Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Father Kenneth Doyle: Where is the proof of purgatory? Did Mary die and if so where?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I was raised to be a devout Catholic and have a great interest in works of theology, such as those by Thomas Aquinas. But my mother, who is also a Catholic, doesn’t believe in purgatory. She thinks that God loves us so much that there wouldn’t be a reason for purgatory. Is […]

Pope adds ‘Comfort of Migrants,’ other Marian titles to her litany

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By Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Among the many titles under which Catholics invoke Mary, Pope Francis has asked them to add “Mother of Mercy,” “Mother of Hope” and “Comfort of Migrants.” Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, sent a letter to the presidents of bishops’ conferences […]

Loss and sadness

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Catholic educators work to ease blow of pandemic-induced school closings By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service CLEVELAND — The announcement that two historic Catholic schools in the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, were closing for good as the academic year ended sent a wave of loss and sadness across the diocese. St. Mary’s Schools, founded in […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: How many Masses can a priest celebrate?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: During the current pandemic, given the limitation on attendance imposed by civil authorities, we are planning to hold simultaneous Masses in our church and parish hall. We anticipate having to hold a total of 11 weekend Masses, but there are only two priests assigned to our parish, with another one coming to […]

LGBT equality ruling’s full impact on church ‘yet to be seen,’ some say

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By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — With the 6-3 Supreme Court decision June 15 banning job discrimination against individuals in the workplace identifying as LGBTQ, the Catholic Church in the United States has a new moment of reckoning. But it may be too early to tell what the full impact of the ruling […]

Brett Robinson: Embodied creatures, and part of Christ’s mystical body

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THEOLOGY OF TECHNOLOGY Recent events have shifted a lot more attention to our bodies. Temperature checks, masks and compulsive hand-washing have reminded us that we are biological creatures subject to the laws of nature. It all feels a bit heavy (and not just because of all the quarantine weight gain!). There’s an existential heaviness, or […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is there sex in heaven? How do I receive forgiveness?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: It seems odd that genital intercourse is automatically excluded in theological views of heaven — since Christian hope envisions the fulfillment of all things and, therefore, the redemption of our bodies. If God’s love redeems all things, then shouldn’t it redeem sexual life? Do you personally believe that there will be sexual […]

After ‘taking a knee,’ border bishop gets call from the pope

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By Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — It’s called “taking a knee,” and many professional athletes around the country have made the gesture publicly to protest police brutality. Lately, even police officers showing solidarity have kneeled around the country before those protesting the May 25 killing of George Floyd, who died after being filmed […]