Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Vatican statistics show global imbalance in ratio of Catholics per priest

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  By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — The number of Catholics and of Catholic men and women who devote their lives to serving them continues to grow in Africa and Asia, Vatican statistics show, but pastoral ministry is still much more readily available to Catholics in Europe. At the end of 2020, […]

Effie Caldarola: Lessons from Monte Cassino

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FOR THE JOURNEY The hairpin turns were gasp-inducing, especially to someone afraid of heights. As we climbed higher and higher, I alternated between covering my eyes and then peeking out at the remarkable landscape unfolding beneath the narrow Italian road that spiraled up toward the peak of Monte Cassino. I was on my way to […]

Benedict asks forgiveness in response to Munich report

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By Carol Glatz and Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — At the age of 94, retired Pope Benedict XVI said he knows he will soon stand before God’s judgment and he prayed that he would be forgiven for his shortcomings, including in handling allegations of clerical sexual abuse. “Even though, as I […]

Effie Caldarola: Fishers of men

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FOR THE JOURNEY Best fishing story of January: A small group of fishermen and an Irish fishing association stopped the Russian navy from conducting war games in fertile fishing territory off Ireland’s coast. The little band of Irish fishermen vowed that they would continue to send up to 60 trawlers continually into the waters during […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is there a literal hell?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: What is the Catholic view on whether there is an actual, literal hell? A lot of people, including some who are Catholics, while they believe in an actual, literal heaven, say that hell is simply death. (Indiana) A: Catholic theology holds that there is an actual, literal hell. The Catechism of the […]

Laura Kelly Fanucci: Is your parish family-friendly?

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FAITH AT HOME Who doesn’t want the church to grow or the next generation of Catholics to embrace a deep love for their faith? One simple way we can do this is by asking how our parishes are welcoming to families — of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes. Start small. Are electrical outlets covered […]

Men must join fight against human trafficking, pope says

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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Male-female relationships based on “discrimination and submission” lead to the exploitation and humiliation of thousands of women and girls each year, Pope Francis said. “Human trafficking, through domestic or sexual exploitation, violently relegates women and girls to their supposed role of subordination in the provision of […]

Effie Caldarola: Where were you, God?

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FOR THE JOURNEY On the morning of Jan. 5, a fire tore through a Philadelphia rowhouse that had been converted into apartments. Twelve people died, including nine children. Probably most Americans heard the news, then moved on to the next big story. Perhaps the situation on the Ukrainian border grabbed our attention, or the filibuster […]