Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

800,000 present as pope moves 124 martyrs closer to sainthood

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Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Aug. 16 beatification Mass of Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 martyred companions in Seoul, South Korea. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)  SEOUL, South Korea — Pope Francis placed 124 Korean martyrs on the last step toward sainthood in a beatification Mass Aug. 16 that brought elation to the 800,000 people in […]

Asian youths inspired as Holy Father goes off script

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DANGJIN, South Korea — About 6,000 young people from 30 Asian countries had Pope Francis all to themselves for several hours Aug. 15. The youths said they felt inspired after Pope Francis went off script to answer questions from pre-selected participants, watched a re-enactment of a modern-day prodigal son and also sat down to lunch […]

Pope Francis talks in flight about airstrikes in Iraq, his health, possible U.S. visit

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Pope Francis speaks to journalists aboard the papal flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Rome Aug. 18. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM SEOUL, South Korea — Pope Francis said the use of force can be justified to stop “unjust aggressors” such as Islamic State militants in northeastern Iraq, but he declined […]

Movie review | Calvary: Faith, sin, reconciliation, sacrifice

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Brendan Gleeson stars in a scene from the movie “Calvary.” Gleeson portrays a priest who is faced with troubling circumstances brought about by a mysterious member of his parish. (CNS photo/Patrick Redmond, Twentieth Century Fox)   NEW YORK — Set in rural Ireland, the bleak but powerful seriocomedy “Calvary” (Fox Searchlight) kicks off with a […]

Father Eugene Hemrick: For every evil, there’s a lot of good

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Recently, as I walked to the first tee on the golf course, I heard a friend yell, “Father Gene, I desperately need to talk with you!” He wanted to know my take on the horrific events happening around the world recently. My first thought was to tell him that we are experiencing the age-old problem […]

Christians beginning to die in hot, crowded camps, witnesses say

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Children flee violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar, Iraq, Aug. 10. Islamic State militants have killed at least 500 Yezidi ethnic minorities, an Iraqi human rights minister said. (CNS photo | Rodi Said, Reuters)   MANCHESTER, England — Iraqi Christians driven from their homes by Islamic State fighters are beginning to […]

‘Stop these crimes’: Pope Francis appeals for peace in Iraq

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis condemned the actions of Islamic State militants in Iraq, saying that persecuting Christians and other minorities “seriously offends God and seriously offends humanity.” “One cannot generate hatred in God’s name,” he said Aug. 10. “One cannot make war in God’s name!” After reciting the Angelus, Pope Francis asked tens of […]

Manaolana | Pope Francis’ 10 secrets to happiness

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Pope Francis holds hands with youths during a meeting with altar servers in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Aug. 5. The pilgrimage to Rome, sponsored by the German bishops’ conference, included tens of thousands of Germans ages 13 to 27, plus altar servers from Austria, Switzerland, Lithuania and northern Italy. (CNS photo | Stefano […]