The Pope expressed deep compassion for the victims and reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to advocating for the release of those still held captive in Gaza. According to reports, 63 individuals remain detained by Hamas.

A Gesture of Global Solidarity

The hour-long meeting underscored the Vatican’s role as a voice for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. Participants described the encounter as both heartfelt and impactful. “We didn’t come in vain,” one attendee remarked, highlighting their hope that Pope Francis’s moral authority might influence efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Gaya Kalderon, a 22-year-old who attended the meeting, voiced her anguish over her father’s continued captivity. “Our life is a living hell; we have no life anymore,” she said, capturing the collective despair of families torn apart by violence.

Condemning Crimes Against Humanity

In a press conference following the audience, the Israeli delegation condemned the kidnappings as “an absolute crime against humanity.” They called for international intervention and swift action to bring the remaining hostages home, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

This meeting follows Pope Francis’s ongoing engagement with both Israeli and Palestinian families affected by the conflict. Earlier this year, on April 8, he met with five Israeli families whose relatives had been abducted, signaling his unwavering dedication to dialogue and justice.

A Pontiff’s Call for Ceasefire and Compassion

Pope Francis has consistently called for peace in the region. In a message earlier this month, he urged an immediate ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon, and reiterated the need for the swift release of all hostages held in Gaza.

During his general audience in St. Peter’s Square last Wednesday, the Pope extended his prayers to the 150 Palestinian civilians who had recently lost their lives, highlighting the devastating toll of the conflict on all sides.

Building Bridges Amid Crisis

This meeting reflects the Vatican’s enduring role as a bridge-builder in some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts. By offering a platform for those affected by violence, Pope Francis amplifies calls for justice and peace, transcending political divides.

As families await news of their loved ones, the hope remains that global leaders and humanitarian advocates will heed the Pope’s call: to prioritize the sanctity of human life, to end cycles of violence, and to restore dignity to those who continue to suffer in silence.

This moment in the Apostolic Palace, marked by shared grief and quiet determination, serves as a reminder that even amid profound despair, the pursuit of peace is not just a dream but a moral imperative.

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Israeli victims of Hamas attacks meet the Pope appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Pope Paul VI agreed with the proposal and the Vatican was incorporated in the global organization. He wanted to maintain the Holy See’s neutrality in the political world and opted for the status of Permanent Observer. The Vatican’s first Permanent Observer at the UN was Monsignor Alberto Giovanetti, who held the post from April 6, 1964 until 1973.

On Monday, September 30, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, celebrated a thanksgiving Mass for the 60th Anniversary of the Holy See’s presence as Observer State at the United Nations. The Mass was held in the Holy Family church in Manhattan, New York, a few blocks from the United Nations’ headquarters.

Concelebrating with Cardinal Parolin were Archbishop Gabriele Giordana Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio and current Permanent Observer, together with some members of the clergy of the Archdiocese of New York. 250 UN diplomats and observers attended the Mas, as well as staff members and relatives, friends of the Holy See’s Permanent Observation Mission and Catholic faithful.

Cardinal Parolin said that “To be a Christian implies promoting the dignity of brothers, to fight for it and to live for it. In fact in this logic of service to the littlest and to the voiceless is found the reason for the Holy See’s presence at the level of international community.”

He stressed the Church’s defense of social justice and economic  development, the protection of the environment, care of the defenseless and forgotten, human dignity, human rights and “especially the most fundamental right of all: the right to life.”

“If we want to follow Jesus, we must follow the way He Himself traced,” said the Cardinal, as that way is “the way of service.” He pointed out that “we are [here] to serve those that need to receive and cannot give anything in return. When we welcome the marginalized and the abandoned, we welcome Jesus, because He is there.”

The Cardinal quoted Saint Paul VI, the first Pope that visited the United Nations and addressed the General Assembly, on October 4, 1965: “The Holy See’s Mission offers the wisdom of the Church as expert in humanity,” he said.

