A year that left many feeling like there was no end in sight might finally be coming to a close.

With coronavirus case numbers heading in the right direction, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday announced he’ll lift more COVID-19 business restrictions across Illinois next week — and barring another surge of infections, he’ll let the state fully reopen June 11.

Fourteen months into the pandemic, it’s the clearest timeline Pritzker has set for most of the state to return to business as usual — and one that puts him at odds yet again with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is sticking to a more conservative potential reopening date of July 4 for Chicago.

But even with the light at the end of the tunnel “getting brighter and brighter,” it’s still no sure bet, the governor cautioned during a Loop news conference.

“This good news comes with a caveat. We have all seen throughout this pandemic that this virus and its variants have proven to be unpredictable,” Pritzker said. “Metrics that look strong today are far from a guarantee of how things will look a week, two weeks, a month from now. We saw that last August and again last March.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

That was the last time a spike in cases threw off the governor’s reopening plan. Illinois was on track to get to Pritzker’s intermediate “bridge phase” in late March until cases started trending back upward.

Now, with Illinois’ coronavirus testing positivity rate back down to 3% — its lowest point in six weeks — and more than 60% of the population at least partially vaccinated, the state is in line to get to the bridge May 14.

That means museums, amusement parks and zoos will be able to increase capacity from 25% to 60%, while festivals and other general admission outdoor events will be able to seat 30 people per 1,000 square feet. Additionally, meetings, conferences and conventions will see their capacity limit increase to either 1,000 people or 60% — whichever is less — with the same applying to theaters and performing arts venues.

After that, as long as residents follow basic COVID-19 precautions, keep signing up for vaccinations and help stave off another spike in infections, all of Pritzker’s business restrictions will be lifted June 11, he said.

“We want to keep moving forward,” Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “To do that, we need to get more and more individuals vaccinated, and we’re working to make the vaccines available in as many locations as possible.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Pritzker’s timeline would put the rest of the state about three weeks ahead of Chicago, where Lightfoot earlier this week said she’s aiming to fully open for business by July 4.

The mayor’s office said the city is “on course” to move to Pritzker’s bridge phase along with the rest of the state, but will stick to its own reopening timeline.

“While we have made significant progress and look forward to taking this step next week, we will only be able to fully reopen when we see continued improvement in COVID metrics and more widespread vaccine uptake,” a mayoral spokesperson said in an email. “We call on all Chicagoans to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to continue following the safety precautions so that we can experience all that Chicago has to offer this summer.”

Throughout the pandemic, Pritzker has given local governments leeway to impose COVID-19 restrictions that are tighter than his own, and Lightfoot often has done just that.

“I know that the mayor has said July 4 is what she’s aiming at,” Pritzker said. “I’m sure that she’s motivated to try to get there sooner, but this is where we can move to as a state.”

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

Still, the governor stressed it might not happen if people don’t keep signing up for shots.

With the latest 99,599 COVID-19 shots that went into Illinois arms Wednesday, more than a third of the population is now fully vaccinated, but the state is now averaging just 70,063 shots given per day over the past week — a rate that has fallen almost in half since April 12.

And despite the state’s progress in lowering case counts, the virus is still causing grief across the state. In addition to 1,778 new cases of the disease, officials reported 40 more COVID-19 deaths, including a man in his 30s from McLean County in central Illinois.

The state’s death toll is up to 22,136 among more than 1.3 million residents who have tested positive over since March 2020.

“This pandemic is not over. But if we’re going to truly end it, we have to make sure that we don’t see another surge in the virus, and the best way to do that is for everyone to get vaccinated,” Pritzker said.

As part of that effort, Pritzker announced doses are now being allocated to more than a thousand private physicians’ offices.

The life saving vaccines remain free and readily available on a walk-up basis at government-run mass vaccination sites as well as many Walgreens, Walmart and CVS pharmacies.

For help finding an appointment in Chicago, visit zocdoc.com or call (312) 746-4835.

For suburban Cook County sites, visit vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or call (833) 308-1988.

To find providers elsewhere, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a high near 55 degrees. A chance of isolated showers is in the forecast for tonight, which will have a low around 43 degrees. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 58 degrees and a slight chance of more rain.

