Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

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 […]

Bishops call for end to surrogacy as pandemic strands newborns

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By Catholic News Service KYIV, Ukraine — Border closures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have highlighted another “pathology” in modern Ukraine: the practice of commercial surrogacy, said the country’s Catholic bishops. Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Eastern-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki of Lviv, president of the country’s Latin-rite […]

Sacraments hard without the dimension of touch

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By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — In a “touchless” environment spawned by the coronavirus pandemic, living out the church’s sacramental life is tough without the element of touch: the reception of the Eucharist, the baptism with water, the laying on of hands, the anointing with oil. Even so, good works have continued to […]

Nigerian bishop says murdered seminarian had courage of a martyr

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By Catholic News Service SOKOTO, Nigeria — A murdered Nigerian seminarian had the courage of a martyr, his bishop said after three men were arrested for murder and kidnapping. One of the suspects said Michael Nnadi was killed because he kept asking his kidnappers “to repent and turn their lives around from their evil ways,” […]