The Diocese of Charlotte, under Bishop Michael Martin, has recently made headlines twice — and for deeply troubling reasons. First, he announced the banning of the Traditional Latin Mass in parish churches, restricting it to a single chapel. Now, the diocese has sided with a private school that expelled children after their parents objected to the school’s promotion of sexually explicit, pro-LGBTQ+ material — content gravely contrary to Catholic teaching.
This is not merely a matter of “policy” or “public relations.” It is a matter of faith, morals, and the eternal salvation of souls.
The Doctrinal Stakes
The Catholic Church is crystal clear:
- On sexuality: The Church teaches that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law” (CCC 2357). They can never be approved, and promoting them — especially to minors — constitutes a grave scandal (CCC 2284–2287).
- On education: “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children” (CCC 2229), and they have the right to choose schools that will best help them in their moral and spiritual formation. Any institution undermining this right opposes God’s design for the family.
- On scandal: The Catechism warns, “Anyone who uses the power at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty of scandal” (CCC 2287). Jesus Himself warns in Matthew 18:6 that those who cause children to sin face eternal peril.
If reports are accurate that the school included graphic sexual content and blasphemous depictions of Christ, these actions are objectively sinful. For the diocese to defend such a school in court risks formal cooperation with evil (CCC 1868).
The Bishop’s Role
A bishop’s duty is not ambiguous. He is bound by Canon Law (Can. 386 §2) to “protect the integrity and unity of the faith.” Bishops are shepherds who must guard the flock from moral corruption, not defend it.
By siding with the school against the parents, Bishop Martin may be:
- Undermining parental rights given by God and affirmed by CCC 2221–2231.
- Causing scandal by publicly supporting an institution promoting grave moral error (CCC 2285).
- Neglecting his pastoral duty to protect the spiritual welfare of children entrusted to his care (CCC 2037).
The Broader Pattern
This controversy follows Bishop Martin’s decision to restrict the Traditional Latin Mass — a move many faithful see as targeting Catholics deeply committed to orthodoxy. While Pope Francis’ Traditionis custodes allows bishops to regulate the Latin Mass, the Church also teaches that pastors should “have a special concern” for those attached to it (Can. 383 §1). Restricting the Mass while defending morally compromised institutions sends a troubling signal about priorities.
Earlier this week, the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte asked the state Supreme Court for permission to file an amicus brief backing the school’s right to expel students whose parents object to its adoption of a woke, ideologically driven agenda.
A Call to Prayer and Action
Catholics must pray for Bishop Martin’s conversion of heart and for a renewed commitment to protecting the innocent. Silence is not an option when souls are at stake. The faithful must, with respect and firmness, call on the diocese to end cooperation with institutions spreading moral error and to stand instead with parents protecting their children’s souls.
Christ’s warning remains as urgent today as it was 2,000 years ago: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).
The Church does not exist to appease the culture. She exists to lead souls to Heaven. May our shepherds remember their sacred charge before God.
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