Top story

Chicago Police Department raids on homes plummet, City Hall inspector general finds

The number of Chicago police raids on homes has steadily fallen since 2019, when officers conducted a bungled search on the apartment of Anjanette Young, who was naked and crying as she told them they were in the wrong place, according to a report today from City Hall’s inspector general.

In 2019, police searched 1,424 homes, compared with 523 in 2020.

The inspector general didn’t give a reason for the drop in the number of residential raids, but there has been increased scrutiny of the Chicago Police Department as a result of botched search warrants and decreased police activity overall during the coronavirus pandemic.

Inspector General Joseph Ferguson’s report also found that the city’s electronic tracking system for warrants doesn’t record raids the police mistakenly made at the wrong address. Also, about a quarter of the searches that were logged in the police database had incomplete information about the targeted address.

In raiding homes, the police department has disproportionately gone after people of color, the report said. Between 2017 and 2020, Black men were targeted 4.6 times more than Latino men and 25 times more than white men.

The department’s residential searches were done mostly on the West Side and South Side.

Read Frank Main’s full story on the reported decline in CPD raids on homes.

More news you need

1. Improving coronavirus infections numbers mean Illinois will see more business restrictions lifted next week — and barring another case surge, the state will fully reopen June 11, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced today. With the statewide positivity rate dipping to 3%, the governor confirmed Illinois will advance to the “bridge phase” of his reopening plan on May 14.
2. Mayor Lori Lightfoot tried today to convince investors she has had “a lot of successes” financially and put Chicago on the road to financial solvency. The mayor made her comments in hopes of minimizing borrowing costs when $1.4 billion in general obligation bonds are sold to bankroll her capital plan.
3. A boil order was issued this afternoon for thousands of people, mainly in Morgan Park and Beverly, after a Southwest Side pumping station shut down for about an hour. The order’s expected to last until tomorrow morning because testing takes about 24 hours, officials said.
4. A lawsuit filed by an Adler Planetarium astronomer against American Girl for creating a doll in her likeness without permission was dismissed this week. Lucianne Walkowicz sought unspecified damages and wanted American Girl to stop selling the doll. It appears she got neither.
5. Cynthia Erivo, Brian McKnight and the Joffrey Ballet are among the artists set to perform at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park this summer. Check out more highlights from the outdoor venue’s upcoming schedule, which kicks off July 1.
6. “Saturday Night Live” comedian Michael Che’s new HBO Max series will make you laugh a lot … and squirm a little. Read Richard Roeper’s positive review of the new comedy sketch show, which is available now on HBO Max.

A bright one

Ben Coupet Jr.’s journey from Simeon freshman phenom to SIU

Ben Coupet Jr. has always had the name.

Coupet entered high school as the top prospect in the state of Illinois way back in 2012. He headed to powerhouse Simeon which was coming off its third straight state championship.

Simeon was also where his father, Ben Coupet Sr., became a Public League star before he went off to play collegiately at Illinois and, eventually, at Bradley.

Coupet Jr. was expected to be the next big thing at Simeon. As a 6-7 freshman with the type of talent, upside and pedigree that Coupet possessed, the hyperbole surrounding him as a young player was probably too much, even unfair.

Sun-Times file photo

After an up-and-down career at Simeon and a tough three years at UNLV — “it was a dark time for me,” he said — Coupet transferred from UNLV and found his way at Arkansas-Little Rock, producing in a way that showed the talent he possessed. He went from being a no-namer riding the bench to a legit difference-maker.

With everyone in college basketball being granted an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, the biggest beneficiary of Coupet’s rise just might be Southern Illinois. Coach Bryan Mullins and the Salukis will be getting the best of Coupet for one year after the long, athletic forward announced he is transferring to SIU.

Read Joe Henricksen’s full story on a former local phenom who’s finally coming into his own on the basketball court.

From the press box

The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers reportedly wants to be traded, and the Bears and their fans are excited about Justin Fields. Where are we? How did we get here? And what did you put in this brownie? Here’s Rick Morrissey on a strange new dynamic between the two longtime rivals.

After missing his scheduled start last night due to a cut on his right thumb that put him on the injured list, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta expects to be back in action soon. The team plans for the right-hander to return to the mound next week against the Tigers.

Turner Sports’ addition of NHL coverage, which will include longtime Hawks broadcaster Eddie Olczyk as lead analyst, gives the cable giant its best lineup of sports content ever – and that includes the years of “NFL on TNT” in the ’90s, Jeff Agrest writes.

