Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

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,” […]

Pope merges Anchorage, Juneau as one archdiocese

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By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Pope Francis has merged the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, and the Diocese of Juneau, Alaska, and erected the new ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. He also has appointed Juneau Bishop Andrew E. Bellisario to head the newly configured archdiocese. Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Vatican nuncio to the […]

St. John Paul was a good shepherd, pope says on saint’s 100th birthday

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — St. John Paul II was a man of deep prayer, who loved being close to people and loved God’s justice and mercy, Pope Francis said. “Let us pray to him today that he may give all of us — especially shepherds of the church — but […]

Dozens gather virtually to sing psalms, hymns, songs

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By Dan Meloy Catholic News Service PONTIAC, Mich. — Notre Dame Preparatory High School’s choir and alumni are bringing the world a little closer together, even when it remains far apart. On April 19, the school released a video that featured 92 singers — 67 current students and 25 alumni and teachers — singing a […]

During Laudato Si’ Week, 24 Catholic entities divest from fossil fuels

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By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service CLEVELAND — The justice and peace commission of the Bangladeshi bishops’ conference as well as dioceses in Brazil, Indonesia and Ireland are among the latest institutions announcing their intent to divest from fossil fuel companies. The entities are among 24 Catholic and 18 other faith institutions in 14 countries […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Was author of ‘Hail, Holy Queen’ troubled? Did God create COVID-19?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: The prayer “Hail, Holy Queen” has three phrases in it that trouble me. They are: “to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve”; “mourning and weeping in this valley of tears”; and “after this, our exile.” The author of this prayer makes life on earth appear to be a punishment. […]

Greg Erlandson: The pandemic’s grace notes

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AMID THE FRAY It is always impressive to hear the stories of people who rush toward danger when others are fleeing. Remember Ventura County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus? He lost his life when without hesitation he rushed into the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, to stop a mass shooter. Remember Lt. Jason […]

Father Eugene Hemrick: The positive side of solitude

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THE HUMAN SIDE Most people do not like to be alone. But why? Solitude comes from the Latin, “solus,” meaning alone, connoting seclusion and isolation. Loneliness has an undesirable connotation of being friendless, rejected, forsaken and forlorn. Some people embrace solitude, others find it intolerable. Examining its relation to silence and recollection reveal it can […]