Cardinal Parolin’s address was followed by a reception in which he reiterated that, in a world “ever more fragmented by narrow interests, we must remember that we are all members of one human family. Hence, we renew our commitment to the vision of a world where peace, justice and human dignity are not mere aspirations but lived realities for all.”

On September 28, Cardinal Parolin addressed the 79th UN General  Assembly, where he expressed the Holy See’s concern over the increase and gravity of conflicts in the world. He suggested the commitment of all countries to  peace and that Members of the United Nations recover the Organization’s fundamental values.

The post 60th Anniversary of the Holy See’s Membership in the United Nations Organization appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Ten Bishops in the country are persecuted for their conscientious objection to the Catholic Patriotic Association, an institution created by the Communist Government and not recognized by the Vatican, to control Chinese Catholics. To affiliate themselves to the Association, priests must promise independence from the Holy See. In a letter written in 2016, Pope Benedict pointed out that, to be independent from the Successor of Peter is “incompatible with Catholic Doctrine.”

The Chinese Government allows the Catholic Church a limited existence. There are 95 Catholic Bishops in Continental China. Of these, 69 are official and 26 non-official. The Catholic Church includes 147 dioceses, many of them vacant. The Authorities keep constant vigilance on believers’ behaviour while strengthening in Patriotic Church for its governmental propaganda.

Since 2018, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, under the direct control of the United Front’s Department of Work — a propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Government –, has exerted pressure on the Bishops to join the Association. The Agreement between China and the Vatican contemplates the possibility that Bishops will opt to participate.

The Agreement between China and the Vatican hasn’t been made public. It seems that it reserves to the Vatican the appointment of Bishops. China has complied partially with the Agreement, although there have been several unilateral appointments.

The Hudson Institute’s Report reflects the fact that “the persecution of the Chinese Government against the Catholic Church in China is directed against the hierarchs who resist the control of the Chinese Communist Government over religious affairs.” There have been ten persecuted Prelates since 2018, including “indefinite detentions without due process, disappearances, open investigations by the Security Police, exiles from their dioceses and other impediments to their Episcopal Ministries, including threats, vigilance, interrogations and so-called re-education.”

China goes beyond its borders to suppress and silence religion, regarding it as opposition. Recently, Afghanistan discovered a Chinese espionage network operating from Kabul with Haqqani, a terrorist group affiliated to the Taliban, to seize Uyghur refugees and returned them to China.

The Chinese government is hostile to groups practicing their faith without control, as it has done with the Uyghur population of Muslim majority. It also harasses and closes unregistered Christian meetings, called house churches, detaining the local leaders and threatening the free practice of the faith. Nina Shea said that little is known about the harassment of ten persecuted Bishops, pivots that guarantee the ecclesial life of Chinese Catholics in the Doctrine and living of their faith.

The post New Report Shows Increase in Persecution Against Christians in China appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Henry Sire, former member of the Order of Malta and author of The Dictator, commented on the battle of 1565, in which the Knights of Saint John resisted the siege of Sultan Soliman for four months.The importance of the battle is due to the fact that Soliman decided to attack the Knights of Saint John or Hospitaller Orden, founded in 1084, expelling them from the Island of Rhodes in 1522, allowing them to withdraw with honour from the war. They established themselves in Malta.

In further conquests, Soliman destroyed Hungary, threatened Vienna and sent his armada to the Western Mediterranean as a great threat to Christian Europe.

Gibson shared with Moviesweb.com some additional details of the project: it is “a limited television series about the siege of Malta, which is an incredible story, and there is only one place to film that. I mean, Malta “is where it happened in these forts where 700 Knights defended Malta against the Turks’ attacks. Soliman sent 40,000 men and ships and yet, the Knights won. So it was quite crazy.”

Father Zacharias Portelli, of Maltese origin, explained that “the key of this victory was the dedication of the Knights of Saint John, a Religious Order of soldiers founded at the time of the Crusades to fight for the Christian cause against the Muslim enemy.” The Knights to care of the sick and groups of pilgrims to the Holy Land. Over time, they assumed a military character in face of the Muslims’ armed attacks.