Your daily question ?

What song do you most associate with your childhood? Tell us why.

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: Has the pandemic prompted you to move? Tell us why, and how it’s worked out. Here’s what some of you said…

“Yes! Couldn’t stand the open floor plan anymore once COVID hit. We needed separation and space to do other things away from each other.” — Tina Maltese Gio

“Yes! Because the winery we were working at kept having to close and a lot of other things were closed. So we had to go to where there was and still is work. It has worked out amazingly! Things couldn’t be better! And especially when you have kids you do what you have to! Now we are not struggling to pay bills. We had no problem getting an apartment.” — Rebecca Nichols

“Yes, interest rates were amazing so my husband and I bought our first home in the middle of the pandemic” — Kimberly Cunningham

“It put me in a depression, which put me to change my behaviors and lifestyle. Leaving Chicago and headed towards Clearwater, Florida. Accepted a job today.” — Tiffany Dunlevy

“I moved to a farm in Michigan and haven’t left and it was the best decision of my life.” — Ricky Lee

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

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The United Center hasn’t been very kind to the Bulls over the past few seasons.

Check that, it’s actually been a house of horrors.

Yet, as a team, the Friday game against Boston will still have some meaning, considering it will be the first time fans are allowed in the building for a Bulls game since last Mar. 10, when the coronavirus shut down the league and sporting world.

“I think it’s great,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Obviously, some of the arenas that we’ve got the opportunity to go to, they’re starting to let fans in. But I think hopefully we’ll be able to get, by next year, places filled. I’ve always said, just coming into Chicago, this is an electric environment. The fans here make it I think a great home-court advantage.”

Donovan’s right in one aspect – it usually is an “electric environment.” But that “home-court advantage” part? That hasn’t been the case. Not even close to it lately.

The last winning season at home for the Bulls was the 2016-17 playoff team, which posted a 25-16 record at the UC. After falling to Boston in the first round of the playoffs, however, the rebuild was on and Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo were each shown exit stage left.

Since that dismantling? How about a 52-96 record – including this season – for a .351 winning percentage?

Still, the United Center was one of the last NBA arenas this season to allow fans back, and even with limited capacity at around 4,000 against the Celtics, the players were excited about some bodies in the stands and life in the building.

“It’s good,” guard Zach LaVine said. “Whenever we went and played in arenas where they had fans, it was refreshing, especially to interact with some of the people and hear the crowd noise. Some trash talking or the cheers or whatever it is, just having that atmosphere in basketball is great.

“With your home fans and the city being back here, it’s going to be great. Very excited to at least play some games back at the United Center with our fans there.”

It will be just four games to be exact, as the Bulls host the Celtics, then Brooklyn on May 11, Toronto on May 13, and end the regular season on May 16, hosting Milwaukee.

“Certainly not having them here early in the year for our guys was an adjustment,” Donovan said. “As a coach, I had a chance to go through a little bit of that in the bubble [last season in Orlando] because there was no fans there. But I think for teams that didn’t get a chance to go into the bubble and really experience that it took probably a little getting used to.”

Ankle biter

Initially, the Troy Brown Jr. left ankle sprain was expected to be minor with a hopeful quick recovery. Like many of the Bulls setbacks this season, that hasn’t been the case.

While the guard/forward has improved, he still missed his ninth-straight game with the bum ankle.

“Troy has been able to do a lot more straight ahead running,” Donovan said. “I think last time I reported on him that was something was kind of holding him back.

“He’s still not at 100 percent but certainly a lot closer to that then he was maybe a week ago.”

Brown, who was acquired at the trade deadline, had worked his way into the rotation. The hope is to have him back for the final handful of games so he can resume that role.

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RIGBY, Idaho — A shooting at an eastern Idaho middle school Thursday injured two students and a custodian, and a student was taken into custody, authorities said.

The victims’ injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said.

Police were called to the school around 9:15 a.m. after students and staffers heard gunfire. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, and students were evacuated to a nearby high school to be reunited with their parents.

“Me and my classmate were just in class with our teacher — we were doing work — and then all of a sudden, here was a loud noise and then there were two more loud noises. Then there was screaming,” 12-year-old Iandel Rodriguez said. “Our teacher went to check it out, and he found blood.”

Iandel’s mom, Adela Rodriguez, said her daughter and son were OK but “still a little shaky” from the shooting as they left the campus.

