Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Two U.S. war heroes get sainthood nod from U.S. bishops

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By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — The U.S. bishops gave their go-ahead to two dioceses to continue their efforts to make their case for a priest and a brother to be considered for sainthood. The men are Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur of the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana, an Army chaplain who died in […]

Foster parents welcome high court’s unanimous ruling

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By Gina Christian Catholic News Service PHILADELPHIA — Foster parents for Catholic Social Services of the Philadelphia Archdiocese said the Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision June 17 on faith-based child welfare agencies comes as a relief. The court ruled that the city of Philadelphia may not exclude such agencies including CSS from placing foster children in […]

Texas city’s ordinance creates ‘Sanctuary for the Unborn’

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By Catholic News Service LUBBOCK, Texas — After a federal court dismissed Planned Parenthood’s challenge to a Lubbock ordinance that declares the city a “Sanctuary for the Unborn,” a lawyer with the Chicago-based Thomas More Society said he believes these sanctuary cities have solid footing in Texas law. “Cities have the right to regulate businesses […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Perfume a serious matter. Fallen-away Catholic kids.

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Recently, in answering a reader’s concern about “perfume fests” in her parish church on Sundays, you offered your opinion that “perfume terrorism is not universal.” Let me tell you that it is, in fact, universal; there are people who are suffering in every parish. I have had to leave Mass early to […]

Effie Caldarola: Fire, drugs and greed

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FOR THE JOURNEY It may have been a discarded cigarette thrown into a rag bin. No matter how it started, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City in 1911 took only 18 shocking minutes but changed history. The factory employed mostly young immigrant women, who labored long hours in a sweatshop for poverty-level […]

Pope Francis turns down German cardinal’s resignation

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By Catholic News Service MUNICH — German Cardinal Reinhard Marx said that following Pope Francis’ refusal to accept his resignation, he would “not simply return to business as usual” because it would not be the right path for him personally or for the archdiocese. “The answer of the Holy Father surprised me,” Cardinal Marx said […]

Pope: Eucharist is bread of sinners, not reward of saints

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — People’s hearts and the entire church must be wide open to wonder and devotion to Christ and ready to embrace everyone — sinner and saint alike, Pope Francis said. “The church of the perfect and pure is a room where there isn’t a place for anyone; […]

Authorities in China arrest underground bishop, priests

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  By Catholic News Service HONG KONG — Authorities in northern China have arrested a Vatican-appointed Catholic bishop, his seven priests and 10 seminarians in what is seen as part of a renewed crackdown on the underground Catholic Church in the communist country. Ucanews.com reported police arrested 63-year-old Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu of Xinxiang May […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: How can God abandon God?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: What was the meaning of Christ’s words from the cross when he said, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” (Leicester, United Kingdom) A: Both Matthew and Mark indicate in their Gospel accounts that among the last words of Jesus on the cross were the following: “My God, my God, why have you […]

Say ‘yes’ to the Holy Spirit, ‘no’ to divisive ideologies

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By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The Holy Spirit’s gift of comfort and solace is meant to unite all men and women and not take sides with any ideology, Pope Francis said on Pentecost. Celebrating Mass May 23 at the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope said those who […]