Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Jenna Marie Cooper: Infidelity and marriage nullity

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Question corner Q: My husband and I got a divorce because my husband had an affair. Why doesn’t the church agree with me that it was his fault and grant my annulment? Why is my church siding with him? (New York) A: I’m very sorry you went through such a painful experience. But with respect […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Church doors must remain unlocked

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Question corner Q: I’m one of the parents on a new “safety committee” for our local parish school. One of the parents’ main suggestions is that, for our school Masses, we lock the church doors and keep the Mass private. To us, this seems like basic common sense. However, our pastor says we can’t do […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Spiritually, divorce is impossible

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Question corner Q: Does the church ever use the word “divorce,” or in every case is it always an “annulment”? Didn’t Jesus allow for a spouse, in the case of a cheating spouse, to be granted a divorce, even calling it “a divorce”? (Indiana) A: The church does use the term “divorce” in some contexts, […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Livestreaming fee is OK, in context

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Question corner Q: I’m retired and I volunteer with my parish to do the tech stuff to livestream some of the parish’s Masses online. Sometimes I livestream funerals for people who have family members who can’t be there in person, and I’m happy to help people out that way. Recently I heard that the parish […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Eucharist does not replace confession

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Question corner Q: When I was in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (commonly known as RCIA, now the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), the instructor said normal weekly Eucharist counts as a “confession,” and reception counts as “absolution.” She said in most cases, most people “don’t need to bother” the priest with […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Precious Blood can be brought to sick

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Question corner Q: I used to volunteer to bring holy Communion to the sick in nursing homes and hospice, and I always wondered: Why can’t we bring the Precious Blood to those who are very ill or at the point of death and can no longer eat any solid food? I asked several priests about […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Orthodox sacraments are generally off-limits

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Question corner Q: There’s a really beautiful Eastern Orthodox church in my neighborhood. Every time I pass by it, I always wonder, is this one of the churches that Catholics can attend? (Ohio) A: I think you might be confusing the Orthodox with Eastern Catholics. While the Orthodox have valid sacraments and very similar doctrinal […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: The nuances of parish membership

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Question corner Q: Recently, I heard a priest speak on the importance of supporting your “territorial parish,” which he made sound like whatever parish happened to be in your neighborhood. But I have been an active member of a different parish for years, and I don’t understand the need to support a parish I didn’t […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Jewish marriages are valid in Catholic Church’s eyes

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Question corner Q: In a recent article, you quoted the Code of Canon Law for what constitutes a valid nonsacramental marriage. I’m not sure if you know this, but the Jewish marriage document — the ketubah — is essentially a prenuptial agreement that outlines the protections the spouses are to receive should either one initiate […]