Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Jenna Marie Cooper: Church upholds dignity of human life

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Question corner Q: I know officially the Catholic Church is against the death penalty, but what about Genesis 9:6? A: It looks like there are two dimensions to your question: the Church’s teaching on the death penalty, and how we are to read the Old Testament as Catholics. Starting with this latter aspect, it’s good […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: 2 sides to predestination

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Question corner Q: Could you please tell me what exactly predestination is? Also, is this a dogma of the Catholic Church or is it heresy? A: The term “predestination” can mean a few different things depending on the specific context. In some of these contexts, predestination is a heresy (i.e., a teaching or idea that […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Vow renewals are nice, but unnecessary

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Question corner Q: This past weekend my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and part of the celebrations included renewing their wedding vows. At this point I’m not worried about my parents staying together, but it got me wondering: Hypothetically, would a vow renewal like this have any impact if a couple were to try […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: ‘Non-Catholic wedding’ has many nuances

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Question corner Q Can a Catholic priest or deacon attend a non-Catholic wedding reception as a guest? I realize that a Catholic priest or deacon should not attend the actual non-Catholic wedding ceremony. My question concerns attending the party following the actual ceremony. A I think the main answer here is really that it all […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: When do priests make celibacy vow?

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Question corner Q: I recently attended an ordination, and that got me wondering: Hypothetically, what would happen if the bishop accidentally left out the part of the ordination Mass where the future priest promises celibacy? That wouldn’t mean that the new priest was actually free to marry, would it? A: The short answer is no, […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Bishops can delegate confirmation duties

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Question corner Q: This past week a member of our parish was confirmed at Sunday Mass, but it was just our parish priest who did the confirmation. I always thought confirmation had to be done by a bishop? Is it allowed for a priest to confirm, or was the recent confirmation at my parish an […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Do not sweat delay in penance

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Question Corner Q:  Recently I went to confession on Saturday afternoon before my parish’s vigil Mass. The priest told me to say a rosary for my penance. But since I was the last one in line, Mass was starting right away and I didn’t have time to say my penance. Then I’m embarrassed to admit […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Communion response is only ‘amen’

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Question corner Q: Is it ever acceptable to say something other than “amen” when receiving Communion? Would “thank you,” “he’s alive” or even “hallelujah!” ever work? (Indiana) A: The short answer is no, the one and only appropriate response when receiving holy Communion is to say “amen” after the priest or Eucharistic minister says “the […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Descent into hell sealed redemption

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Question corner Q: In the Apostles’ Creed, we say that Jesus “descended into hell” after he died on the cross. But why would Jesus go to hell if he was sinless? A: The short answer is that Jesus was not sent to hell as a consequence for his own sinfulness, but in order to free […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: ‘Absolution’ of sin is a complex topic

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Question Corner Q: I heard a priest on the radio talking about holy water fonts in church, and he said that as a sacramental, the holy water “absolves us from venial sin.” He actually used the word “absolves.” That doesn’t sound right to me. What does the church teach about this? (Rhode Island) A: I […]