Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Here.

To the Editor:

Re “The Plot to Change Catholicism” (column, Oct. 18):

I was stunned by Ross Douthat’s negative view of Pope Francis. The phrases “ostentatious humility,” “maneuvers” and “plot” really jump off the page. The pope’s humility in rejecting limo rides and the swanky papal apartments is not ostentation but a genuine expression of his personal vocation.

He chose Francis as his name and honors St. Francis of Assisi by emulating his rejection of wealth and privilege and in his outreach to the poor, the ill and God’s creatures.

Furthermore, I have never understood why a murderer has only to go to confession to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist, while a divorced and remarried Catholic, or a Catholic who marries a divorced person, is barred from receiving the sacrament in perpetuity.

And how is a divorce so different from an annulment?

I also don’t understand how a more welcoming church is viewed as a threat by pious Catholics.

Jesus told us to forgive seventy times seven, so the church’s inability to forgive divorced Catholics runs counter to that spirit. Pope Francis is nothing but consistent in adhering to Jesus’ calls for forgiveness and love.

SARA STEVENSON

Austin, Tex.

Fort Michilimackinac from the inside, at ground level. Click to enlarge.

Here.

Here.

It's about time somebody went after this criminal organization. For the life of me, I don't understand why blacks don't see abortion as a form of genocide. All lives matter, including black fetal lives.

To the Editor:

Three cheers for Courtney Jung. I identified with her article completely for myself and for my patients.

Not all women are able to breast-feed and breast-pump because of various factors, whether medical issues with the mother or the baby, or simply logistical barriers that are societal and/or related to work. Yet mothers who cannot or who choose not to breast-feed are treated like second-class citizens, and their dedication to mothering is considered suspect.

It is time for this treatment to end and for breast-feeding proponents to allow mothers to have a choice without feeling guilty.

Luckily, when I couldn’t maintain breast-pumping for my two children who were born prematurely, I had a pediatrician who was completely supportive. I offer the same empathy and reassurance to my patients when they report breast-feeding issues; I acknowledge that it can be difficult and offer them lactation consultant services, but I also tell them that if they need to switch to formula, they should not feel that they have failed their child at all.

REBECCA H. ALLEN

Providence, R.I.

The writer is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Note from KBJ: God forbid that any woman (or man) should be criticized! Each of us is responsible for his or her behavior and must stand ready to be blamed, censured, or criticized by our peers. If you believe that what you are doing is right, all things considered, then you should reply accordingly to the criticism. If you don't believe that what you are doing is right, all things considered, or believe that what you are doing is not right, all things considered, then perhaps the criticism will have a salutary effect on your behavior, which is its point. We need more judgment and criticism in society, not less. Moral standards are enforced not by some central authority, as in the case of law, but by each of us. Each of us has a stake in (1) there being moral standards and (2) those standards being effective.

Here is a report about "cheese crack."

See here. The dishonesty of the hoaxers is breathtaking.