretian missionary, testified in a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in March that the Nigerian government is doing nothing to stop the systemic persecution and elimination of Christians.

Violence in the region has increased since Anagbe’s testimony in the U.S. capital, according to Douglas Burton, director of Truth Nigeria, who appeared on “EWTN News Nightly” on Tuesday to discuss ongoing violence and kidnappings occurring across the West African country.

“It’s a tragic situation, and the story is in play,” Burton told anchor Erik Rosales regarding Sunday’s attacks in the central Benue state. “And what happened is that Fulani terrorists attacked [Anagbe’s] home village.”

As reported by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, Anagbe testified on March 12 before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa that “the experience of the Nigerian Christians today can be summed up as that of a Church under Islamist extermination. It is frightening to live there.”

Later that day Anagbe told “EWTN News Nightly” that “the persecution of Christians generally and Catholics in Nigeria is the work of an Islamic agenda to conquer the territory and make it become an Islamic state in West Africa.”

Burton estimated the number of deaths to be “up to 36” in this Sunday’s massacre in Anagbe’s village, though Reuters has reported the death toll to be “at least 42 people” overall in the attacks in the Ahume, Tyolaha, and Tse-Ubiam villages that day. 

A former State Department official, Burton said he was unaware of the Nigerian government making any arrests in connection with the Sunday attacks. “There’s been no evidence that these attacks will be halted,” he said. 

This is not a surprise to Burton, who further explained on “EWTN News Nightly” that the Nigerian army “is really overstretched,” with over half of the country’s military concentrated in the northeast region of the 36-state country, where there is currently a “deadly insurgency.” 

He also noted unrest in the far-west region in addition to the Middle Belt states, where Sunday’s attacks occurred. “The Nigerian military really needs more people and the police need more recruitment,” Burton said. “That has been the position that we have taken at Truth Nigeria.”

Nigeria is the largest country on the African continent and the sixth-largest country in the world, with a population of approximately 236 million.

Season 2 of the EWTN web series “James the Less” premieres June 9, 2025. / Credit: EWTN YouTube channel

CNA Staff, May 27, 2025 / 16:06 pm (CNA).

The second season of the award-winning online EWTN series “James the Less” will be released on Monday, June 9. 

The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job. James is an atheist. However, a “help wanted” sign on the church bulletin board catches his eye and entices him to interview for the position: handyman.

James accepts the position at St. James the Less Church and starts to encounter Catholicism. Soon, James finds his ideals challenged by the no-nonsense pastor Father Lambert Burns and through his romantic pursuit of parishioner Anne-Marie.

EWTN Director of Studio Operations Stephen Beaumont told CNA that the idea for the series came from his desire to “create a series of short videos about a character growing in virtue.”

“The idea for the title came from a Mass I attended at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, probably in 2019. I was in Rome on business and decided to attend a daily Mass at St. Peter’s. At St. Peter’s, there are always pilgrimage groups having Masses at the many side altars, and I ended up participating in a Mass with a group from a parish in England called St. James the Less,” he explained. “That name interested me, because you usually hear ‘St. James the Lesser’ or ‘St. James the Younger.’ Also, it reminded me of a saints book I got for my first Communion, which listed the apostle as St. James the Less. I thought it would work well as the title.”

Season 2 will consist of five episodes. “There will also be some new characters introduced, and most of all, you will see development of the relationship between James and Anne-Marie,” Beaumont shared.

James is played by Catholic artist and missionary Tanner Kalina. He has been a part of ministries such as FOCUS, Ascension Presents, NET, and others. He also hosts a podcast with several of his friends called “Saints Alive.”

While playing James, it has inspired Kalina “to look at the faith with fresh eyes,” he told CNA in an interview.

“He’s reminded me of how attractive our faith is and how we need to do a better job of owning it,” he said. “There’s so many people out there in James’ shoes who are aching for what we have as Catholics.”

“It’s been a great joy and a testament to the goodness and creativity of God. He’s so good,” Kalina added. “After I left Hollywood a number of years ago for ministry, I didn’t know if I’d ever have the chance to act again. When this fell in my lap, it felt like God was saying, ‘I see you. I know you. I love you. Enjoy!’”

Kalina shared that in Season 2 viewers will also see “what happens after James opens his heart ever so slightly to our Eucharistic Lord.”

When asked what he hopes people are taking away from the series, Kalina said: “I honestly just hope people are enjoying it. It’s just good ol’ wholesome fun, which is hard to find nowadays without an agenda attached.”

“Primarily it is a romantic comedy and a fish-out-of-water story, so most of all, we hope that people will find it entertaining,” Beaumont added. “There are some teaching moments along the way, but these moments flow naturally from the characters and the situations.”

The series will not be broadcast on television. Watch exclusively on EWTN’s YouTube channel:

Catholic Relief Services distributed humanitarian aid to Gaza earlier in the spring and has asked Israel to allow it to resume its work. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Relief Services

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 27, 2025 / 15:06 pm (CNA).

