Enrique Villegas, Author at ZENIT - English

Articles By Enrique Villegas

Legal dispute over Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue: this is the solution proposed by the Senate

The Archdiocese responded firmly in August: the monument, the plateau, and the chapel beneath remain Church property, safeguarded by the Mitra Arquidiocesana. “The Brazilian people must have certainty that Christ the Redeemer is sacred,” declared Father Omar Raposo, rector of the sanctuary, who underlined that the Church is the only legitimate authority over its use and preservation.

Aug 26, 2025 12:45

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV to bishops of the Amazon: no to the worship of nature

The remark has not gone unnoticed. In Rome, observers saw in it an implicit reference to the controversies of the 2019 Amazon Synod, when images of the Pachamama were introduced in Vatican events and provoked heated debate about the limits of inculturation

Aug 18, 2025 18:10

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV gives his pontifical miter to Chiclayo in Peru

The gesture was more than ceremonial. For many in Chiclayo, it was a reminder that the new pope—born Robert Francis Prevost in the United States but ordained to pastoral life in Peru—remains closely tied to the community where he lived and ministered for decades before becoming bishop and later rising to the papacy.

Aug 17, 2025 23:02

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Persecuted Christians

Nicaraguan dictatorship attacks the Church once again and expropriates school owned by nuns

After a government decree, the school has been renamed the “Bismarck Martínez Educational Center,” in honor of a Sandinista militant killed during the 2018 anti-government protests

Aug 15, 2025 10:02

Enrique Villegas

Pro Life

Dominican Republic Holds Firm on Absolute Abortion Ban Despite Global Pressure

What makes the outcome extraordinary is not only the scale of the victory, but the imbalance of forces. The Dominican pro-life movement is modest in size, lean in resources, and largely ignored by mainstream media

Aug 13, 2025 16:02

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Testimonies

Brazilian Catholic priest takes Volkswagen to court for modern slavery

Volkswagen Brazil, in a statement to The Washington Post, has denied all allegations and vowed to “pursue justice” in court. The company declined to grant interviews.

Aug 08, 2025 23:00

Enrique Villegas

Local Church

Government projects allusions to abortion in Mexico City cathedral

The Culture Secretariat acknowledged the Cathedral’s request and agreed to “act accordingly,” though it remains unclear whether the deleted content will reappear elsewhere or is gone for good.

Jul 17, 2025 17:00

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Young People

Chilean census reveals sharp decline in Catholicism: what is the current percentage of Catholics?

The latest figures, released by the National Institute of Statistics, show a simultaneous surge in those claiming no religious affiliation—now more than one in four Chilean adults

Jul 10, 2025 21:50

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Woman

Laywoman Appointed Chancellor of Mexico City Archdiocese in Historic First

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop Primate of Mexico, announced the groundbreaking appointment after consultation with his auxiliary bishops. He described it as a meaningful step toward a more synodal and co-responsible Church that fully embraces the diverse gifts of its faithful.

Jul 06, 2025 23:42

Enrique Villegas

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church•Protection of vulnerable people

Crisis Deepens in Lima Archdiocese Amid Abuse Allegations and Accusations of Mismanagement Under Cardinal Castillo

A key flashpoint involves a contemplative nun who claims she was sexually manipulated by Fr. Nilton Zárate, a priest allegedly close to Cardinal Castillo. According to a 2024 sworn statement obtained by U.S.-based outlet The Pillar, the nun describes years of inappropriate spiritual direction that veered into manipulation and coercion

Jul 06, 2025 23:31

Enrique Villegas

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

Pope Francis’ confessor dies in Argentina at age 98

Pope Francis would later speak of Dri as a model of merciful priesthood. When struggling with the idea of forgiving too generously, the pope said, “I think of Father Dri, and I find peace.” His elevation to the College of Cardinals was not a reward for administrative service or theological prominence, but a public recognition of a priest whose holiness was rooted in listening, forgiving, and welcoming.

Jul 03, 2025 19:22

Enrique Villegas

Local Church•Religious Freedom•Vocations

Amid Tight Restrictions, Nicaragua Allows Rare Clergy Ordinations in Managua

Still, in the face of this long night of repression, the Pentecost ordinations offered a flicker of grace. The eight new deacons—products of a diocesan seminary that still holds over a hundred seminarians, as well as a Redemptoris Mater house of formation—stand as a testament to perseverance

Jun 13, 2025 20:40

Enrique Villegas

Leo XIV Goes to Argentina: How Popular Is the Pope in Francis’s Home Country? Study Published

The figures, released on September 23 by the polling firm Zuban Córdoba, provide an early indication of the reception Leo XIV may encounter when he reaches Argentina from Uruguay. The survey was conducted from September 16 to 19 among 2,000 people across the country, with a 95 percent confidence level, according to the pollster.

Here’s How the Meeting Between the Pope and 7 Abuse Victims in Lourdes Unfolded (As Told by the Victims Themselves)

After the Lourdes meeting, five participants spoke to journalists. Olivier Mardi, cofounder of the advocacy group Voix Libérées de Touraine, said the Pope had listened attentively and was aware that the danger of abuse had not disappeared. “He is no fool,” Mardi said