Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Jenna Marie Cooper: Many saints suffered at church leaders’ hands

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Question corner Q: Are there any saints who had a difficult relationship with the church? (New York) A: The answer to this question would depend on exactly what you mean by “a difficult relationship” or even the term “the church.” But the short answer is that yes, there have been many canonized saints who were […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Defining the types and severity of sins

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Question corner Q: At a recent Mass, the priest talked about “mortal sin,” about which I’d previously heard, but then he mentioned “venial sins” and “temporal sins,” and even “sins of omission.” I’m not familiar with these, especially the last one. How can a person commit a sin without doing anything? A: Every sin represents […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Communion requires belief in Real Presence

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Question corner Q: We know that Our Lord loves everyone and thus would want to be as close to each person as possible. Can non-Catholics receive holy Communion since this would help achieve the Lord’s ultimate desire to be within the heart and soul of every human being? My spouse is an Episcopalian and refuses […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Nonalcoholic wine is not valid matter

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Question corner Q: I’m a parish priest and recently, when I went to order hosts and sacramental wine for my parish, I noticed the company I usually shop from was offering something called “nonalcoholic church wine.” I told the lady on the phone that I imagine this isn’t valid matter for consecration at a Mass, […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Baptism benefits all, even infants

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Question corner Q: Some evangelical friends were recently quizzing me on the Catholic understanding of baptism. They were especially asking about Jesus’ baptism, and whether this indicates Jesus had some sin or sins of which he needed to repent. They had the same question regarding infant baptism, as infants would seem to neither be able […]

Jenna Marie Cooper: Relic, prayer customs have scriptural roots

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Question corner Q: What scriptural basis is there for praying for the dead, for their repose, or for praying to the dead, for their intercessions? And in a related way, what scriptural basis is there for the Catholic practice of “relics,” such as saving a person’s bone fragments? My Protestant friends say these practices are […]