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is calling on Israel to resume allowing its humanitarian aid teams access to the Palestinian Gaza Strip to deliver food and other supplies to civilians as a partial blockade continues.

Israel imposed a full blockade on humanitarian assistance into Gaza in early March just before it launched new military offenses on the territory. Starting this month, Israel began allowing limited amounts of aid into Gaza, but CRS and other humanitarian organizations — as well as the United Nations — have said the limited aid is insufficient.

“CRS’ priority is the well-being of innocent civilians in Gaza, especially the vulnerable who continue to suffer most,” the organization said in a May 26 statement.

“Our teams on the ground are ready to deliver humanitarian assistance through appropriate modalities to civilians in need throughout the Gaza Strip,” the statement added. “We advocate for unimpeded humanitarian access and the entry of humanitarian supplies at scale. CRS is committed to our operational independence, to neutrality and impartiality, and to the safety and dignity of those we serve.”

The statement referenced Pope Leo XIV’s call for people to use dialogue to solve problems and advance the common good. In his first general audience, Leo also called the war “increasingly worrying and painful” and urged “the entry of decent humanitarian aid” and an end to hostilities, saying the “heartbreaking price is paid by children, the elderly, and the sick.”

CRS’ statement added that the group is “ready to discuss appropriate additional measures to ensure aid accountability” but warned “the innocent people in Gaza cannot wait” and “food and other supplies must be allowed in immediately through existing mechanisms.”

“CRS calls urgently for an end to the war, the return of the hostages, and full facilitation of accountable humanitarian response throughout the Gaza Strip,” the statement continued.

Cindy McCain, the executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme, told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the people of Gaza “are extremely food insecure and could be on the verge of famine” if even the partial blockade continues.

According to McCain, the U.N. was getting about 600 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza every day during the temporary ceasefire, which was halted in March. With Israel permitting limited humanitarian aid to enter this month, she said the U.N. has only been able to get about 100 aid trucks into the territory daily.

“We need to get in, and we need to get in at scale, not just a few dribbles of the trucks right now; as I said, it’s a drop in the bucket,” McCain said.

Concerns about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

As part of its effort to scale back the full blockade on humanitarian aid, Israel is now allowing an American- and Israeli-backed organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), to deliver limited aid to Gaza. However, the U.N., CRS, and other humanitarian groups are not currently working with GHF and have expressed concerns about its operations.

“In the spirit of dialogue, we have sought to learn more about proposed approaches connected to [GHF],” the CRS statement read. “We have had many fundamental and practical questions about their proposal which remain unaddressed. We have not agreed to work or collaborate with GHF.”

GHF announced that it began delivering aid to Gaza this week, but it is unclear how much aid the group has provided. According to the BBC, the group operates at four distribution sites that are secured by American contractors and Israeli military personnel to ensure aid does not get into the hands of Hamas, which Israel and the United States classify as a terrorist organization.

Earlier this month, Dorothy Shea — the acting U.S. ambassador to the U.N. — said the GHF was established “to provide a secure mechanism capable of delivering aid directly to those in need without Hamas stealing, looting, or leveraging this assistance for its own ends.”

“Safeguards are in place to ensure Palestinian civilians in Gaza will have access to aid, preventing diversion by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and criminal organizations — and ensuring Israel can remain secure,” Shea said.

However, Tom Fletcher — the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator — said at a U.N. security council briefing earlier this month that the Israeli plan excludes people, forces displacement, and exposes thousands to harm.

“It restricts aid to only one part of Gaza while leaving other dire needs unmet,” Fletcher said. “It makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It makes starvation a bargaining chip. It is a cynical sideshow. A deliberate distraction. A fig leaf for further violence and displacement.”

Jake Wood resigned from his position as executive director of GHF over the weekend amid concerns, saying: “It is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon.”

Palestinian health officials reported this week that more than 54,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of the war in late 2023.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia in an address on May 22, 2025, told the U.N. Security Council that civilians are not “expendable.” / Credit: Kevin Jones/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 27, 2025 / 13:29 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia addressed the United Nations Security Council last week, underscoring the Holy See’s concern for the rising number of civilians impacted by armed conflicts across the globe.

“It is fundamental that, even in the midst of conflict, the protection of the human person and its inherent God-given dignity remain at the center of all collective efforts, also in order to avoid the scourge of war,” said Caccia, who serves as permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., in his May 22 address.

“The human person must never be treated as expendable or reduced to mere collateral damage,” the Italian archbishop continued, citing the “deliberate targeting” of civilians and civilian structures as a matter of “great concern.”

“While these violations are an immense human tragedy, they also represent a grave affront to the foundations of international security,” Caccia emphasized in his statement.

The Holy See became a non-member-state permanent observer to the United Nations in 1964. Its mission there is key to the Holy See’s diplomatic work, communicating the Catholic Church’s centuries of experience to assist the U.N. in realizing peace, justice, human dignity, and humanitarian cooperation and assistance.

