Rafael Llanes, Author at ZENIT

Articles By Rafael Llanes

Gender Ideology•Homosexuality•Religious Freedom

Comedy Writer Claims that the Human Skeletons of Men and Women Are Not the Same and Goes to Jail

Swiss opponents of the legislation warn that the law has become a weapon to silence those who defend biology and question gender ideology. The discussion in the Swiss Parliament opens the possibility of further expanding these provisions, which could institutionalize censorship and limit public debate on gender identity issues.

Jan 15, 2026 17:30

Rafael Llanes

Local Church•Pro Life•Religious Freedom

Church Bell Rings Daily for Aborted Babies: Left Attacks Bishop

Monsignor Antonio Suetta stated that there is no turning back and the bell will continue to ring at 8:00 p.m. to «remind us that all life is a gift, that every human being has infinite dignity, and that the Christian response to the wounds of the world always involves love, acceptance, and truth.»

Jan 15, 2026 17:28

Rafael Llanes

Local Church

Africa Becomes the Region with the Largest Christian Population in the World

It is estimated that the proportion of Muslims has increased by at least 5 percentage points in Kazakhstan, Benin, and Lebanon, and decreased by 5 percentage points in Tanzania and Oman.

Jan 14, 2026 17:22

Rafael Llanes

Holy Land

Important New Archaeological Discovery in Jerusalem: Another Section of the Wall

The Hasmonean walls enclosed a much larger area than the present-day Old City of Jerusalem. They featured 60 watchtowers, each 33 feet tall according to ancient writings. The recently discovered section is one of the longest stretches of the Hasmonean walls found intact.

Dec 20, 2025 17:06

Rafael Llanes

Bioethics

Yes, Evil Can Be Defeated: Slovenes Say «No» to Euthanasia in Referendum

The director of the Coalition for the Prevention of Euthanasia (EPC) stated that the result demonstrates the effectiveness of an organized and balanced campaign to stop harmful legislation, even in the face of massive funding from pro-euthanasia groups.

Dec 04, 2025 08:26

Rafael Llanes

Holy Land

Archaeologists Confirm Gospel Accounts by Discovering a Garden Beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Chapter 19 of the Gospel of John contains details not found in other Gospels: «Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid» (John 19:41). John’s description coincides with the discoveries.

Dec 03, 2025 08:22

Rafael Llanes

Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV Asks Religious Superiors to Rotate in Positions of Authority

The Pope outlined «three important attitudes: ecclesial discernment, careful decision-making processes, and a commitment to accountability for one’s work and to evaluating its results and methods.»

Nov 18, 2025 09:42

Rafael Llanes

Good News•Holy Land

Archaeologists Identify the Site Where Jesus Exorcised the Legion of Demons and the Herd of Pigs

Beyond the archaeologist’s interpretation of the biblical passage, Christian tradition already pointed to Kursi as the site of the miracle, reflected in the ruins of a 5th-century Byzantine Basilica, known as the «Chapel of the Miracle,» on the hill overlooking the port. Some scholars see the representation of pigs in the remains of its mosaic.

Nov 17, 2025 17:25

Rafael Llanes

Religious Freedom

In the Name of Secularism, France Bans Film About the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Marseille City Council issued a statement on October 23, justifying the ban based on a 1905 law that prohibits the exhibition of religious content in public places.

Nov 07, 2025 22:18

Rafael Llanes

Good News•Virgin Mary

Iran, the Land of Radical Muslims, Dedicates Metro Station to the Virgin Mary

The Armenian and Assyrian communities valued the recognition of their faith with this official symbol at the metro station near the Cathedral, built between 1964 and 1970 by the Brotherhood of Saint Sergius, which is the heart of Armenian Christianity in Tehran. It was restored in 2006.

Nov 06, 2025 13:36

Rafael Llanes

Causes of Saints•Testimonies

Eleven Priests Martyred by Communism and Nazism To Be Beatified Following Authorization by Pope Leo XIV

In an audience granted by Pope Leo XIV on October 24, to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the promulgation was authorized of the decrees on the martyrdom of Polish priests between 1941 and 1942 «out of hatred for the faith,» in the Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps, and of Czech diocesan priests murdered between 1951 and 1952.

Nov 01, 2025 12:03

Rafael Llanes

Gender Ideology•Justice and Peace•Woman

Australia: A Region of the Country Bans Biological Men Who Identify as Women from Prisons Designed for Women

The announcement came just days after Katie, a female inmate, was sexually assaulted by Krista Richards, her transgender cellmate, in a South Australian prison; Krista was pretending to be a woman, as reported by Thewing. The Northern Territory Minister commented: «If you’re born male, you go to a men’s prison. At the end of the day, it’s really about the safety of women. This is about women’s dignity.»

Oct 29, 2025 15:40

Rafael Llanes

Two movements of love explained by the Pope to religious: God who comes to save and man who awaits his coming

Homily of the Holy Father on the occasion of the 30th World Day of Consecrated Life

Taiwan’s president writes to Pope Leo XIV: ‘Taipei wants peace, human rights, and democracy’

The president of Taiwan wrote to the pontiff in response to the latter’s call for a «disarmed and disarming peace” in his message of 1 January. A century ago, Chiang Wei-shui promoted nonviolence in Taiwan. The island, the world’s largest semiconductor producer, shares the pontiff’s concern for growing use of artificial intelligence in armed conflicts.