They Should According To Church Law

This week on A Podcast About Catholic Things, Eric (The Ambassador of Common Sense) and Dan (The Ambassador of Nonsense) discuss something that has long been the subject of public debate… and yet, there's nothing really TO debate. Canon law is pretty specific and pretty clear on how public sinners ought to be treated in terms of distributing the Eucharist--as well as the Bible and the church fathers. So why does this subject get rehashed every time we get close to elections (or when a pro-death politician pretends to be Catholic?) And why do Catholic bishops (and now a Catholic pope) ignore the rules? This leads, obviously to the discussion of Biden meeting with Pope Francis. And we have more from the 'synod on synodality'… and how all this ties into this week's Gospel reading.

In current events, energy companies in the United Kingdom are collapsing. All American citizens are urged to leave Ethiopia. A human stampede at the Astroworld Music Festival in Houston leaves eight people dead and many more injured. H5N8 continues to be a problem--now in Poland and England. Plans are made to vaccinate children for polio in Afghanistan. Singapore is executing a 'mentally impaired' man for heroin possession. US and China agree to 'combat' climate change.

In the world of nonsense, a woman is threatened with jail for wearing a 'protest costume.' A judge in Ohio rules that hippos are people too. No more 'elf on a shelf.' And a naked man is found trapped in a wall.

Saint of the week: Saint Afra The Penitent

show notes:

No Elf on the Shelf
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/georgia-judge-elf-on-the-shelf-ban_n_61894cfae4b087e2ef9ae1a1

You keep using that word, "people." I do not think it means what you 
think it means.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pablo-escobar-cocaine-hippos-legal-standing-as-people_n_6171cee3e4b010d9330e81c8

Risk getting harassed for what you wear? Not what you might think.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Police-warn-woman-not-to-wear-Halloween-costume-16577362.php

There's a story here...
https://www.wavy.com/news/national/naked-man-rescued-after-days-trapped-in-wall-of-historic-new-york-theater/