Open Letter to Cathedral of St Matthew and the Archdiocese of Washington

Rev Msgr W. Ronald Jameson
Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle
1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Msgr Jameson,

The prophet Jeremiah states, in chapter 34:1-10, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not the shepherds take care of the flock?” Msgr, this is the kind of “shepherding” that was on display at the Red Mass on Sunday, October 4th. You and all the ordained clergy have a solemn responsibility, as those who stand as “alter Christi”, to preach the Gospel of repentance and to bestow the Sacraments upon the people in your care, in accordance with the will of God as manifest in the teaching Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. That did not happen at the Red Mass.

By now you are aware of the shameful treatment meted out to a regular Mass attendee, Ms. Joan McKee, simply because she was wearing a pro-life shirt, as is her custom when she attends Mass at the Cathedral. We’ve gone into detail about that episode in the blog http://restore-dc-catholicism.blogspot.com/2009/10/double-shame-on-washington-archdiocese.html. Please read it, and please pay close attention to the video of the unconscionable treatment that Ms. McKee suffered simply because she wanted to attend Mass. It’s obvious that she did not receive the shepherding that she deserved as a member of your flock.

What may not be so obvious is the neglect that other sheep of the fold suffered at the hands of the clergy at the Red Mass. we speak of all the dignitaries who espouse the pro-abortion position. At that Mass, they received all sorts of adulation, compliments, etc. However, what their immortal souls really needed was to hear the unabashed truth and even rebukes, so that they would be moved to repentance and salvation. Anyone who supports baby-killing is in grave danger of hell. Were they told that? Only those outside, on the other side of the police tape, seemed to have the courage to tell them that. Monsignor, the pro-abortion dignitaries needed to hear from you the medicinal rebukes and exhortations to conversion and the Sacrament of Confession. Instead, what they received was the putrid poison of flattery.

Not only were they lulled into deadly complacence, but they even committed yet another mortal sin, that of receiving Holy Communion in a sacrilegious manner. You know full well that’s what happens when one receives Holy Communion unworthily. That is why we were crying out on the bullhorns. We were not hollering condemnation. Quite the contrary – we were trying to prevent yet another cause for condemnation.

Because the bishops and clergy at that Mass were complicit with such sacrilege, you all share the guilt of those mortal sins. We shudder to think that some of you might actually have handed the Eucharist to one of them. It takes no moral theologian to realize that this constitutes material and formal cooperation with mortal sin.

It also takes no great amount of genius to realize why false accolades are heaped upon these individuals who promote baby-killing. They do wield much political and cultural influence and many of them are wealthy (in the worldly sense). Churchmen have often succumbed to the temptation to curry the favor of the wealthy and powerful for mere temporal gain – to the spiritual detriment of all concerned. However, when you do so (as was done at the Red Mass), you betray your own sacerdotal commission. At the Red Mass, every Catholic, be it Ms. McKee or any of the pro-abortion attendees, was thrown to the wolves to obtain some (perceived) worldly advantage for the clergy. Shame!

At the very least, simple decency demands that Ms. McKee be held harmless for her attempt to attend Mass. Any charges filed against her should be immediately dropped. She in fact deserves profuse apologies from St. Matthew’s and the entire archdiocese.

Canon 915 binds upon all clergy. Adherence to that canon by the clergy is not an option; it is a most solemn obligation. Archbishop Raymond Burke made that quite clear several months ago. When all the clergy starts taking that seriously, perhaps more Catholics will take their faith and morals seriously. Only then can the prayers uttered at the Red Mass have any hope of being answered.

By way of copy to the Archbishop of Washington, we address these words to him and to the entire archdiocese as well. Please be advised that this letter is posted on the blog cited in the footer of this letter. Any reply, or lack thereof, will likewise be posted.

You are in our prayers and we ask the same of you. Thank you.