Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Cardinal Pell convicted on five counts; will appeal verdict

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By Catholic News Service MELBOURNE, Australia — An Australian court found Cardinal George Pell guilty on five charges related to the sexual abuse of two 13-year-old boys; sentencing is expected in early March, but the cardinal’s lawyer already has announced plans to appeal the conviction. On Feb. 27, the judge will hear arguments from the […]

Pope: No more excuses; time for ‘all-out battle’ against crime of abuse

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The time has come for an “all-out battle” against the abuse of minors, erasing this abominable crime from the face of the earth, Pope Francis said, closing a global four-day summit on child protection in the Catholic Church. For quite some time, the world has […]

Vatican Abuse Summit Day 2: A woman speaks out, cardinal supports zero-tolerance policy, suggestion emerges for regional bishop accountability

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Vatican official urges reconsidering ‘pontifical secret’ in abuse cases By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church should re-examine how “pontifical secret” is applied in clerical sex abuse cases so there is greater transparency in the cases and it is not invoked “to hide problems,” said a canon lawyer and […]

Great expectations: Unprecedented Vatican summit on abuse has key, realistic goals

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — All eyes and ears will be on the Vatican during an unprecedented gathering Feb. 21-24 to discuss the protection of minors in the Catholic Church. When Pope Francis announced the international meeting in September, it sparked an optimistic note that the global problem of abuse finally […]

Child sex abuse in the U.S.: ‘Serious and pervasive’

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By Julie Asher Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Child sexual abuse in the United States is at epidemic levels. More than 60,000 children are reported to have been abused every year, outnumbering those killed by guns or cars. Those who survive are often left not only with physical wounds, but also with psychological wounds that […]

To ignore trafficking is to be complicit in the crime, pope says

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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — To be indifferent to or ignore human trafficking and modern-day slavery would be to become an accomplice to those crimes, Pope Francis said. “Although we try to ignore it, slavery is not something from other times,” he said in a video explaining his prayer intention for […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: How does excommunication work? What became of the 10-minute limit on homilies?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: From what we are seeing on social media here in New York state, there seems to be some misunderstanding about what excommunication is and how it happens. Does the pope excommunicate someone, or can a bishop? Is there a process? What is the pastoral approach to something like this? What are the […]

Seeking Christ’s face

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Some believe that a hilltop shrine in Italy holds the true veil of Veronica By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service MANOPPELLO, Italy — At the Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello, visitors see a transparent cloth encased between two glass panes within an ornate silver frame above the sanctuary’s altar. Once light is […]

Ask Father Kenneth Doyle: Why do the properties of bread, wine remain? Do miscarried babies go to heaven?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I firmly believe that at Mass the Eucharist becomes Christ’s body and blood. But here’s what I don’t understand: Why then do the properties of the bread and wine still affect people — for example, those with wheat allergies or alcoholics? (Danville, Indiana) A: Not surprisingly, this is a bit difficult to […]