The Ottomans won the Island of Rhodes from the Order of Knights of Saint John in 1522, but Emperor Charles ceded it to the Knights in 1530, in order to defend that strategic point.

The Knights were not keen to accept Malta given its dry landscape, drizzle and open scrubland. However, it had large ports on the north side where they could dock their fleet. The Ottomans attacked Malta in 1551, but they desisted in face of the Knights firmness, who saw themselves as defenders of Christendom, in addition to being carers of the sick and pilgrims.

A group of Spanish soldiers in the San Telmo Fort knew they were going to die: the forces defending Malta numbered 6,500 people, with some 500 Knights, whereas the Ottoman forces numbered 50,000 men. The defense of the Island with thick stone bastions and fortresses lacked powder but had much heartfelt faith.

After incessant prayers, on September 8, Feast of the Most Holy Virgin May’s Nativity, the Ottomans gave up and moved away. They had suffered great losses and had few provisions.

The siege having ended, top officials of the Order offered copious thanks to the Lord. The Grand Master celebrated a solemn Te Deum. The Order of Saint John never again faced a battle of such magnitude as the Great Siege, although it supported the Battle of Lepanto of 1571, which implied the naval decline of the Ottomans in the Mediterranean. The Knights of Saint John governed Malta up to 1798.

The post Mel Gibson’s Series on Christians’ Victory Against Ottoman Muslims in Malta appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Dati said that “With only 5 euros per visitor, we could raise 75 million euros a year. Notre Dame of Paris would save all the churches of Paris and France. It would be a magnificent symbol,” she said to Le Figaro newspaper, adding that “throughout Europe, one must pay to access the most notable religious buildings.” She suggested the idea to the Archbishop of Paris, in which she distinguished between tourists and believers. 

The Diocese of Paris issued a press release reminding of the “unaltered position of the Catholic Church in France regarding the right to free admission to the churches.” This gratuity is justified “both in the dispositions of the law of 1905 on the separation of Church and State, as well  as in the fundamental mission of the churches,” which is to “welcome unconditionally and, hence, necessarily for free, all men and women.”

Before the fire, a fee was only charged to enter Notre Dame’s towers, as well as the archaeological crypt and the necropolis of the Kings of France in the Basilica of Saint Denis. 

In regard to the distinction between tourists and faithful that visit the Cathedral, the press release stated: ”Pilgrims and visitors have never been differentiated in Notre Dame: services are celebrated during the visits and visits continue during the services.” And, in regard to the fact that an entrance fee is charged in some religious buildings of Europe, the position of the Diocese of Paris is that it would “deprive pilgrims and tourists of communion among all, which is the very essence of the place.”

The press release also underscored the fundamental mission of the churches: “To welcome unconditionally and, hence, necessarily for free, all men and women, regardless of their religion or belief, their opinions and their economic means.” It is believed that to put a price for access to the interior of the building could “lead inevitably to people not visiting the Cathedral that, by nature, is open to all.”

The post France: There Will Be No Entrance Fee to Notre Dame Cathedral: The Church Rejects The Government’s Proposal appeared first on ZENIT - English.

The event took place on May 18. Annaleigh Wilson, 14, explained her participation in Youth Olympics held in Cashmere, Washington State, and came in second in the mile race, behind a man who perceives himself a woman. 

Annaleigh explained that her race in the State’s Youth Olympics enabled her to compete with the rest of the runners classified in different high schools. She protested, with her family, against the unjust competition: “Not because I didn’t win, but because, at this level of competition, it’s not right that boys compete against girls. The effort and talent of all these biological girls, who were with me, and had struggled so much as I did during the shole season, didn’t count.”

The transgender runner’s trainer heard Annaleigh’s complaints and those of her family members and threatened them with lawsuits. It was devastating for the young girl. ”It was like saying to us ‘Shut up, stop complaining and put up with it.’” She added, very emotional, “that’s why I’m speaking here. Our voice, as women athletes, must be heard, because we are the only ones personally affected.”

