Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Father Kenneth Doyle: May first cousins marry?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Are first cousins allowed to be married in the church? I have in mind a couple I know whose fathers are brothers. They hadn’t known each other as children but met later at a family reunion and then fell in love. They were married in a civil court, which is allowed in […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is there still a purgatory? Do Catholic politicians who vote to provide abortions get excommunicated?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I am a cradle Catholic and have always believed in purgatory. Now I am hearing from some people (including from some priests) who deny its existence. Can you clarify this for me? (City and state of origin withheld) A: The Catholic Church does indeed believe in the existence of purgatory. The Catechism […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: What about the pain of divorce? Taking fussy kids to Mass?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I read your recent answer concerning divorced Catholics and their standing in the church. You and others fail to remind Catholics that the Catechism (No. 2384-85) calls divorce a grave injustice to the abandoned spouse and the children and also introduces disorder into society. How can you (and, it seems, most spokesmen) […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Can a Democrat be pro-life? Can you make up a missed Mass?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Recently, Time magazine ran an article about Tim Ryan, a Democrat congressman from Ohio, who announced his campaign for president. The article says that he “was against abortion rights until 2015.” It also says that he is a devout Catholic and names his parish. Ryan is quoted as saying, “To me, my […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Doesn’t my parish have to report its finances? Can I go to confession by phone?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I belong to a Catholic community in Florida that has been in existence for 32 years. For all that time, we have had only one pastor. The problem is that we have never seen a parish financial report, and I have been told that our parish’s weekly income averages $30,000. I approached […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is apostolic succession real? Can I be a Eucharistic minister if I’m divorced?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: My understanding is that the church teaches that bishops and priests are the successors of the apostles. Can this line really be traced back to one of the original apostles? (Lancaster, Ohio) A: The Twelve Apostles were the privileged eyewitnesses sent to proclaim the teachings of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew (28:19-20) […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Do I have to go to Mass in pain? Isn’t the ambo for readings only?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: In a few weeks I will turn 65 years old. I have arthritis in most of my joints; in the early spring, when it’s rainy and damp, the arthritic pain can be unbearable. Is it a sin to miss Sunday Mass, given the extreme pain? When is it acceptable to stop going […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: In Lent, do Sundays count? Is the pope promoting a one-world religion?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: My mother was very religious and she always told us that during Lent, whatever you gave up — ice cream, candy, etc. — you could have on Sundays. Is that true? Do Sundays count as part of Lent? (Green Bay, Wisconsin) A: I’ll answer your second question first, because that’s the easier […]

Ask Father Doyle: Did Jesus say ghosts exist? May I be a witness at a Protestant wedding?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: In a recent column, you quoted Luke 24:39 (“Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.”) Are we to believe from this that Our Lord is confirming the existence […]