Teaching reverence:

KAMPALA — Kampala Catholic Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga has directed that no Christian or practicing Catholic will be allowed to receive the Holy Communion by hand.

He has also decreed that Holy Mass will no longer be celebrated in homes, as is the current norm, in a bid to “fend off abuses in the liturgical life of the Church”.

via PML Daily

The ad about criminal justice reform, “one of those things that is always talked about by politicians but never acted upon.” And how it came across.

The understated tone of the ad is what struck me most. The president is known for his bombast. I’m a big fan of that too. This ad, however, didn’t have the “rah-rah” rally feel. It was quiet, to the point, and quite impressive.

He does understatement too, apparently.

A truly lewd performance.

(Word not in common use these days.)

Something there is that loves a straight talker.

Deniers scoffing as we read this.

Trump Told Bolton to Help His Ukraine Pressure Campaign, Book Says

Kiss-and-tell book of the century. Decade? Year? Week? Day?”

If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.

Story has what’s “alleged” by former Trump advisor, nothing about what inspector general discovered about made-up allegations about the advisor. Why not?

via Chicago Sun-Times

She herself won’t talk about what Mr. W. is looking at. But boy, wouldn’t his findings influence the coming election? Hey, this is “crook” county, remember. Are we in for another stinko situation? Super-stinko, actually, following on the Jessie Smollett fiasco.

via Editorial: Answer these Jussie Smollett/Kim Foxx questions – Chicago Tribune

I went from watching Amazon’s “Amazing Mrs. Maisel,” a wise-cracking extravaganza, to this from Pope Francis, and didn’t miss a beat.

Pope Francis on Thursday said that modern society “is progressively eroding the understanding of that which makes human life precious” by evaluating life in terms of efficiency and utility. He delivered the warning in an address to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is meeting in Plenary Assembly.

Speaking specifically to the issue of care for the terminally ill – the focus of the reflections of the Congregation – the Pope talked about the need to “convert the gaze of the heart” in the light of compassion, and praised the work of hospices where the “therapy of dignity” is practiced.

In his address, Pope Francis also encouraged members of the Congregation to continue “with firmness” their studies concerning the revision of the norms on “more serious crimes” (“graviora delicta”) in order to proceed along the path of transparency and of respect for the dignity of the “smallest” among us.

Golly.

via Vatican News

Not even half through this genteel polemic, and my head, she is spinning.

Read it, as I am doing, via Crisis Magazine

Bishop Robert Barron, once of Chicago,  says something, as one of many interviewed for a long article, that just might give a blogger pause next time he goes after a bad guy:

“I would also give the following spiritual advice,” Bishop Barron said. “Before you say or write anything on social media — whether you are publishing your own material or responding to someone else — ask this simple question: Do these words of mine constitute an act of love?”

But maybe this is using a hammer to kill a fly.

How about, instead, checking what you write for its urbanity, which as a practical matter has a good chance of amounting to the same thing?

Or even picture yourself looking the other in the eye as you talk about him or her.

In medio stat virtus is another healthy norm.

via Catholics Reflect on 10 Years of the Good, Bad and Ugly of Social Media