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Articles By ZENIT Staff

Local Church

Result of the German Synodal Way? Half a million Catholics leave the Church, official figures show

Additionally, while the number of people formally leaving the Church remains high, there is a clear downward trend. In 2024, 321,611 individuals officially left Catholicism, compared to 402,694 the year before and an all-time high of 500,000 in 2022. The latter figure was strongly influenced by a high-profile report on clergy abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, which triggered widespread disillusionment.

Cardinals and Bishops•Holy Land

Cardinal of Jerusalem: “I don’t know how we are still standing; the situation is against us”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, described the worsening reality on the ground. «When the ceasefire in Gaza began, operations in the West Bank intensified,» he told a delegation from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Jerusalem. «Hundreds of new checkpoints were set up, particularly in places like Jenin, making life even more difficult for residents.»

Justice and Peace

Japanese Court dissolves Unification Church: the Moon sect

The Tokyo District Court revoked the religious movement’s status. Founded by Sun Myung Moon, the Church was involved in financial scandals over the years, which emerged following the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. The Church, which will still be able to operate in Japan, plans to appeal, but it loses its tax benefits in the meantime.

Jubilee 2025

500 Missionaries of Mercy disemb500 Missionaries of Mercy disembark in Rome for Jubilee 2025ark in Rome for Jubilee 2025

The Missionaries of Mercy, a group of priests granted a unique ministry to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation with special faculties, were first instituted by Pope Francis during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015. Their mission has continued to expand, and today, 1,258 priests around the world serve in this role, offering a tangible sign of the Church’s pastoral care and commitment to the boundless mercy of God.