Holy Land•Persecuted Christians•Religious Freedom

3 seminarians kidnapped and guard killed in assault on minor seminary in Nigeria

Father Peter Egielewa, communications director for the Diocese of Auchi, confirmed the details in a statement released the following day. The gunmen fled into the surrounding forest with the abducted students. As of July 15, there has been no contact or claim of responsibility.

Jul 15, 2025 17:57

ZENIT Staff

Holy Land•Persecuted Christians•Religious Freedom

“There is no future for you here”: the harassment of Jewish settlers against Christians in the Holy Land (and the response of Christian leaders)

On July 14, in an unprecedented show of ecumenical solidarity, patriarchs and bishops from across the Christian world—Latin, Orthodox, Armenian, Melkite, Lutheran, Anglican, and Franciscan—walked side by side through the streets of Taybeh. They came not only to pray but to make a statement: that the Christians of this land, rooted here since apostolic times, are not alone.

Jul 15, 2025 17:48

ZENIT Staff

Holy Land•Persecuted Christians•Religious Freedom

Attacks by Jewish settlers against our peaceful community must stop in Taybeh: note from Christian leaders in Holy Land

Note issued by the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem after their visit to Taybeh on Monday, July 14

Jul 15, 2025 17:42

ZENIT Staff

Persecuted Christians•Religious Freedom

Google cancels major Catholic blog: closure of traditionalist website sparks widespread debate on digital censorship

In a statement on X, Luigi Casalini, the journalist behind the site, lamented what he called a “grave violation” of free speech. He indicated that legal action is forthcoming, invoking Article 21 of the Italian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freely express opinions and explicitly prohibits censorship.

Jul 15, 2025 17:39

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

Hate crimes against Christians increase by 22% in Germany

In addition to the 337 anti-Christian hate crimes, the German government report classifies 111 politically motivated attacks on churches in 2024, which is an increase of 20.65 per cent compared to 2023.

Jul 15, 2025 17:35

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

South Korea: Suwon priests study artificial intelligence for parish life

In first ever, a training course organised in collaboration with a company in the sector explored not so much the ethical implications but the opportunities for the practical use of these tools in pastoral care. Participants said: ‘It can become an essential aid in improving preaching and pastoral care.’

Jul 15, 2025 17:30

ZENIT Staff

Testimonies•Vocations

Josh Brooks Was a Baptist Youth Who Dreamed of Being the Next LeBron James. But God Wanted Him to Be a Catholic and a Priest!

Josh spent two years in seventh and eighth grade working hard to make the first basketball team at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High School, and then disaster struck.

Jul 14, 2025 12:15

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion

Why AI Needs Religion & Spirituality: Reflections on the AI, Religion and Spirituality Manifesto

The rapidly moving developments in AI and health include last week’s announcement by Microsoft that their MAI-DxO AI health diagnostic system reportedly diagnosed patients 4 times more accurately than human doctors. This, combined this other applications such as ElliQ’s AI health sidekick, threatens to replace personal interaction with AI robotic systems that overlook spiritual realities, not to mention opens the door for misuse.

Jul 14, 2025 12:07

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion•Persecuted Christians

Poland: half of the Catholic clergy have been attacked and/or assaulted in the last year

The findings are based on a CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) survey completed by 996 Catholic priests. Conducted by ISKK, the study offers one of the most detailed quantitative snapshots to date of aggression directed at clergy in Poland

Jul 14, 2025 12:05

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion•Gender Ideology

International Trans Lobby gives up on SCOTUS cases

If in good faith they believed rights based on “gender identity” or “sexual orientation” exist, they nevertheless chose not to claim so before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguably the most powerful court in the world. The absence of such arguments suggests that global homosexual/transgender lobby groups and their backers in government and academia have opted for a strategic withdrawal from the U.S. Supreme Court as a venue to advance their agenda

Jul 14, 2025 12:03

ZENIT Staff

Liturgy and Divine Worship

Questions about liturgy: Kneeling at the Consecration

Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and sacramental theology and director of the Sacerdos Institute at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum university.

Jul 14, 2025 11:41

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

Philippine Bishops Sound Alarm on Online Gambling Crisis: “A New Virus Destroying Our People”

The moral gravity of the bishops’ appeal is unmistakable. It denounces the illusion of online betting as mere entertainment or a harmless pastime, insisting instead that it is «a sophisticated trap» engineered to ensnare vulnerable populations—especially the young and the poor

Jul 13, 2025 19:17

ZENIT Staff