Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Father Kenneth Doyle: Christ ‘descended into hell’? Did the Holy Family go to Egypt or Nazareth?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: What does it mean when we say in the Apostles’ Creed that Jesus “descended into hell”? That statement is not used in the Nicene Creed, which we often say at Mass. It bothers me so much that when I say the rosary, I substitute “limbo” for “hell.” (Charlottesville, Virginia) A: Since Advent […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: How are non-Catholics forgiven? How are parish donations split?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Catholics are blessed to have the sacrament of reconciliation. But what about other faiths? How do non-Catholics have their sins forgiven? (Honolulu) A: The Catholic Church has a long history of the confession of sins. In the earliest centuries, confession was actually done in public, the thinking being that when we sin, […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Homilies printed and distributed? Saying a Mass for a non-Catholic?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Recently you answered a reader’s question regarding their pastor, an African priest who is difficult to understand and who gives 30-minute homilies, the result being that parish attendance is dropping. (You suggested asking a parish council member to speak to the priest, voicing parishioners’ concerns.) Here’s another suggestion. In our diocese, we […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Why is the pope approving of civil unions? Should I have my hands raised in prayer?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Why is the pope approving of civil unions for homosexuals? Isn’t this still one of the deadly sins? (Lexington, Indiana) A: First, to clarify: I have never seen homosexuality mentioned as one of the seven deadly sins. In fact, many people with a homosexual orientation are celibate. The seven deadly sins are […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Was Friday really ‘Good’? Should I return to my parish if I can’t understand the priest?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Why do we call the day Jesus was crucified “Good” Friday? Christ was made to suffer horribly, so this has always bothered me. (Radford, Virginia) A: A fair number of people agree with you, and some have suggested that “Black Friday” would be a more appropriate designation. Interestingly, in the Greek Orthodox […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: New marriage without death certificate? Vaccines made from fetus stem cell lines?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I am 69 years old and a new Catholic. My wife and I would like to restate our vows in a Catholic Mass. However, I was previously married 40 years ago for a short time. My first wife has passed away, but she had married again and I don’t even know her […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Did I blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? Why not dip the host in the wine with a spoon??

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Recently I read an article in the Catholic press about the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and it has caused me to worry about something that happened long ago. I am now 45 years old and when I was in the seventh grade, this is what happened. I really liked […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: In the creed, what about women? Can Jews be a baptism sponsor?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: My recollection is that the text of the Mass in English was rewritten about 20 years ago — to be a more accurate translation and to eliminate sexist references. I wonder, however, if they missed something: in the Nicene Creed, our parish still prints, “For us men and for our salvation he […]

Ask Father Doyle: How do I dispose of religious objects? What do I do if I want to go to Mass during the pandemic but my spouse doesn’t?

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QUESTION CORNER Q; What is the proper way to dispose of the medals, rosaries, small crucifixes, etc., that many Catholic organizations mail out unsolicited? (I have enough of everything!) (Atlanta) A: Perhaps surprisingly, church law on disposing of blessed articles of devotion is not very specific. Canon 1171 of the church’s Code of Canon Law […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: What is the status of the women deacon commission? Standing or kneeling at communion?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: A few years back. Pope Francis set up a commission to study the feasibility of permitting women to become permanent deacons. Has that commission made a recommendation to the pope, and where does the matter lie now? (Personally, I think that women deacons are long overdue, and this pope could make history […]