“Today we had the worst nightmare a school district could encounter. We had a school shooting here at Rigby Middle School,” Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said. “What we know so far is the shooter has been apprehended. There is no further threat to the students.”

Bonneville County sheriff’s Sgt. Bryan Lovell said an investigation was underway and no additional information was immediately available. A news conference was scheduled for 4 p.m.

Rigby is a small city about 95 miles southwest of Yellowstone National Park. Rigby Middle School has about 1,500 students in sixth through eighth grades, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“I am praying for the lives and safety of those involved in today’s tragic events,” Gov. Brad Little said in a prepared statement. “Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident.”

Police tape surrounded the middle school, and small evidence markers were placed next to spots of blood on the ground. Investigators interviewed faculty and staffers individually.

Lucy Long, a sixth-grader at Rigby Middle School, told the Post Register newspaper in Idaho Falls that her classroom went into lockdown after they heard gunshots, with lights and computers turned off and students lined up against the wall.

Lucy comforted her friends and began recording on her phone, so police would know what happened if the shooter came in. The audio contained mostly whispers, with one sentence audible: “It’s real,” one student said.

Lucy said she saw blood on the hallway floor when police escorted them out of the classroom.

The president of the Idaho Education Association, Layne McInelly, said the union was ready to provide whatever support school staffers, students and the community needs.

“We send positive thoughts to the victims of this tragic incident and hope for their full and rapid recovery. Patience will need to be at a premium while school officials and law enforcement agencies investigate the situation,” McInelly said in a statement.

The attack appears to be Idaho’s second school shooting. In 1999, a student at a high school in Notus fired a shotgun several times. No one was struck by the gunfire, but one student was injured by ricocheting debris from the first shell.

In 1989, a student at Rigby Junior High pulled a gun, threatened a teacher and students, and took a 14-year-old girl hostage, according to a Deseret News report. Police safely rescued the hostage from a nearby church about an hour later and took the teen into custody. No one was shot in that incident.

___

Associated Press writers Keith Ridler in Boise and Emily Wilder in Phoenix contributed. Photographer Natalie Behring contributed from Rigby.

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The onetime Chicago theatermaker premieres his digital show for Mother’s Day; plus major awards for playwrights and designers and a tribute to Russ Tutterow

Some people send flowers for Mother’s Day. But for onetime Chicago theatermaker Carlo Lorenzo García, his bouquet for his mom, María Guadalupe, takes the form of art.…Read More

The freedoms we give up now will be lost forever if we allow the authorities to continue encroaching on our rights to privacy in the name of promoting “public health.”

It is an absolute disgrace that city politicians are promoting these new “vax passes,” trying to coax Chicagoans into agreeing to disclose their medical status or medical history in exchange for the privilege of exercising what is actually their inalienable right to travel where they want to, socialize with whomever they choose, and attend whatever events or commercial/entertainment venues that are normally open to the public.

The freedoms that we willingly give up now will be lost forever, if we allow the authorities to continue encroaching on our rights to privacy, freedom of movement, freedom of association, and freedom of expression in the name of promoting “public health.”

If the government is really concerned about health issues, why aren’t they promoting Medicare for All, and investing in hospitals, neighborhood clinics, and housing for the homeless (including those who are about to be evicted)?

Derek Davis, Rogers Park

SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.

Make pandemic dining rules permanent

As restaurants re-open, I’ve noticed that a number of places have instituted a policy of 1 ¹⁄₂ hours for diners due to COVID-19. When I’ve gone out and a staff member of a restaurant apologizes for telling me that we have to leave in 1 ¹⁄₂ hours, I actually want to thank them.

First, that is more than enough time for people to catch up and enjoy each other’s company. Second, when people stick around, it inhibits other customers from getting a table and, more importantly, limits a server’s ability to generate more tip dollars.

Unless there is a party or maybe a large group of people (say 8 or more at a table), there is absolutely no reason for a party of six to take up a table for more than 1 ¹⁄₂ hours. I would love to see all restaurants, except for perhaps large parties and certain dining experiences, move to that policy. It’s good for customers, restaurants and servers, and should be something applauded rather than having restaurants apologize for it because of COVID.

