Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

On the brink of famine

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For 20 million people, conflict added to drought causing the largest humanitarian crisis in more than 170 years By Bronwen Dachs Catholic News Service Conflict and drought are threatening more than 20 million people in four countries with the prospect of famine, and the U.N. has called this food crisis the largest humanitarian crisis since […]

In Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, no food, children are dying

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By Bronwen Dachs Catholic News Service When people talk about potential famine, they mention South Sudan. But about 1 million people who live just over the border, in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, also face a food emergency. “I call it famine,” said Bishop Macram Max Gassis, retired bishop of El Obeid, Sudan. The “hunger the people […]

Report: In Iceland,  people with Down syndrome ‘disappearing’

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By Josephine von Dohlen Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Iceland is on its way to “eliminate” people with Down syndrome, a report from CBS News explained, causing uproar in the pro-life community over the high numbers of abortions following prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. With only one or two people, on average, born with Down […]

Ethicists say just-war criteria not met in North Korea situation

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  By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — The just-war criteria that would justify armed conflict with North Korea over its nuclear testing and threats to launch missiles have not been met, said ethicists interviewed by Catholic News Service. Those criteria include right intention, last resort and proportionality. “Preventive war in North Korea would […]

Laura Kelly Fanucci: The sacred act of dishwashing

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FAITH AT HOME I hate dishwashing. Laundry, I love: transforming jumbled heaps of tumbled clothes into neat, folded piles. Sweeping is satisfying. Wiping counters, even scrubbing sinks, brings simple pleasure. But I cringe at crusty pots and pans. Any night of the week, I’d trade for any other chore. Yet life in a household requires […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is yoga communing with devil?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: My wife was recently at a gathering of her prayer group that meets every week. At the end of this particular meeting, a deacon spoke to the group and said something that has disturbed both of us. He said that when you practice yoga, you are communicating with the devil. Neither of […]

Richard Doerflinger: A population implosion?

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A MORE HUMAN SOCIETY Remember when everybody worried about a “population explosion” filling the world with too many people? In the 1970s, this fear drove campaigns to legalize abortion and pour billions of dollars into birth control programs. Now experts warn about the opposite. While birth rates remain relatively high in developing nations, they are […]

Tourism should benefit both travelers and local communities, Vatican says

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By Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — While tourism can broaden travelers’ horizons and improve local economies, it cannot be seen as being part of “sustainable development” unless it includes respect for workers’ rights, the local culture and the environment, said Cardinal Peter Turkson. The U.N. General Assembly proclaimed 2017 the International Year of Sustainable […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: A Christian response to the Islamic State?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: How does a Christian react to a terrorist group like the Islamic State group (IS)? Praying for their salvation is important, but it may not be sufficient. Negotiating with them seems impossible, since IS is evidently determined to kill anyone who opposes their ideology. (We have seen this done by beheadings, bombings […]