In his capacity as head of the mission, Caccia urged the U.N. Security Council to continue its work to “put an end to the use of indiscriminate weapons, landmines, and cluster munitions, and to stop the deployment of explosive weapons in populated areas.” 

He also highlighted the importance of ending mass arms production and stockpiling as a concrete step toward protecting civilian lives. 

Finally, Caccia warned the council against emerging military technologies such as lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) and encouraged a legally-binding proposal to prohibit them by 2026. 

“Ensuring that decisions over life and death remain under meaningful human control is not only a matter of legal accountability but also a moral responsibility,” Caccia said. 

Caccia has served as permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York since his appointment by Pope Francis in November 2019. Prior to this, Caccia spent nearly 30 years in the Vatican’s diplomatic service working in nunciatures in Tanzania, Lebanon, the Philippines, and the Vatican’s Secretariat of State in Rome.

He studied at the Vatican’s Diplomatic School, the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, where he earned a doctorate in sacred theology, and at the Pontifical Gregorian University for a licentiate in canon law. Prior to this, he served for three years as a parish priest in his home diocese, the Archdiocese of Milan.

Pope Benedict XVI ordained Caccia a bishop in 2009 and named him apostolic nuncio in Lebanon. His episcopal motto is “We have believed in the love God has for us” (1 Jn 4:16).

null / Credit: Orhan Cam/Shutterstock

National Catholic Register, May 26, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Memorial Day marks the cultural beginning of summer in the United States, and in the midst of all the fun of the three-day weekend, it’s easy for kids to think of this holiday as representing nothing more than the end of school and the beginning of barbecue and pool party season. Here are some ideas that gently introduce children to the deeper meaning of Memorial Day.

1. Create a memorial flower boat.

This is an easy but beautiful craft that uses materials that you probably have lying around the house. Though it is based on the Navy’s tradition of floating flowers out into the ocean to recall sailors whose lives were lost at sea, it could be used to honor fallen soldiers from any branch of the military.

2. Write a letter to a soldier.

Talk to your children about what our men and women in uniform do for our country, then have them write a letter or draw a picture to send to someone who is currently in the military.

3. Take flowers to a veterans cemetery.

Check online to see if there’s a veteran’s cemetery near you. If there is, consider stopping by with a bouquet of flowers on your way to your Memorial Day plans.

4. Make a pin for a veteran you know.

If you have a friend or family member who is a veteran, have the kids make one of these pretty pins to honor the service he or she provided to our country. This is a good opportunity to talk about where this person served, why he or she was there, and to mention the fact that some of this person’s fellow soldiers were not so fortunate as to make it back home to their families.

5. Make an American flag cake.

You won’t have any problem convincing your kids to help make this Memorial Day cake that is as delicious as it is easy to put together. Working together in the kitchen is always a great opportunity for family bonding moments, and in the process of icing the cake and laying out the flag pattern, chat with your kids about what the American flag represents and all the people who have given their lives to defend it.

6. Say a prayer for the souls of departed soldiers.

The easiest suggestion of all: Simply take a few moments today and have your family pause to say a prayer for the repose of the souls of all the men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, on May 30, 2011, and has been updated and adapted by CNA.

A priest celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass at the Church of St. Pancratius in Rome. / Credit: Thoom/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 24, 2025 / 12:30 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, will significantly restrict the practice of the Traditional Latin Mass, limiting it to a single chapel in what Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv, said is a bid to “promote the concord and unity of the Church.”

Martin issued a statement on Friday announcing the new policy, directing that the ancient liturgy would henceforth be celebrated in an as-yet-unnamed chapel in the town of Mooresville.

Martin in his statement said the measure was meant to bring the Charlotte Diocese in line with Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which greatly restricted the Latin Mass “in defense of the unity of the body of Christ.”

The pope said at the time that he was saddened that the celebration of the extraordinary form was characterized by a rejection of the Second Vatican Council and its liturgical reforms. To doubt the council, he said, is “to doubt the Holy Spirit himself who guides the Church.”

Martin on Friday noted that his predecessor, Bishop Peter Jugis, requested an extension on the directive in order to prepare for the transition. The extension expires this year, Martin noted, and he is “now ready to finish the diocese’s implementation of the norms established.”

Starting on July 8, no parish churches will be permitted to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass in the diocese, Martin said. In accordance with Traditionis Custodes, the bishop said he was “designating a chapel in the diocese” that will be permitted to use the Roman Missal of 1962 and where “faithful adherents may gather for the celebration of the Eucharist” only on Sundays and holy days of obligation.

“A priest of the diocese will be appointed as chaplain, to be responsible for celebrating two Sunday Masses and holy day Masses using the 1962 Roman Missal at this site,” the bishop said.

“Those who are interested in participating in the Eucharistic celebration in this form will remain active members of their current parishes, where they may continue receiving the sacraments,” he added.

Citing the Gospel of John, Martin expressed hope that the new rule “will further ‘promote the concord and unity of the Church’ among the people of God in the Diocese of Charlotte so that, as Jesus prayed to his Father, we ‘may all be one.’”