Jonathan M. Wolfe, Irving Park

Chicago and DuSable

Laura Washington stated in her column of May 3 that “Without DuSable, there would be no Chicago.” Chicago became the great city it is today based on its location as a link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, not because of who may have been its earliest non-native settler.

Bruce Pietka, Gold Coast

Republicans don’t solve problems

There is much wailing from Republicans these days about big government and deficit spending (which went uncommented on by them during the Trump presidency). But, as much as I would like to agree with them, when have they recently taken time away from vilifying Democrats to actually solve a problem?

For Republicans, there are three kinds of problems: Problems that people should solve for themselves, problems that the market should solve, and problems that call for a pretense that they do not exist and should be ignored. Try to find a problem in this country that, in their view, does not fall into one of these categories.

Republicans have accomplished something that I long thought was impossible: They have made me perceive Democrats as more sensible. If people are deciding, as they seem to be, that government should do more, it is the Republicans’ own fault.

Curt Fredrikson, Mokena

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Illinois is poised to advance to the “bridge phase” of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which would allow for higher capacities at some large venues and events. Barring another spike in cases, the state could fully reopen next month.

Improving coronavirus infections numbers mean Illinois will see more business restrictions lifted next week — and barring another case surge, the state will fully reopen June 11, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday.

The governor confirmed the state will advance to the “bridge phase” of his reopening plan May 14, as COVID-19 cases have fallen to their lowest levels in about six weeks.

And as long as residents follow basic COVID-19 precautions, keep signing up for vaccinations and stave off another spike in infections, it’ll be back to business as usual statewide four weeks after that, Pritzker said during a Loop news conference.

The governor said “the light that we can see at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter,” but tempered the optimism of a return to normal life 15 months after COVID-19 first turned life upside down.

“This good news comes with a caveat. We have all seen throughout this pandemic that this virus and its variants have proven to be unpredictable,” Pritzker said. “Metrics that look strong today are far from a guarantee of how things will look a week, two weeks, a month from now. We saw that last August and again, last March.

“We have to make sure that we don’t see another surge in the virus,” he said. “And the best way to do that is for everyone to get vaccinated.”

With the latest 99,599 COVID-19 shots that went into Illinois arms Wednesday, more than a third of the state population is now fully vaccinated. More than 60% have gotten at least one dose, and that rate is up to 85% for seniors.

Officials also reported 1,778 more residents were confirmed to carry the virus among the latest 96,296 tests processed by the Illinois Department of Public Health, lowering the average statewide positivity rate to 3%. That figure hasn’t been lower since March 27.

Those numbers, combined with declining COVID-19 hospital admissions, put the state in position to advance to the “bridge phase,” which allows for higher capacities at some large venues and events. Illinois had been set to get to the bridge phase in mid-March until a rise in cases threw the state off track.

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

The intermediate stage devised by Pritzker’s office before a full reopening allows museums, amusement parks and zoos to increase capacity from 25% to 60%. Additionally, festivals and general admission outdoor events will be able to seat 30 people per 1,000 square feet. Meetings, conferences and conventions will see their capacity limit increase to either 1,000 people or 60% — whichever is less — with the same applying to theaters and performing arts venues.

Earlier in the week, the governor declined to say when he might allow Illinois to fully reopen, but now the rest of the state is on pace to see restrictions lifted several weeks ahead of the July 4 target that Mayor Lori Lightfoot set for Chicago.

Still, Pritzker stressed it might not happen if people don’t keep signing up for shots. The state is now averaging just 70,063 shots given per day over the past week, a rate that has fallen almost in half since April 12.

“Folks, this pandemic is not over. But if we’re going to truly end it, we have to make sure that we don’t see another surge in the virus, and the best way to do that is for everyone to get vaccinated,” he said.

And despite the progress, the virus is still causing grief across the state. Officials reported 40 more COVID-19 deaths, including a man in his 30s from McLean County in central Illinois. The state’s death toll is up to 22,136 among more than 1.3 million residents who have tested positive over the past 14 months.

Vaccines are free and readily available on a walk-up basis at government-run mass vaccination sites as well as many Walgreens, Walmart and CVS pharmacies.

For help finding an appointment in Chicago, visit zocdoc.com or call (312) 746-4835.

For suburban Cook County sites, visit vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or call (833) 308-1988.

To find providers elsewhere, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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Pope Francis has made his view clear that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

President Joe Biden is the highest-profile and most powerful lay Catholic in American life today – but he also holds policy views that diverge from many Catholic bishops. And that is causing some problems.

