Using Clerical Power, Non-Clerical Bishop Bans Displays of Reverence in Diocese
Listen to Him, Or Else
A guest post by reader . Special thanks to her for this hilarious piece referencing obvious events from this past week.
Earlier this week, Bishop Mark Melvin of the Diocese of Cherryville released a letter to the priests of his diocese establishing new norms for the celebration of the Mass. They are set to take effect immediately, according to the Bishop’s desire. Bishop Melvin has faced pushback from both priests and laity in the diocese, but yet appears to continue forward with his mission to eliminate Catholicism from the parishes of Cherryville.
The letter titled, “Let Us Praise the Lord With All Our Hearts,” contains multiple instructions in many areas of the liturgy, from the ringing of bells to the celebrant’s vestments. Catolica News was able to obtain an exclusive interview with Bishop Melvin, during which he elaborated on the new norms and explained the reasoning behind the new instructions.
On the subject of prohibiting chasubles in the style popular before the Council, yet still used by many of the clergy in Italy today, Bishop Melvin said, “You don’t see Protestant pastors still wearing those old tweed suits. Times have changed! Yet some Catholic priests insist on wearing vestments made in styles that have long gone out. They have no sense of fashion whatsoever. It would be like Macy’s selling the styles of the 1980s in the 2020s. They make me feel ashamed of them. As their shepherd and father. It’s my duty to make sure they’re well-dressed.” He later added, “Vestments that are too elaborately decorated or too rich-looking might also give people the impression that the priest has dressed extra-nicely to do something special. We absolutely can’t have people thinking that.”
As for the use of Latin in the liturgy, Bishop Melvin listed a number of reasons for his decision to outlaw it. “Look… If these people were saying the Mass and praying in a holy and inspired tongue like the Charismatics, I would have no problem with it. But they insist on having Latin. If they can have Latin, why not English? Why not Spanish? I’ll tell you why – it would almost seem as if these people – these Traditionalists, as they call themselves – are fond of inconvenience. They like making the priest wear big, stiff vestments that are hot, and making him pray in a foreign tongue; they like the priest to genuflect all the time and repeat the same prayer over and over again as he hands out the host, instead of him saying it just once for everybody. And what for? It’s the spirit of inconvenience, I tell you.”
In his letter, Bishop Melvin speaks against unnecessary additions to the text of the liturgy, such as including prayers not prescribed to the Novus Ordo Missae that are taken from the Missale Romanum. He said that this should not happen because prayers taken from the Old Missal may confuse the faithful as to the teachings of the Church. “They might think the Mass is a sacrifice instead of a meal around the Lord’s table,” Bishop Melvin told Catolica News. “That’s too violent. This is the Church of Peace. We can’t have people thinking the Mass came about as a result of something violent.”
Furthermore, Bishop Melvin has also asked the priests in his diocese to keep the altar free of missal stands, candles, and standing crucifixes to improve the visibility of the faithful. “We need to be able to see everything so we can believe,” Bishop Melvin explained. When questioned as to why he included the removal of crucifixes in his norms, and if whether he would not re-think his position given that the looking at the crucifix during Mass may have been an object of devotion for the laity, the bishop replied, “We have to see what is taking place at the moment. I – I think that, as Catholics, the crucifix is not an “immediate necessary.” What I mean is, we have seen the crucifix all of our lives, and it is what you would call a “central part” of the Mass. So, why clutter the altar with things that are not necessary?”
But many people who believe these rituals help increase their devotion are upset at Bishop Melvin’s norms. “To these people who are upset at me, I say – well, first, I forgive you. And, secondly, as the bishop, I am your shepherd; but, even more than that, your father. Every parent would agree with me that, sometimes, you have to do things that will make your child hate you for a while that really is for their good. It’s a hard spot to be in, but it’s something that happened to all of us, right?”
“It’s like eating your vegetables,” the bishop explained. “Right now, having a simple Mass with simple vestments in reflection of the humility of Jesus is hard for these people. It’s their vegetables. But, like with children, you can’t let them have all the candy they want. You have to regulate what they eat so they can grow healthy and strong. In this case, I’m the one regulating what they give their souls. Latin, incense, all that kneeling down – all of that is the candy. It’s the distractions that attract us because they’re attractive at the superficial level. Simplicity is like vegetables – it may not appeal to us at first because of the taste, but, with time, we can learn to appreciate it because of the nutrients.”
Continuing with the imagery of vegetables, Bishop Melvin said, “I’ll let you in on a secret. Right now it seems that the world is going to end for these Traditionalists. But, you know what? I think that – allow me to use the “eat your vegetables” example one more time –, with time, these people will learn to love the results of my norms. It’s all the case of a “refined palate,” so to speak. Some people are not used to fine food because they’ve been accustomed to junk food all their life. Well, I’m helping the sheep in my diocese get a refined palate. This may seem like it’s going to be hard now, but I know you’ll thank me later.”
In conclusion, Bishop Melvin spoke about his disdain for clericalism. “Y’know, I’m a cleric, but, ever since I was ordained, I’ve taken extreme measures to ensure that I am never infected with the spirit of clericalism. And it’s easy, because I’m the guy, but I always make sure to spend at least an hour of my day reflecting on the power and rights of the people. Then I pray for wisdom and discernment to be able to see the wisdom of the people.”
Bishop Melvin emphasized that he has always prided himself in not being clerical, and that he is always willing to listen and incorporate non-clerics into his work. Catolica News received word about rumors circulating in the Cherryville Diocese about a man who was excommunicated for questioning the Bishop about his norms outside his residence, but when asked about this, Bishop Melvin said that these rumors are unfounded and not to be believed.
Bishop Melvin’s practices parallel those of another bishop who recently decided to ban Catholicism from his diocese for being “too divisive”:
The liberal Cardinal Gunter Schuster of Germany, busy with trying to check off every heresy before he finds out whether Pope Leo XIV will stop him, also praised Bishop Melvin’s priorities as those of someone “really trying to walk with the Holy Spirit and go where He leads us.”
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