Over the past few days several people have asked me why we allow comments on some posts and not on others. I thought it might be helpful to explain why here. We recently decided to turn comments off on all news stories, bringing us in line with big web news sites such as the Telegraph. A technical glitch means that comments are sometimes suddenly turned on on our news posts. When this happens we turn them off again as soon as possible and we are working to fix this problem. One benefit of this decision is that comments are now focused on items in our Comment and Blogs section, and we are able to pay them close attention. We want readers to be able to comment on all items in our Comment section, but occasionally we have to turn the comments off. Why? Usually for legal reasons and with the greatest reluctance. We want you to know that we appreciate your comments. We and other readers gain a lot from your insights. We think it's vital to have forums where Catholics can express their opinions freely, within the constraints of the law, and will work hard to ensure that this site remains one of those places.