The dilemma looks like this. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that abortion is the taking of a human life, no different from murder, and so grave a sin that it incurs an automatic excommunication. Yet prominent Roman Catholics in public life — including Democrats such as Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — support abortion rights. It has led to concern from some Catholic bishops that a contradictory picture of Catholic faith is being presented to the public.

In response, U.S. bishops reportedly are preparing a pastoral statement expected to be released in June that would instruct Catholics about when they should and should not receive Communion. The effect of that document would be to exclude Catholics like Biden and Pelosi from full participation in the church.

Communion, also known as the Eucharist, is the central act of Roman Catholic worship in which Catholics receive bread and wine that they believe becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Church law particularly excludes from taking Communion those who are guilty of what is known as “manifest grave sin.” This means no one who has committed a serious sin in a way that is publicly visible should receive Communion.

The bishops argue that being pro-choice, Democrats like Joe Biden have made themselves unsuitable to take Communion.

As a scholar who studies Catholicism in political life, I argue that the proposed pastoral statement reflects existing divisions inside the Catholic Church that have been heightened by the election of Biden as president. Moreover, it will serve only to deepen the divide.

Greater authority?

Joe Biden is a devoted Catholic, attending Mass weekly and carrying a rosary everywhere he goes. He has talked many times about how important his faith is to him.

But his policy position on abortion jars with more conservative elements in the Catholic Church. In October 2019, a priest declined to give Communion to the then-presidential candidate when he presented himself at St. Anthony Church in Florence, South Carolina. The priest, who had never met Biden before, told reporters, “Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of church teaching.”

The picture is not as clear as that priest suggests, and the Catholic Church’s history of dealing with Catholic public officials is more inconsistent. Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, for example, presided over a brutal regime of atrocities and torture known throughout the world, yet he received a Catholic burial in 1975 over which the archbishop of Toledo presided.

More pertinent to the Biden case, Pope John Paul II gave Communion in 2001 to Rome’s mayor, Franceso Rutelli, who had campaigned to liberalize abortion laws. Likewise, Pope Benedict XVI gave Communion to Rudolph Giuliani, Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry — all of whom support abortion rights.

The reason the issue has come up now in the U.S. appears to be more about concerns among bishops over their waning influence.

Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann, chair of the U.S. bishops’ committee on pro-life activities and one of the main figures supporting a pastoral statement about Communion, told The Associated Press, “Whether intentional or not, [Biden is] trying to usurp our authority.”

“He doesn’t have the authority to teach what it means to be Catholic,” Naumann continued; “that’s our responsibility as bishops.”

Naumann may have reasons to be concerned. A 2019 poll found that 63% of American Catholics have lost trust in Catholic bishops because of their handling of the still-ongoing crisis of sexual abuse.

To many Catholics, Biden’s presentation of Catholic faith as aligning with racial justice, economic justice, climate justice and health care justice offers a pointed contrast with bishops mired in scandal and unhappy about trends such as same-sex marriage in American culture.

Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila wrote in mid-April about the need to establish “Eucharistic coherence” through a pastoral statement that would state when someone like Biden should not present himself for Communion. It seems as though, to many bishops like Aquila, that is the solution to their dilemma over Biden.

But not all bishops agree. Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich wrote a private letter to Aquila expressing his reservations. The letter was leaked after it was received, making divisions among the bishops more visible.

Communion ‘not a prize’

The proposed document about “Eucharistic coherence” is expected to come before the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in June — a move that likely will highlight even more the split within the church. But even if the pastoral statement is approved, the conference has no authority to enforce it on any particular bishop. The result would be an incoherent patchwork allowing each individual bishop to decide. Washington’s Cardinal Wilton Gregory already has indicated he will not prevent Biden from receiving Communion.

Only the Vatican has the right to enforce the pastoral statement on every bishop — but that almost certainly will not happen. Pope Francis previously has made his view clear that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

As such, the pastoral statement could serve only to highlight differences among many American bishops and the pope.

It also could backfire as an attempt to wrestle back authority for U.S. bishops. A preelection debate over the sincerity of Biden’s Catholicism proved divisive among the faithful. Biden, through baptism and participation in the other sacraments, is a Catholic. There is no question about that.

