Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Experts say euthanasia threatens improvements in palliative end-of-life care

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VATICAN CITY — Legalizing euthanasia risks undermining people’s access to loving, holistic care as they face the natural end of their life, many experts at a Vatican conference said. As more parts of the world, like in Quebec last year, pass right-to-die legislation allowing the terminally ill to request lethal drugs, euthanasia is being treated […]

Effie Caldarola: A time to render your heart

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There was a time in medieval history and in some places even later when believers would use extreme methods of self-discipline, or self-punishment, during Lent, as a penance for sin. We’re most familiar with these practices from movies we’ve seen, or in my case, the historical novels I enjoy reading. Hair shirts that bit at […]

Pope Francis: ‘Who, me? Yes, you’ … Judge yourself, not others

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VATICAN CITY — Drop the innocent look and the habit of judging others, Pope Francis said; recognizing one’s own faults and failings is the first requirement of being a good Christian. In fact, paradoxically, one finds peace and relief in judging one’s own sins, being merciful toward others and saying, “Who am I to judge?” […]

Nigerian bishops deplore insurgents’ use of children as suicide bombers

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LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s bishops criticized Boko Haram insurgents’ use of children to commit crimes such as suicide bombings. “We deplore the fact that young children are used to commit such crimes, and the fact that young Nigerians are used by politicians to intimidate and inflict violence on their political opponents is a disturbing symptom […]

Pope plans to canonize St. Therese’s parents during family synod

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is expected to canonize Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, during the world Synod of Bishops on the family in October. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, leading a conference Feb. 27 on the role of saints in the life […]

Pope Francis: Don’t let meatless Fridays be selfish, soulless, seafood splurge

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Pope Francis elevates the Eucharist during Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome Feb. 18. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   VATICAN CITY — Real fasting isn’t just restricting food choices, it must also include cleansing the heart of all selfishness and making room in one’s life for those in need and those […]

Pope Francis exhorts new cardinals to exercise charity with a sense of justice

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New Cardinal Soane Mafi of Tonga greets pilgrims from his country after a consistory at which he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Feb. 14. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   VATICAN CITY — In a Valentine’s Day ceremony to create 20 new cardinals, Pope Francis offered a meditation […]

Manaolana | The real best movies, family films of 2014

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Agata Trzebuchowska stars in a scene from the movie “Ida,” which won the Oscar this year for best foreign film. (CNS photo/Music Box Films)   NEW YORK — The year just past saw the release of a number of films whose celebrated cinematic quality was not matched by moral merit. Writer-director Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” for […]