ProgressiveCatholic.(No)com(ments) Allowed

As a blogger, I enjoy sharing my thoughts on theology, philosophy, culture, and politics. As a conservative Catholic, some of these thoughts ruffle feathers on the Left—whether among Catholics/Christians or not. How do I know? Critical readers often tell me so in the comments section.

Not wanting to live in an echo chamber, I encourage and advocate for open, honest dialogue. My two main rules: no foul language and no personal attacks.

Unfortunately, when I visit progressive Catholic/Christian blogs and websites, I rarely find the same spirit of dialogue. What I do find are echo chambers—when comments are allowed—and monologues when they aren’t. Either progressives lack confidence in their views, or they simply don’t want challenge or confrontation.

In this article, I evaluate various progressive Catholic blogs and websites based on their openness to dialogue and engagement with critics. My goal is to encourage progressives (Catholic or otherwise) to engage in respectful, honest discussion. In a world growing more divided by the day, the need for such dialogue has never been greater.

The Scale

The following four-star model guides my assessment:

– 4 Stars**** – Honest Dialogue Partner (Allows critical comments and respectfully engages critics.)

– 3 Stars*** – Getting There (Allows critical comments but does not engage critics.)

– 2 Stars** – Echo Chamber (Only allows comments supporting the site’s chosen narrative.)

– 1 Star* – Monologue Only (No comment section available.)

If contributors from any of these blogs/websites would like to respond to these ratings, I welcome feedback in the comments below. Unlike some platforms, I gladly allow and engage with critical comments. In fact, I’ve even granted critics access to my blog to challenge and criticize me directly.

National Catholic Reporter – 1 Star*

Probably the most well-known free progressive Catholic website, National Catholic Reporter primarily offers commentary on current events from a progressive perspective. Unfortunately, since 2017, the site has not allowed comments.

According to the editors, they shut down the comments section after trying multiple strategies to stop trolling and abusive behavior. I sympathize. However, platforms like Disqus now offer features that automatically filter such content. National Catholic Reporter should consider reinstating its comment section to foster honest dialogue. Until then, it earns just one star.

Commonweal Magazine – 1 Star*

Commonweal Magazine once hosted a comment section. In 2010, it even posted its Comment Guidelines. Today, however, readers can only submit letters to the editor. With no space for open dialogue, Commonweal also receives one star. If they restore a comment section that allows honest engagement, I’ll gladly reconsider.

Where Peter Is – 1 Star*

I recently wrote about Where Peter Is (WPI) and its future post-Francis. One thing I noticed while researching was the absence of a comment section. A little digging revealed WPI discontinued comments in 2021.

Though they created an exclusive community on SmartCatholics, this is a limited and curated space—essentially an echo chamber. Since the main site offers no open discussion, WPI receives one star.

America Magazine – 2 Stars**

America Magazine (AM) is the first site on the list with an active comment section, but it still only earns two stars. Here’s why:

AM requires a subscription to access and comment on its content.
Not all articles have a comments section.
Comments critical of AM’s views or its writers are often excluded.

Due to these limitations, AM falls into the “echo chamber” category.

A Little Bit of Nothing – 3 Stars***

This Patheos blog, run by Henry Karlson, receives three stars. Karlson sometimes permits critical comments, which I commend. However, he tends to avoid engaging with his critics in any meaningful way.

I challenge Karlson to take that next step: engage more deeply, and that fourth star could be within reach.

Catholic Sensibility – 4 Stars****

Among all progressive Catholic blogs I’ve seen, Catholic Sensibility stands out. It not only allows reader comments but actively engages with them.

The blogger, Todd Flowerday, frequently joins discussions and has even contributed a guest article here. I find his approach both refreshing and edifying. If more progressive Catholics followed his example, we’d see fewer misunderstandings and less polemical hostility.

Final Thoughts

I understand the trouble trolls can cause in comment sections. I don’t let anarchy reign on mine, and I don’t expect others to either. But tools like Disqus provide safeguards that filter abusive content.

Barring those technical protections, the only remaining reason to remove comments is a reluctance to hear opposing views. That’s not a good reason.

So, let us come and reason together.

*** For the record, this reality seems to exist to a less extent in traditionally conservative Catholic blogs and websites.