Because they reflect intense divisions in the church, these efforts to disqualify the president from the sacraments and the church are, I believe, a threat to church authority today. Nothing that furthers or deepens those divisions will help the bishops or the Catholics that they lead.

Steven P. Millies is an associate professor of Public Theology and director of The Bernardin Center at the Catholic Theological Union.

This article originally was published on The Conversation.

Send letters to [email protected].

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The victims’ injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said.

RIGBY, Idaho — A shooting at an eastern Idaho middle school Thursday injured two students and a custodian, and a male student has been taken into custody, authorities said.

The victims’ injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said.

“Today we had the worst nightmare a school district could encounter. We had a school shooting here at Rigby Middle School,” Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said. “What we know so far is the shooter has been apprehended. There is no further threat to the students.”

Police were called to the school around 9:15 a.m. Multiple law enforcement agencies were on scene.

Students were evacuated to a nearby high school, and parents lined up to be reunited with their children.

Rigby is a small city about 95 miles southwest of Yellowstone National Park. Rigby Middle School has about 1,500 students in sixth through eighth grades, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“I am praying for the lives and safety of those involved in today’s tragic events,” Gov. Brad Little said in a prepared statement. “Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident.”

The attack appears to be Idaho’s second school shooting. In 1999, a student at a high school in Notus fired a shotgun several times. No one was struck by the bullets, but one student was injured by ricocheting debris from the first shell.

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Illinois is poised to advance to the “bridge phase” of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which would allow for higher capacities at some large venues and events.

Public health officials on Thursday reported another promising round of coronavirus infection numbers, meaning Illinois could soon see a further loosening of pandemic restrictions.

Another 1,778 residents were confirmed to carry the virus among the latest 96,296 tests processed by the Illinois Department of Public Health, lowering the average statewide positivity rate to 3%.

That figure hasn’t been lower since March 27, suggesting the virus is spreading at its slowest pace in nearly six weeks.

And with the latest 99,599 COVID-19 shots that went into Illinois arms Wednesday, more than a third of the state population is now fully vaccinated. More than 60% have gotten at least one dose.

Those numbers have Illinois poised to advance to the “bridge phase” of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which would allow for higher capacities at some large venues and events. On Monday, the governor suggested that could happen within days.

“I think the common view is that Illinois has weathered the storm well, that we’ve seen what’s happened in Michigan, and that hasn’t happened in Illinois — thank God,” Pritzker said then. “We look at all of those variants — I talked to the experts about this — I think everybody feels like we’re in a decent position — again, following the metrics — we believe that we’ll be able to move to the bridge phase.”

Illinois had been set to get to the bridge phase in mid-March until a rise in cases threw the state off track.

The intermediate stage devised by Pritzker’s office before a full reopening allows museums, amusement parks and zoos to increase capacity from 25% to 60%. Additionally, festivals and general admission outdoor events will be able to seat 30 people per 1,000 square feet. Meetings, conferences and conventions will see their capacity limit increase to either 1,000 people or 60% — whichever is less — with the same applying to theaters and performing arts venues.

To get there, at least 70% of Illinois seniors must have received at least one vaccine dose, with the state maintaining at least 20% availability for intensive care hospital beds while keeping hospital admissions, case rates and death rates steady or declining for 28 days.

About 85% of Illinois seniors have now gotten a shot, and most of those COVID-19 metrics have been falling for 24 straight days.

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Pritzker and Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike were scheduled to deliver a COVID-19 update Thursday afternoon.

The governor hasn’t set a date for when the state could fully reopen, but has said he’s “optimistic” Illinois could shoot for the July 4 reopening that Mayor Lori Lightfoot is targeting for Chicago.

Despite the progress, the virus is still causing grief across the state. Officials reported 40 more COVID-19 deaths, including a man in his 30s from McLean County in central Illinois. The state’s death toll is up to 22,136 among more than 1.3 million residents who have tested positive over the past 14 months.

And vaccine demand is falling sharply statewide. The state is now averaging just 70,063 shots given per day over the past week, a rate that has fallen almost in half since April 12.

Vaccines are free and readily available on a walk-up basis at government-run mass vaccination sites as well as many Walgreens, Walmart and CVS pharmacies.

For help finding an appointment in Chicago, visit zocdoc.com or call (312) 746-4835.

For suburban Cook County sites, visit vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or call (833) 308-1988.

To find providers elsewhere, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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