Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Father Kenneth Doyle: Why a deacon if a priest is present? Is it wrong to long for heaven?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Often, I have been at a Mass where the deacon reads the Gospel, which is fine. But then, sometimes, the deacon goes on to give the homily while the priest watches. This disappoints me and makes me feel that the deacon is overstepping his bounds. Why should a deacon, rather than the […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Why can’t we use a closed church? Can a non-Catholic be a cantor?

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  QUESTION CORNER Q: I am having a hard time understanding why a Catholic church closed by a bishop can no longer be used for Masses, weddings and funerals. For more than 100 years, this particular church — built by my great-great-grandparents — was considered sacred ground. Now my grandson wants to get married in […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Missing Mass while on a cruise ship? Celebrating Mass in a state of sin?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: Every summer, my husband and I go on a cruise. Only one cruise line (Holland America) continues to have a priest on board to say Mass. When we travel on other cruise lines, frequently we have missed Sunday Mass because there was no priest on board and we could not get to […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: What’s the Catholic view on tithing? Should a couple cohabitat before getting married?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I grew up in a Protestant church but converted to Catholicism. Sometimes it seems to me that Catholics give a lot less money to their churches than Protestants do. (The Sunday collections reported in our parish bulletin would, I think, be dwarfed by some Protestants parishes much smaller than our own.) On […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is Jesus’ resurrected body human?

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  QUESTION CORNER Q: Did the resurrected Jesus have a human body? (Carrollton, Georgia) A: It is a fundamental truth of Christianity that Jesus rose from the dead in his physical body. (This differs from the doctrine of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who hold that the post-resurrection Christ was spiritual, not physical.) Christians believe that the Jesus […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: When did the Holy Spirit come? Why no altar flowers for Lenten funeral?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: I have often wondered about the difference between the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit immediately after the Resurrection “on the evening of that first day of the week” (Jn 20:19-23) and the coeming of the Holy Spirit upon them at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Is it two different accounts of the same event, […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Why ‘Lead us not into temptation?’ Can you bring up the collection basket to the altar?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: When we say the Lord’s Prayer at Mass, we pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” Why would God lead us into temptation? I know that God allows temptation to occur, but the word “lead” is an active verb that implies God may be actively involved in our being tempted. Would you please […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is there a literal hell?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: What is the Catholic view on whether there is an actual, literal hell? A lot of people, including some who are Catholics, while they believe in an actual, literal heaven, say that hell is simply death. (Indiana) A: Catholic theology holds that there is an actual, literal hell. The Catechism of the […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Why no mention of male virginity? Plus: Are Wiccans misunderstood?

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QUESTION CORNER Q: We Catholics honor many female saints for their outstanding lives of service and virginity. Why do we never mention St. Joseph’s virginity or the virginity of some of our wonderful male saints? (City and state withheld) A: I think the main reason is that women religious generally refer to their vow of […]

Father Kenneth Doyle: Is it confession or reconciliation? Did the Virgin Mary have other kids?

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QUESTION CORNER Q While I know that only confession will reconcile me with God, I am confused about the terminology used in my parish. (We are a rural parish and have very few opportunities for confession, but there is always the chance to make a private appointment for confession.) Any scheduled confessions are now announced […]