Joachin Meisner Hertz, Author at ZENIT

Articles By Joachin Meisner Hertz

Germany: Catholic excluded for the first time because of his political views

Vatican Upholds Removal of German AfD Lawmaker from Parish Council, Marking a Rare Intervention in Church–Politics Relations

Jan 29, 2026 10:58

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

“We cannot vote on the Resurrection”: Cardinal of Cologne absent from German Synodal Path meeting and considers it over

The German Synodal Path has become a test case for how far local churches can go before they collide with the apostolic structure of Catholicism itself. For the Cardinal of Cologne, the line has already been crossed

Jan 29, 2026 10:42

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Vatican City

With Leo XIV, “normality is slowly returning” to the Vatican… according to Benedict XVI’s private secretary

After meeting Pope Leo XIV twice in 2025, most recently in mid-December, the German prelate said he sensed a renewed calm taking hold. For him, the word that best captures the moment is “normality.”

Jan 26, 2026 22:22

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church

The German bishop who brought the local Catholic Church to the brink of schism announces that he will not seek re-election

Bätzing leaves behind a Church that is, by many measures, more fragmented than when he took office, though few observers would place the responsibility solely on his shoulders

Jan 20, 2026 18:08

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church•Vocations

Austria Opens a New Path to the Priesthood for Midlife Professionals

The conference has stressed that the initiative aligns fully with Vatican norms, particularly those outlined in the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, the foundational document governing priestly formation worldwide

Jan 07, 2026 17:46

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Pope Francis•Pope Leo XIV

Germans trust Leo XIV more than Islam: new survey results released

Data released from a representative Forsa poll indicate that 28 percent of Germans now say they place high or very high trust in the Pope

Dec 24, 2025 19:44

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Analysis Opinion•Local Church

Polonia: Sunday Mass Attendance Rises as Sacramental Life Continues to Thin

According to the 2024 edition of the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae in Polonia, 29.6 percent of Polish Catholics eligible to attend Mass were present on an average Sunday last year

Dec 22, 2025 15:29

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church

Polish bishops speak out against attacks on the legacy and figure of Saint John Paul II

Scrutiny of John Paul II has become increasingly visible in digital spaces, where detractors highlight his conservative positions on moral issues

Dec 09, 2025 17:58

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Causes of Saints•Testimonies

Who is behind the promotion of Benedict XVI’s canonization and his declaration as a Doctor of the Church?

Benedict XVI’s death in 2022 closed a public chapter but not the spiritual, theological and cultural influence he continues to exert

Dec 07, 2025 15:49

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Pope Francis

Pope Francis’ camera to be auctioned: bidding starts at this impressive starting price

The starting bid of €30,000 was quickly eclipsed, and the current online offer stands at €75,000—already surpassing the upper end of its original estimate

Nov 20, 2025 18:20

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church

Germany: Initiative to name street after Benedict XVI meets with opposition

Yet the proposal has ignited objections from survivor advocacy groups who argue that public spaces should not memorialize figures whose legacies, they say, are inseparable from the systemic mishandling of abuse cases within the Catholic Church

Nov 17, 2025 17:44

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Local Church

Research shows that German Catholics have a stronger attachment to the Church than Protestants

According to the study, which surveyed around 1,000 church members and was presented in Berlin this month, only 39 percent of practicing Christians in Germany say they would choose to belong to their church again if the decision were theirs as adults

Oct 30, 2025 20:04

Joachin Meisner Hertz

In what sense is the Bible the Word of God in human words? Pope Leo XIV responds

Pope’s general audience, February 4, 2026, on “Sacred Scripture: God’s Word in human words”

Leo XIV Prepares for a 2026 of Key Trips: Peru and Africa on the Horizon. Here Is All That Is Known

Peru will not be the only significant stop. The Vatican is also working on what will be Leo XIV’s first African visit as Pope. Although there is still no official schedule, two countries have already publicly confirmed their inclusion: Angola and Equatorial Guinea.