Guido Colla
Taylor's Rd Meredith Vic. 3333
Saturday 20 October 2001

Bishop Denis Hart
P.O. Box 146
East Melbourne Vic. 3002

Your Eminence,

I come to you today as the widow of today’s Gospel, pestering you and asking for my just rights.

I wrote to you yesterday asking for an urgent reply to my predicament. I have as yet received no reply from yourself my Bishop, or from Father John Haines my parish priest, the Cardinal, Archbishop Pell, or the Pro Nuncio, all of which have a copy of yesterdays letter.

On entering St Joseph's church at Meredith tonight, Father addressed us very loudly, loudly enough for all the people already assembled in church to overhear. He told us again that if we did not behave as the rest of the people in the church behaved we would again not be able to receive Holy Communion. I said to him that the teaching of the church is that unless one was excommunicated or a grave and public sinner that he had no right to withhold Communion. Is that correct your Lordship?

I asked him what in particular was it that we did that was so offensive. He gave a general comment that we did not behave as the rest of the community and he made us understand that our behaviour, as a community was paramount. I next said to him, that the reason for coming to Holy Mass was not community that was the most important, but that the Sacrifice of Christ on the Altar was the reason for our coming. I next said to him that we would come up for Communion as usual, and he re-iterated that he would not give us Holy Communion and not even favour us with a blessing.

Let us look at our behaviour for a moment, and I ask you my Bishop, what is offensive in our actions. On Sundays we go to a traditional Latin Mass, it is very reverent and rich in tradition as you well know. At our Latin Mass we kneel for different parts of the Mass, the only thing as far as I am aware that we do differently in our local church is that we kneel for those parts that we kneel for in the Latin Mass. Is what I do on Sundays all of a sudden a grave and mortal sin on Monday to Saturday? Is kneeling in the house of God at any time, day or night any reason to be upset? Is it so bad as to cause a public scandal?

I ask is the real reason for Father's refusal to give us Holy Communion that we receive Communion in the traditional way? Kneeling and on the tongue. And again I ask is Father so offended because he never even genuflects in front of the Blessed Sacrament, not even at the Consecration. Is Father Haines embarrassed by our actions? I have written to Father in the past and pointed out sections of the documents of Vatican 11 which are relevant and I quote (page 150). "This method (kneeling and on the tongue) of distributing holy communion must be retained...not merely because it has many centuries of tradition behind it, but especially because it expressed the faithfuls reverence for the Eucharist" and again on (page 151) "the Apostolic See therefore emphatically urges bishop priests and laity to obey carefully the law which is still valid and which has again been confirmed. It urges them to take account of the judgment given by the majority of Catholic bishops, of the rite now in use in the liturgy, of the common good of the Church".

So where to from here? We do as the church teaches and we are treated as public sinners. What is going on? I ask as did the widow of the Gospel for our just rights. You my Bishop are today’s judge and I am pestering you and I will not go away. I have to date kept our differences in the Catholic family, so as to cause no unnecessary scandal. But my Bishop I do seek your judgment and justice and if you will not dispense just rights to your sheep, I will be forced to seek it from the people of God in the public arena. None of us want that, and it is not intended as a threat, but I see no viable alternative. I ask for your urgent reply and fair judgment.

Yours in Christ Jesus and I pray to His Holy Mother Mary for your continued Blessings.

Your obedient servant.