During the preparation, she noted that the body of the nearby runner was not the same as the rest. She didn’t think about it anymore until, on the podium, she heard that the winner was biologically a boy who beat her by seven seconds. “I had heard that this was happening in other places of the country, but it never happened to me first hand.”

After the race, Annaleigh experienced more problems. “Adults attacked my family and me for saying what we think about justice and the protection that biological girls deserve in sports. Adults accused my family and me of being ‘transphobes,’ of my being a ‘poor loser’ and that I value victory more than a human life. We were told that it would be our fault and our sole responsibility if this trans athlete took his life. I’ve been told  that I’m simply not good enough and that’s why I am second.”

In her intervention on September 22, in front of some 500 people, she said: “I’ve never spoken in front of so many people. I sank and I felt extremely discouraged, because I felt that all the hard work I had done during the whole year was worth nothing and would be forgotten.” 

Holding back tears, she added: “I’ve learned a lot from this experience. To allow boys to compete against girls isn’t working and it’s not right. It’s not working and isn’t right for women athletes; it doesn’t work and isn’t right for transgender athletes. Whatever you think, it’s wrong not to protect women’s sports. How many hatreds and arguments on both sides! The things I’ve heard about this trans athlete and about me are terrible and harmful I’m only 14 and I shouldn’t be concerned about this sort of adults’ affairs. But here I am, saying what I think, and trusting that the adults will take a step and do the right thing to protect and maintain women’s sports as something right and safe for biological girls.  

I trust we will be able to find a solution so that all athletes compete with justice and security because, even at 14, I can see that the current rules aren’t working either with biological girls or with transgender athletes. Thank you.”

The post Male Self-Perceived Female Beats 14-Year-Old Girl in Sport: The Story of One Who Could Be Your Daughter appeared first on ZENIT - English.

In a survey, published by Die Tagespost on October 11, young people wished that they had had another option and noted that the return to their own gender “is often associated with a lack of social and professional support.” They complained about the lack of information and resources, as well as interpersonal difficulties, identity problems and stigmatization through de-transphobia, as the return to one’s original sex is called.

The study consulted 2,689 people, who admitted being subjected to “complex emotions such as grief and guilt” or “discrimination and rejection,” struggling “with discrimination and rejection.”

The conclusion is striking that 26.7% of those interviewed had hoped for different support to the hormonal and surgical processes. 33% said they had been misinterpreted by the doctors and 46% subjected themselves to transgender treatment due to external pressures. Only 20% of those surveyed were satisfied with their physical change. 

Specialists said that young people need help in their search for meaning and identity, and suggested that medical professionals and psychologists should focus on recognizing complex experiences and emotions and emphasize attention to internal wounds caused by prejudices and social exclusion.

The researchers say that “instead of administering precipitously potentially damaging hormones, which generally lead to irreversible surgical interventions, an integral focus is necessary to do justice to the needs of those affected.” 

The research detected another problem reported long ago, in the relation of dysphoria with previous psychological problems, frequently eluded by the majority of professionals. Gender affirmation is neglected, as 53% of those polled expressed. 

The pharmaceutical publication Ârzteblatt reported in 2022 that 67% of boys and 76% of girls in Germany received at least a different mental health diagnosis, such as depression or borderline disorders, related to their sexual identity. 

The recent study shows that the diagnosis of “gender identity disorder” occurs eight times more often among young people of 5 to 24 years of age in Germany than ten years ago, whereas only one third of diagnoses are carried out between young people from 15 to 24 years old. Adolescent girls are particularly affected. 

The post Study Shows That Trans Young People Increasingly Want to Return to Their Original Biological Sex appeared first on ZENIT - English.

The Ad Decimum catacombs are a subterranean cemetery of Rome, used from the 3rd to the 5th century, which has many frescoes with a Christian theme. They are located in an area of the capital that goes from Saint Sebastian’s Basilica to the Circus of Maxentius, in a depression that was a pozzolana [a type of porous volcanic ash] quarry, transformed eventually by Christians into a subterranean cemetery. It has five galleries with some 1,000 buried bodies: 90% of the niches are still sealed, preserving the original remains. 

