Some who have left comments here may have noticed that their comments have been deleted. I don’t like doing that, but I have to draw the line somewhere, and a few observations have crossed that line. I refer you to the statement in my “Welcome” remarks, in the column on the right:

If you choose to leave a comment, the ground rules are simple: no slander, profanity, racism, sexism or name-calling. Violators will be deleted. I reserve the right to moderate comments, if necessary, or even shut them down. The guiding principle should be: WWJB? “What Would Jesus Blog?”

I don’t mind debate or disagreement, as long as it’s civil and respectful.

It’s a big church. In the immortal words of James Joyce, describing the Catholic Church: “Here comes everybody.” There are a lot of differing opinions out there. I want to try and make room for them all.

I do my best to keep up with comments but, as you can imagine, I do have other distractions (like, say, my job) that keep me from monitoring The Bench 24/7. I’m also trying to avoid resorting to comment moderation, because that causes other headaches and tends to discourage discussion and slow things down.

Recently, someone left a comment saying: “You have a very cute and attractive progressive Catholic site, but not a great deal of substance. Rather like a pleasant modern suburban Catholic church that just wants folks to like it there with maybe a snide remark thrown out at nasty old conservative troglodytes.” I had to laugh. Whether or not this place has any substance, I leave up to the readers. But “progressive” is in the eye of the beholder. I number among my heroes bishops like Chaput and O’Malley; I appreciate people who kneel for communion and receive on the tongue; my favorite hymns include “Panis Angelicus” and “You Are Near”, and I also have deep love for “Tantum Ergo” and “I Am The Bread of Life,”; nothing puts me over the moon like a lot of incense and a little Latin; I love folk masses, with the right music; I’ve attended masses with liturgical dancing that have left me deeply and profoundly moved; nothing raises goosebumps in me more than when I celebrate Benediction and hear the opening chords of “O Salutaris Hostia”; and nothing disappoints me more than touchy-feely meandering and bloodless homilies that say absolutely nothing.

As I said, it’s a big church. I love it all and see abundant riches everywhere.

Anyway…

Thank you all for understanding. And, of course, thank you for visiting, reading, sharing, venting and supporting this little enterprise with your thoughts, ideas, presence and prayers.