Rome

60 years after the Council: study day on Joseph Ratzinger’s thought at APRA

Cardinal Kurt Koch, one of the Church’s foremost ecumenical voices, opened the event with a keynote on Ratzinger’s theological role during the Council. It was not a nostalgic glance backward, but a forward-looking reminder of how the conciliar spirit, if properly interpreted, remains a wellspring for the Church’s mission in the modern world.

Apr 20, 2025 00:29

ZENIT Staff

Rome•Vatican City

Reimagining Aging: Vatican’s First Longevity Summit Charts a Path for Life with Meaning, Not Just Years

Father Carrara read aloud a personal message from Pope Francis—his first public communication since being discharged from the Gemelli hospital. Through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope extended his blessing to the participants, urging them to champion the dignity of the elderly and recognize their essential role in society.

Apr 20, 2025 00:23

ZENIT Staff

Local Church•Young People

Easter baptisms: British dioceses reach surprisingly high percentages, especially of young males

“I meet people looking for something more stable, more grounded,” said Archbishop Mark O’Toole of Cardiff-Menevia, whose diocese reported a 100 percent increase in conversions over the past year. “What we’re seeing, especially among young men, is a longing for coherence and depth.”

Apr 20, 2025 00:19

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion•Local Church•Vocations•Young People

1 in 20 new priests by 2025 in the U.S. come from the military. Research reveals surprising facts

Nine in ten responding ordinands (89%) reported being encouraged to consider the priesthood by someone in their life [most frequently by parish priest (60%), friend (52%), or parishioner (42%)).

Apr 20, 2025 00:16

ZENIT Staff

Persecuted Christians

India: six Christian families expelled from village for not renouncing their religion

In the predominantly tribal district of Sukma, families were forced out of their homes and dumped in a forest. Only the intervention of the police allowed them to return, but locals first prevented access. Archbishop Thakur laments ongoing persecution, stressing that the Church continues to serve without discrimination despite unfair accusations.

Apr 20, 2025 00:11

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

Paris to Host Celebrations for the 400th Anniversary of the Congregation of the Mission

The jubilee of the congregation founded by St. Vincent de Paul will include the presence of Cardinals Iglic, Souraphiel, and Rodé, more than 20 bishops, and 150 confreres. The celebrations will culminate on May 1 with a Mass presided over by the Auxiliary Bishop of Paris.

Apr 18, 2025 08:08

ZENIT Staff

Local Church•Testimonies•Virgin Mary

Official: 72nd miracle of Our Lady of Lourdes recognized: healing of woman with lateral sclerosis

Between 2010 and 2017, her case was examined by numerous medical experts in Italy and abroad, culminating in a conclusion from the International Medical Committee of Lourdes (CMIL) in 2017: her recovery was “complete, lasting, and medically inexplicable.”

Apr 18, 2025 00:25

ZENIT Staff

Dicasteries

Vatican Publishes Explanation Why a Baptism Cannot Be Erased From the Church Register

Explanatory Note from the Dicastery for Legislative Texts on the prohibition of annulments in the Parish Baptism Register

Apr 17, 2025 07:34

ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis

Pope Francis to prison on Holy Thursday: “I cannot wash your feet, but I want to be close to you”

After a short time of prayer, the Pope moved quietly through the rotunda, personally greeting each inmate. There was no rush, no speeches—just moments of encounter, often wordless, but heavy with presence. He then led all gathered in the Lord’s Prayer and offered his blessing, before departing the prison approximately half an hour after his arrival.

Apr 17, 2025 00:20

ZENIT Staff

Pope Francis

The Pope Speaks Out on The Increase in Airline Ticket Prices (and Not Only) During Holy Week

«It would be good if large companies could establish bonuses for family reunification, at least for the Christmas and Easter holidays. It would be an act of humanity and fraternity, to which the world of economics and business is also called,» the Pope requests.

Apr 16, 2025 16:46

ZENIT Staff

Vatican City

Vatican Accelerates Toward a Greener Future with New Electric Vehicle Fleet

But the commitment to sustainability isn’t stopping with internal operations. Exelentia is also donating two custom-designed electric vehicles tailored specifically for the needs of Pope Francis.

Apr 16, 2025 16:39

ZENIT Staff

Vatican City

New Bronze Sculpture in St. Peter’s Square Invites the World to Sit Beside the Stranger

The figure depicted is a weary traveler—hooded, hunched, staff in hand, belongings packed in a weathered bag. It might be easy to mistake him for one of Rome’s countless homeless, often overlooked by pilgrims rushing toward the Basilica. But this figure holds a secret.

Apr 16, 2025 16:35

ZENIT Staff