Up to the end of the 1990s, it was possible to see the remains deposited in the destroyed niches; however, the bones have been moved to avoid their theft by disrespectful visitors. The stolen piece has as an inscription engraved in Greek, which is especially valuable as it mentions one of the oldest with Christ’s name. 

The Police Forces of Italy and the Low Countries recovered the work in a joint operation, and found it in November 2023. It was taken to the National Museum of Utrecht for safekeeping before organizing its return to the Vatican. It was handed over in the catacombs near Grottaferrata, some 20 kilometers from Rome, attended by Representatives of the Vatican, Italy and the Low Countries. 

The international cooperation for the return and protection of the cultural patrimony, shows the joint effort to preserve Christian history. The Roman catacombs are managed by the Holy See and other religious and cultural institutions. 

The post Work Stolen from the Roman Catacombs Is Recovered by the Dutch Government and Returned to the Vatican appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Miloslaw lived for one year in the Palazzo Migliori, a Vatican dormitory, created by Pope Francis, for twenty homeless people. He died at the end of August but his funeral was postponed until October, due to bureaucratic procedures as he was a foreigner.

Cardinal Krajewski was told in the Spring of 2023 that there was a homeless man living in the Aventino area, weak and with his face covered by a cloth infected with flies and ants. The Cardinal approached him to help him. He was called “Angel’ for his willingness to help tourists with directions. Cardinal Krajewski celebrated Miloslaw’s funeral Mass on September 16 in Saint Monica’s church in the Vatican. His body was buried in the Prima Porta Roman cemetery. 

Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communications and President of the Synod’s Information Commission told journalists, in the Holy See Press Office, that Cardinal Krajewski heard that the nuns of Saint Anthony Mary Claret took care of Miroslaw, “the man with the veil on his face” and even “the man without a face,” whose cancer metastasized throughout his body. The nuns shared that Miroslaw wanted to travel to Jerusalem. Ruffini concluded that “we can now say he is in the Heavenly Jerusalem.

The post Vatican: Funeral Is Held for Homeless Man appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Radcliffe was Mater of the Order of Preachers between 1992 and 2001. Previously he was the Director of the Las Casas Institute in Blackfriars, Oxford, center for the promotion of social justice and human rights. He was born in London in 1945, studied at Worth Preparatory School in Sussex and at Saint John’s College, Oxford. He entered the Dominican Order in 1965 and was ordained priest in 1971. He is Spiritual Assistant in the current Synod on Synodality and directed the Spiritual Retreat in Ariccia, Italy, in preparation for the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality. 

In an interview with the BBC on October 13, he said he requested the Pope to dispense him from wearing a Cardinal’s red clothing and allow him to keep his habit of the Order of Preachers.

In the interview, the English priest explained that he wished to wear his religious habit without the “elaborate Cardinal’s tunic.” Radcliffe commented that the Holy Father expressed “full understanding” and that he would “free him from using such elaborate clothing.”

The Cardinals’ clothing is a purple-red cassock, a white roquette, a wool cover, a skullcap and a red sash. The color symbolizes martyrdom, as Cardinals are called to give the greatest service to the Church, including with their life. 

Father Radcliffe has sparked controversy for his support of relations between same-sex individuals and some positions promoting the LGBTI ideology. 

In an article published in L’Osservatore Romano on September 19, he said that homosexual “desires” are “given by God and need to be “educated” instead of being repressed. “The teaching of the Church is already evolving, renewed by the experience lived: homosexuals are no longer seen in terms of sexual acts, but as our brothers and sisters that, according to Pope Francis, can be blessed.”

Father Radcliffe has been criticized in his own Order for another article published in The Tablet, titled “Can Gays Be Priests?” — although it is always advisable to specify some phrases of his position. His relevant presence in the Synod and appointment as Cardinal, contrasts with those who hold more traditional positions. 

The post Cardinal Asks for Exemption from Dressing Like Cardinal appeared first on ZENIT - English.