Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Sistine Chapel weathers surge in visitor numbers caused by ‘Francis effect’

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Swiss Guards attend a Mass in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in this Jan. 22, 2006, file photo. The election of Pope Francis has boosted the number of visitors to the Vatican and also the Museums. To protect the Sistine Chapel, new air conditioning and LED lighting systems are being installed. (CNS photo/Maurizio Brambatti, […]

New York cardinal backs St. Patrick’s Day Parade as ban on gay groups is lifted

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NEW YORK — Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York said he continues to support the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee after it lifted a ban prohibiting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups from marching openly in the annual event. The cardinal, who will be the grand marshal of the 254th St. Patrick’s Day […]

Manaolana | Building bridges: Pope helps launch worldwide student social network

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VATICAN CITY — The wisdom of “It takes a village to raise a child” has been lost as kids are either overprotected by permissive parents or neglected, Pope Francis said. “The educational partnership has been broken” as families, schools and society are “no longer united together for the child,” he said Sept. 4 after holding […]

Ebola, war, disaster: When to flee

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Health workers put Ebola patient, Father Miguel Pajares of Spain, into an ambulance Aug. 7 at a military air base in Madrid, after he was repatriated from Liberia for treatment. The missionary priest later died. Ghana’s bishops have urged the government to be extra vigilant in screening people who enter the country by sea for […]

Pope Francis phones family of slain U.S. journalist

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U.S. journalist James Foley is seen during a 2011 press conference in Boston. Pope Francis phoned Foley’s bereaved family after he was killed by Islamic State militants in Syria. (CNS photo/Steven Senne, AP photo via Marquette University) NEW YORK — Pope Francis phoned the bereaved family of James Foley, a U.S. journalist killed by Islamic […]

800,000 present as pope moves 124 martyrs closer to sainthood

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Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Aug. 16 beatification Mass of Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 martyred companions in Seoul, South Korea. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)  SEOUL, South Korea — Pope Francis placed 124 Korean martyrs on the last step toward sainthood in a beatification Mass Aug. 16 that brought elation to the 800,000 people in […]

Asian youths inspired as Holy Father goes off script

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DANGJIN, South Korea — About 6,000 young people from 30 Asian countries had Pope Francis all to themselves for several hours Aug. 15. The youths said they felt inspired after Pope Francis went off script to answer questions from pre-selected participants, watched a re-enactment of a modern-day prodigal son and also sat down to lunch […]

Pope Francis talks in flight about airstrikes in Iraq, his health, possible U.S. visit

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Pope Francis speaks to journalists aboard the papal flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Rome Aug. 18. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM SEOUL, South Korea — Pope Francis said the use of force can be justified to stop “unjust aggressors” such as Islamic State militants in northeastern Iraq, but he declined […]

Movie review | Calvary: Faith, sin, reconciliation, sacrifice

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Brendan Gleeson stars in a scene from the movie “Calvary.” Gleeson portrays a priest who is faced with troubling circumstances brought about by a mysterious member of his parish. (CNS photo/Patrick Redmond, Twentieth Century Fox)   NEW YORK — Set in rural Ireland, the bleak but powerful seriocomedy “Calvary” (Fox Searchlight) kicks off with a […]