Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Archives for April 2025

Congratulations, Bishop Silva!

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On the occasion of Bishop Larry Silva’s 50th anniversary of priestly ordination May 2, the Hawaii Catholic Herald reached out to priests in the Diocese of Honolulu, active and retired, to ask if they wanted to extend their congratulations. Many did so on behalf of their parish, school and/or other communities; several sent in their […]

Committed to his flock, dedicated to mission

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Bishop Larry Silva prepares to celebrate 50 years of priestly ordination By Celia K. Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald One of Bishop Larry Silva’s greatest joys over his 50 years of priesthood has been tending to and being among his flock — the countless parishioners and communities he has led in California and Hawaii. One of […]

Hawaii mourns and honors Pope Francis

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Hawaii Catholic Herald Word of Pope Francis’ death broke late in the evening on Easter Sunday, April 20, for the faithful in the Diocese of Honolulu. Many learned of the sad news on Easter Monday. By then diocesan officials were already hard at work making plans for Hawaii to mourn Pope Francis, including sending out […]

Embracing ‘peripheries,’ Pope Francis preached mercy, reconciliation

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88, gave new energy to millions of Catholics — and caused concern for some — as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about poverty, mission and […]

Dates for public viewing, funeral are set

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The funeral Mass of Pope Francis will be celebrated April 26 in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the liturgy, which begins a nine-day period of official mourning and daily memorial Masses. The […]

Pope died of stroke, coma and heart failure, Vatican says

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis died April 21 after suffering a stroke and heart failure, said the director of Vatican City State’s department of health services. The pope had also gone into a coma. “I certify that His Holiness Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on […]

Pontiff continued to surprise, inspire in last weeks

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By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News From the moment of his election, Pope Francis made clear from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica that his first mandate was to serve as bishop of Rome and be close with the people. “We take up this journey: the bishop and the people,” he said March 13, 2013, […]

Church has precise rules for navigating time between popes

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Centuries of experience dealing with the death, or occasional resignation, of a pope has left the Catholic Church with thorough instructions detailing who has responsibility for planning the funeral, preparing for the election of a new pope and taking care of essential business in the meantime. […]

Timeline: Highlights of a historic pontificate

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Here is a timeline of some significant events in Pope Francis’ 12-year pontificate: 2013, March 13: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected pope on the second day of the conclave, becoming the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European elected in almost […]

Passing of Pope Francis is a first in tradition of opening Holy Doors

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By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — With his death April 21, Pope Francis marked yet another first in the history of the Catholic Church: he became the first pope to open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica without living to close it. The pope opened the Holy Door Dec. 24, 2024, […]