Analysis Opinion•Church and World

How many Catholics are there in the world? The latest figures will be released in 2026

All the data in the Dossier, compiled by Luca Mainoldi, are taken from the latest edition of the «Church’s Book of Statistics», published this year. It offers an overview of the Catholic Church’s presence worldwide, its pastoral structures, and its educational, healthcare and charitable activities.

Oct 18, 2026 10:09

ZENIT Staff

Pro Life

WHO to Censor Pro-Lifers

At a webinar earlier this week, representatives of the WHO discussed the “Fides” influencer group, which was launched in 2020 to spread content on social media platforms to oppose “anti-vax” narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO has an official partnership with TikTok to make sure this content is widely seen

Oct 17, 2026 11:07

ZENIT Staff

Gender Ideology

Artificial Intelligence: UN Seeks to Incorporate Pro-LGBT+ Ideological Bias

UN Women claims current AI platforms use biased information and discriminatory algorithms, so the massive UN agency for women is gathering researchers, governments, technology companies, digital experts and women’s rights organizations to establish an AI hub that will influence, design and govern technology.

Oct 17, 2026 11:01

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV

Leo XIV is discharged from the hospital, but will the Pope be able to visit Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru? The doctor who operated on him answers

Margaritora estimated that Leo XIV would need approximately another ten days to achieve a full physical recovery. In his assessment, a journey involving long flights and extensive travel, scheduled roughly three weeks after the interview, remained medically feasible

Oct 17, 2026 09:48

ZENIT Staff

Good News•Priests•Vocations

For the first time in five years, the global number of Catholic priests is on the rise

Published for the centenary of World Mission Sunday, the statistics offer a mixed picture of the Catholic Church’s worldwide position. Its membership continues to expand, and the number of priests has finally returned to growth

Oct 17, 2026 09:38

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV Leaves the Hospital: What Kind of Patient Was He? The Doctor Reveals All. Here’s How the Pope’s Discharge Went After a 4-Day Hospital Stay

The Pope left the Gemelli Hospital at approximately 3:30 p.m., greeted by applause from patients, hospital visitors, faithful and members of the media who had gathered to wish him well

Oct 17, 2026 09:29

ZENIT Staff

Justice and Peace•Local Church

Trump Abandons Plans to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution After Catholic Bishops’ Outcry

The decision marks a retreat from a proposal that had prompted an unusually forceful response from the Catholic Church, which challenged not only the proposed public spectacle but also the moral implications of capital punishment itself.

Oct 17, 2026 09:21

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion

Historic: For the first time, Africa has surpassed Europe in the number of Catholics. What new global statistics reveal

The report, compiled by Luca Mainoldi from the latest Statistical Yearbook of the Church, presents a picture of simultaneous expansion and strain. Catholic membership continues to grow across every continent, but the number of seminarians and women religious is falling globally

Oct 17, 2026 08:53

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

China Appoints New Bishop for Haimen: Vatican-Beijing Agreement Continues to Influence Episcopal Appointments

The Vatican announced the consecration on October 15, following Pope Leo’s approval of Ding’s candidacy on August 24. A report published the same day by the state-backed Chinese Catholic Bishops’ Conference said Ding had been elected bishop-designate on May 14, but did not mention the pope’s approval or the agreement with the Holy See.

Oct 16, 2026 10:33

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

These are the 9 Catholic churches in the United Kingdom that will receive government funding for new roofs

Catholic church from the 1950s receives £1 million government grant for new roof. The church in Wallsend heads a list of nine Catholic churches to receive grants announced today by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Oct 16, 2026 08:41

ZENIT Staff

Persecuted Christians

Names denied and properties demolished for Turkey’s Christians

From Azekh (Idil in Turkish) to the village of Anhel (Yemisli), there have been worrying cases of violations of the rights of Assyrian-Chaldeans. In addition to private homes, a guesthouse belonging to the Syriac Orthodox Church has also been targeted. At the centre of the controversy is a (Christian) mayor elected with the DEM who has now switched to the AKP.

Oct 15, 2026 17:24

ZENIT Staff

Local Church•Young People

Seoul 2027: App for World Youth Day Launched—A Great Resource for Pilgrims

Developed by the local organizing committee led by Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, the application is provisionally named “WYD 2027” and is available through Apple’s App Store and Google Play in Korean and English

Oct 14, 2026 16:28

ZENIT Staff