Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Father Kenneth Doyle: May I scatter non-Catholic’s ashes? How do I dispose of wedding ring?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I understand that, as Catholics, if we choose to be cremated our cremains are to be treated with dignity and must be buried or entombed. My husband and I have two family members who have asked us to arrange to have their ashes “scattered.” One is a Catholic, one is not. Does […]

Effie Caldarola: Appreciate the larger picture

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FOR THE JOURNEY Mom was recuperating, years ago, in front of the television set in her hospital room following surgery. As she grew older, surgery was hard on Mom, physically and mentally. It took her down and she was never quite able to climb back to pre-operation levels. On this particular day, when the nurse […]

Pope Benedict’s spiritual testament: ‘Stand firm in the faith’; His funeral to be simple.

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  By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Retired Pope Benedict XVI’s final message to Catholics around the world was: “Stand firm in the faith! Do not let yourselves be confused!” Less than 10 hours after informing the world that the 95-year-old pope had died Dec. 31, the Vatican press office released his spiritual testament, […]

Bishop charged with conspiracy to undermine Nicaragua, spread false news

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By Catholic News Service MANAGUA, Nicaragua — A Nicaraguan bishop held for nearly four months was formally charged during an unannounced Dec. 13 court date, marking his first appearance since being detained. Bishop Rolando Álvarez Lagos of Matagalpa was accused of conspiracy to undermine the country and propagate false news, according to a statement from […]

Pope’s 2022: A year dominated by war, problems walking

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — While 2022 finally saw the publication of Pope Francis’ constitution reforming the Roman Curia, the biggest news and the biggest changes in his ministry came from Russia’s war on Ukraine and from the pope’s own problems walking. Knee problems forced the pope, who will celebrate his […]

Tourists lift Bethlehem’s spirits

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By Judith Sudilovsky Catholic News Service BETHLEHEM, West Bank — On the third Sunday of Advent the pews of St. Catherine Church were overflowing, with families and young children, teens and older parishioners attending Mass in anticipation of Christmas. Pilgrim groups waited outside in the courtyard and, in the Church of Nativity, adjacent to the […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is a funeral Mass required? Do Masses have to include moments of silence?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: My wife and I are in our mid-70s and have bought cemetery plots and made our funeral arrangements. We selected immediate burial, without any rites, ceremony or embalming. But after talking to family members, we are worried that perhaps, in not having a Catholic funeral Mass, we are sinning gravely and making […]

RCIA is now ‘OCIA’: What’s behind name change?

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By Daniel Meloy Catholic News Service IRA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — For anyone interested in becoming Catholic, wishing to complete the sacraments or wanting to learn more about what the church teaches, the answer for decades was “join RCIA.” The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the process by which the church brings in new converts […]

Value those who have disabilities, pope says

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  By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Making churches accessible and services understandable is important, but having wheelchair ramps and sign-language interpreters is not enough for a parish to call itself “inclusive,” Pope Francis said. The church also must meet people’s needs for “belonging, relating to others and cultivating their spiritual lives […]