Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Pope acknowledges age, defends controversial decisions

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — While calling himself an “old man” and saying he never expected to be pope this long, Pope Francis said he still has dreams for the future. “We must not stumble upon tomorrow, we must build it, and we all have the responsibility to do so in […]

Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica sees early flood of pilgrims

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By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — More than half a million pilgrims crossed the threshold of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the first two weeks after Pope Francis opened it. From Dec. 24, when the pope inaugurated the Holy Year, to Jan. 7, the Vatican said, 545,532 people from […]

Pope names first female prefect of a Vatican dicastery

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has appointed Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla to be the first woman to lead a Vatican dicastery, naming her prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The 59-year-old Italian sister had served as secretary of the dicastery […]

Pope opens Holy Door toward ‘path of hope’

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — In the quiet of Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching what he called a “Jubilee of Hope.” As the doors opened, the bells of the basilica began to peal. After the reading of a brief passage from the Gospel […]

Pontiff urges Christians to remember past, current persecution

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Christians in Japan should keep alive the memory of the persecution their ancestors endured for their faith and should also pray for Christians suffering persecution around the world today, Pope Francis said. Meeting Nov. 30 with members of the Hidden Christians Research Association, the pope led […]

Pope Francis approves simpler liturgical rites for deceased pontiffs

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who will celebrate his 88th birthday this month, has approved simplified liturgical rites for the death of a pontiff. His body will rest in a zinc-lined wooden casket, according to the new rites. Recent popes had been buried inside a cypress wood coffin surrounded […]

St. Peter’s Basilica to gain ‘digital twin’ for Holy Year

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Aimed at reaching out to people unable to go to Rome for the Holy Year and helping the millions who are expected to visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican has teamed up with Microsoft and other specialized experts to create a “digital twin” of the church […]

Pope: Wayward world, church must seek Sacred Heart

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — A world that has become “heartless” and indifferent to greed and war, and a Catholic Church in need of revitalizing its missionary joy, need to open themselves up to Christ’s infinite love, Pope Francis wrote. By contemplating Jesus’ Sacred Heart, the faithful can be filled with […]