Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

In the end, everyone faces God with ‘empty hands,’ pope says

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — God waits for everyone, even the worst sinner who repents only with his dying breath, Pope Francis said. “Before God, we present ourselves with empty hands,” he said, meaning that all the good works people have or haven’t done throughout their lives aren’t measured to determine […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Do prayers change God’s mind?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I’m confused about something and would be grateful for your help. Does prayer change God’s mind? Can someone be moved to the head of the line if we pray hard enough? (Cuba, Missouri) A: To answer this question, we first need to admit our limitations. I cannot pretend to know the mind […]

Christian life is a love story with God, says pope, proclaiming 35 new saints

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By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Like the Catholic Church’s newest saints, Christians are called to live their faith as a love story with God who wants a relationship that is “more than that of devoted subjects with their king,” Pope Francis said. Without a loving relationship with God, Christian life […]

Death penalty is ‘contrary to the Gospel,’ pope says

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The death penalty, no matter how it is carried out, “is, in itself, contrary to the Gospel,” Pope Francis said. Marking the 25th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church at the Vatican Oct. 11, Pope Francis said the catechism’s discussion of the death penalty, […]

Eliminating differences between sexes ‘not right,’ Pope Francis says

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By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — While societies must find a way to overcome the subjugation of women, pretending there are no differences between men and women or even using technology to change a person’s sex is not the answer, Pope Francis said. Using science “to radically eliminate any difference between […]

Devotion to Padre Pio seen in thousands who came to venerate relics

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By Joyce Duriga Catholic News Service CHICAGO — When the relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina — commonly known as Padre Pio — stopped at two Chicago churches, more than 19,000 people turned out to venerate them, organizers said. The relics, which included a lock of Padre Pio’s hair, blood from his wounds, a glove […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: People leaving right after Communion

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I am surprised by the number of people who regularly leave church immediately after receiving the Eucharist. In the diary of St. Faustina, Jesus says how sad he is that people treat him as a dead object and busy themselves with other things. It is distracting and disruptive of my own personal […]