An open letter to Bishop Robert J. McManus

- "At the side of Jesus, see Mary his Mother, who was never stained with any sin, original or actual, yet whose pure and loving heart was pierced through."

- St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort

I have written His Excellency, The Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, to address my concerns regarding a homily given by the pastor of a Catholic parish located within his Diocese. Here is that letter:

December 26, 2007

The Most Rev. Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester
49 Elm Street
Worcester, Ma 01609


Your Excellency,


It is with a heavy heart that I write to you to express my concerns regarding a homily given by Rev. ----- during Holy Mass on Christmas Day at ------ Parish in ------.
During his homily, Fr. ----- described Our Lady as having entertained sinful thoughts. Specifically, he implied that she would have harbored resentment against St. Joseph (for having thought that she had been unfaithful to him) and for the conditions which she had to endure both on the road to - and while giving birth at - Bethlehem.

In his declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception given on December 8, 1854, Blessed Pius IX of happy memory stated clearly that, "..the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of God omnipotent and because of the merits of Jesus Christ the Savior of the human race, free from all stain of Original Sin."

Our Lady was conceived in the state of perfect justice, free from Original Sin and its consequences, in virtue of the redemption achieved by Christ on the Cross. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 492, teaches that, "The ‘splendor of an entirely unique holiness’ by which Mary is ‘enriched from the first instant of her conception’ comes wholly from Christ: she is ‘redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.’ The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person ‘in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places’ and chose her ‘in Christ before the foundations of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love.’" (CCC, 492, citing Lumen Gentium, Nos 53, 56; Ephesians 1: 3-4).

The Catechism assures us that: "It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the Christian fulfills his vocation. From the Church he receives the Word of God containing the teachings of ‘the law of Christ.’ From the Church he receives the grace of the sacraments that sustains him on the ‘way.’ From the Church he learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source in the all-holy Virgin Mary." (CCC, No. 2030).

Our Lady is not only the model of holiness but she is Mediatrix of all Graces. Pope Benedict XIV taught that, "Our Lady is like a celestial stream through which the flow of all graces and gifts reach the soul of all wretched mortals." (Op. Omnia, v.16, ed., Prati, 1846, p. 428). And Pope Pius XII, speaking of Our Lady, said that, "She teaches us all virtues; she gives us her Son and with Him all the help we need, for ‘God wished us to have everything through Mary.’" (Mediator Dei, 1947).

Rather than encouraging the faithful under his care to strive toward greater holiness while using Our Lady as a model of something far better to reach for, it would seem that Fr. ----- would prefer to drag Our Lady down to the level of the ordinary "wretched mortal" (to borrow Pope Benedict XIV’s phrase) in an attempt to convince us that we are really not that wretched after all.

Fr. -----'s homily was both morally offensive and grossly inappropriate. Especially considering the fact that it was delivered on Christmas Day. Not that his comments would have been edifying on any other day. One has to wonder if Fr. ----- has an adequate understanding of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It would appear that such is not the case. Either that, or knowing that ---- radio out of ------- is broadcasting the Mass, perhaps Fr. ----- is more concerned with his image and appealing to a mass audience which can be hostile toward devotion to Mary than he is with offering authentic Catholic teaching.

At any rate, I believe this situation should be addressed Your Excellency. The faithful have a right to receive Catholic doctrine in its purity and integrity (Veritatis Splendor, No. 113).

Asking Your Excellency’s Blessing,
I am, Yours Respectfully

Paul Anthony Melanson