Cardinals and Bishops•Holy Land•Local Church

PHOTO GALLERY: A look at the visit to Gaza by Catholic Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III: here’s what they did and what they saw

The final day of the visit was marked by the graduation of 24 children from the Latin Patriarchate’s kindergarten, where Cardinal Pizzaballa reiterated the importance of safeguarding the education and formation of the younger generation. «The first thing we have to do is think about our children and their future,» he said.

Jun 24, 2026 18:10

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion

The Destruction of the John Paul II Institute, the Confessions of Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, and the Crossroads for Church Morality

The suppression of the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family was an ideological operation with grave consequences for the entire Church. Here is the response of Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who defends that decision made by Monsignor Livio Melina who was Dean of the Institute from 2006 to 2010.

Jun 24, 2026 16:06

ZENIT Staff

General Audience•Pope Leo XIV

What does it mean to be part of Christ’s table, the Eucharist? Leo XIV explains it

Pope’s General Audience, June 24, 2026, on the Eucharistic Mystery

Jun 24, 2026 11:39

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV

The Importance of Books and Writing: A Reflection by Pope Leo XIV Before Bestselling Authors from Around the World Gathered at the Vatican

Address by the Holy Father to a group of writers on the occasion of the centennial of the Vatican Publishing House

Jun 24, 2026 11:36

ZENIT Staff

Dicasteries•Liturgy and Divine Worship•Local Church•Priests

The Vatican Rejects German Bishops’ Request to Allow Laypeople to Deliver Homilies: Here’s Why

Response from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to a request for an indulgence to allow a lay faithful to deliver the homily during Mass

Jun 23, 2026 16:20

ZENIT Staff

Dicasteries•Documents•Liturgy and Divine Worship•Local Church

Full English Translation of the Vatican’s Response Letter Rejecting Lay People’s Homilies Requested by the German Episcopate

Letter from the Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to the President of the German Episcopate in response to a request for a dispensation allowing lay people to preach homilies.

Jun 23, 2026 10:21

ZENIT Staff

Rome

Synodality: Leaders of continental organizations gather in Rome for three days of work to discuss the 2027–2028 Assemblies

Following the conclusion of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly (October 2024), the Church has entered the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality, which will be marked by the ecclesial Assemblies of 2027–2028. On Thursday 25, Pope Leo XIV will meet with the participants.

Jun 23, 2026 10:17

ZENIT Staff

Persecuted Christians

Sudan: Priest who refused to evacuate volatile region murdered by militants

The priest was planning to evacuate after militants entered the church premises the day before (18 June) demanding access to the medical store to take supplies. But they returned the next morning and gunned down the priest with his two watchmen

Jun 23, 2026 10:02

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion•Local Church

Catholicism Is in Decline in Argentina Despite Having a Pope from That Country: Findings from a Study by the University of Buenos Aires

Argentina’s Religious Transformation: Fewer Catholics, More Evangelicals, and a Persistent Search for God

Jun 23, 2026 09:38

ZENIT Staff

Holy Land•Justice and Peace

Jews and Arabs running together, the response to 7 October

Yonatan Ziegen, the son of pacifist Vivian Silver, killed in the Hamas attack on 7 October, talks about his decision to run for the Knesset with Makom Lekulanu in Israel’s fall elections. Born from the experience of Standing Together, it intends to fight war and fear with a proposal inspired by hope, and serve as a «political home» to build a “new leadership”.

Jun 23, 2026 09:29

ZENIT Staff

Local Church•Priests•Vocations

The number of priestly ordinations in Catholic Poland is plummeting: here are the figures for 2026

Poland welcomed 235 new priests in 2024 and 208 in 2025. While the downward trajectory is unmistakable, the broader context remains significant: Poland still produces more priestly vocations than any other European nation. By comparison, France recorded 90 priestly ordinations in 2025, while Germany had just 25

Jun 22, 2026 17:04

ZENIT Staff

Cardinals and Bishops•Pro Life

USA: Bishop Thomas’ Statement on the Anniversary of the Dobbs Decision

Bishop Thomas then invited the faithful to unite in prayer and action

Jun 22, 2026 10:09

ZENIT Staff