Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

It’s all songs, hugs and kisses as Francis surprises ex-street kids

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Pope Francis is pictured with youths at a home for former street children in Manila, Philippines, Jan. 16. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters)   MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis did not disappoint hundreds of former street children who were part of a massive campaign to show him one of the centers where they have found […]

Pope names 15 cardinal electors, most from global South

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VATICAN CITY — Underscoring the geographical diversity of his selections, Pope Francis named 15 cardinal electors “from 14 nations of every continent, showing the inseparable link between the church of Rome and the particular churches present in the world.” In addition to 15 new electors, Pope Francis named five new cardinals who are over the […]

Manila’s Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle prepares for the arrival of Pope Francis in the presence of the poor

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Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines, blesses the lot of a housing project in Pasay City during a Jan. 11 ground-breaking ceremony. The building will house 67 of the families living along a creek and roughly 300 families already living in their own tiny apartments. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)   MANILA, Philippines — “Today I […]

In the second year of his pontificate, Francis continues to take ‘the world by storm’

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Pope Francis greets the crowd at the start of his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 15. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   WASHINGTON — During the second year of his pontificate, Pope Francis was still feeling the love, and not just from Catholics or those from his homeland of Argentina. A Pew […]

Church heightens focus on environment, climate change

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WASHINGTON — When a Vatican official suggested that Pope Francis was contemplating an encyclical on the environment a year ago, he signaled that climate change and environmental degradation were such pressing concerns that the pope wanted to address them in a teaching document. No word has emerged on what the encyclical might say or when […]

Pope warns Vatican officials of ‘spiritual Alzheimer’s,’ other ills

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Cardinals are pictured as Pope Francis gives his speech during an audience to exchange Christmas greetings with members of the Roman Curia in Clementine Hall at the Vatican Dec. 22. Pictured from left are: Cardinals Robert Sarah, Francesco Monterisi, Raymond L. Burke, Kurt Koch and Manuel Monteiro de Castro. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   VATICAN CITY […]

Pope Francis: Do not be complicit, indifferent to tragedy of exploitation

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VATICAN CITY — When shopping and when interacting with people on city streets, everyone can help fight the evil of modern-day slavery, Pope Francis said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace Jan. 1. “Together with the social responsibility of businesses, there is also the social responsibility of consumers,” the pope said. […]

Pope calls for more ‘integration’ of divorced Catholics, gays

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church must consider various ways to integrate the divorced and civilly remarried in the life of the church — not merely allowing them to receive Communion, but letting them serve as eucharistic ministers and godparents — and to make it easier for Catholic families to accept […]

Pope Francis in Turkey: A look at Christianity on the margins

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Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople embrace during a prayer service in the patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul Nov. 29. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)   VATICAN CITY — Ankara and Istanbul were gray and cold, at least compared to Rome, during Pope Francis’ Nov. 28-30 visit to Turkey. And the general reception, […]