Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Romero’s beatification will be soon, archbishop says

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VATICAN CITY ­— Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero will be beatified in San Salvador “certainly within the year and not later, but possibly within a few months,” said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the postulator or chief promoter of the archbishop’s sainthood cause. Speaking to reporters Feb. 4, the day after Pope Francis formally recognized that the slain […]

Manaolana | Karen Osborne: Youth presence at pro-life event shows commitment

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  For many years, teenagers have walked in the March for Life, the annual pro-life demonstration in Washington that recently marked its 42nd anniversary. The event aims to bring awareness to the laws surrounding legalized abortion, hoping to change them. It attracts people of all ages from all over the country, united in one common […]

The late Thomas Merton, who last month marked the centennial of his birth, is still inspiring people to get closer to God

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WASHINGTON — When Trappist Father Thomas Merton addressed persistent racism in his writing during the 1960s, his message seemingly reached into the future. Appealing to society to recognize that all people are children of God, Father Merton questioned practices that prevented African-Americans from achieving full equality and called for the end of discrimination in all […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: What’s the Biblical basis for purgatory?

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Q: So far as I know, the other Christian religions do not provide for a purgatory — only the Catholic Church — and I’m wondering where purgatory is mentioned either in the Bible or in Christ’s teachings. (I would like to be able to defend my faith with some clear references.) (Chesapeake, Virginia) A: Speaking […]

Tears a proper, holy response to suffering, pope tells youths

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Pope Francis embraces Glyzelle Palomar, 12, after she spoke during a meeting with young people at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila Jan. 18. Also pictured is Jun Chura, 14, who also spoke. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   MANILA, Philippines — The realities of life described by young people, especially the tearful question of a […]

Trip highlights pontiff’s tenacity, attention to details

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Pope Francis celebrates Mass adjacent to the airport in Tacloban, Philippines, Jan. 17. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   MANILA, Philippines — New situations are opportunities to learn new things, even about the 78-year-old Pope Francis. After two days of watching the pope tenaciously keep his appointments in the Philippines despite pouring rain Jan. 17-18, one lesson […]

It’s all songs, hugs and kisses as Francis surprises ex-street kids

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Pope Francis is pictured with youths at a home for former street children in Manila, Philippines, Jan. 16. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters)   MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis did not disappoint hundreds of former street children who were part of a massive campaign to show him one of the centers where they have found […]

Young and prolife: Annual Washington march marked by youth, growth and energy

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Andrew Juodawlkis prays the rosary with fellow members of Students for Life of Michigan outside the Supreme Court during the annual March for Life in Washington Jan. 22. Tens of thousands took part in the annual event, which this year marked the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Applause at Mass may be appropriate

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Q: Recently, in answer to a reader’s question, you suggested that applause for a musical performance during the Mass is inappropriate and breaks the flow of the liturgy. May I invite consideration of a possible addendum to your comments? There are faith communities in the U.S. where applause during religious services is not meant to […]