Pakistani court orders reopening of case involving young Christian woman abducted, forced to convert, and married to a 30-year-old man

Oct 13, 2026 11:48

Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl who was kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and married off to her 30-year-old abductor Photo: ADF International

Gender Ideology•Justice and Peace

USA: Colorado forces doctors to medically transition patients or risk prosecution

Christian Medical & Dental Associations and a Christian medical practice are challenging a Colorado law that forces healthcare professionals to participate in so-called gender transition procedures for children and adults, even when doing so violates their religious, ethical, and medical judgment.

Sep 11, 2026 13:25

ZENIT Staff

Gender Ideology•Justice and Peace

USA: WA father sues school district for denying religious opt-out from LGBTQ instruction

A Washington state father repeatedly asked to opt his son out of LGBTQ instruction, but the Lake Washington School District refused. The district implements LGBTQ “inclusive curricula” and requirements that conflict with Konstantin Averkiev’s faith.

Sep 11, 2026 13:23

ZENIT Staff

Gender Ideology•Justice and Peace•Woman

USA: WA teenager, sexually assaulted by male wrestler, appeals case to 9th Circuit

A male wrestler sexually assaulted teenage female wrestler Kallie Keeler in December 2025 during a high school girls’ wrestling tournament, an event sponsored by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Keeler and her mother are suing state officials after those officials directed Keeler to take the mat without telling anyone that she was about to wrestle a male and after the officials waited 53 days to report the sexual assault to law enforcement, in violation of a mandatory 48-hour reporting law.

Sep 11, 2026 13:20

ZENIT Staff

Justice and Peace•Local Church•Religious Freedom

Can Europe Force the Church to Erase a Baptism? A Belgian Case Puts Religious Freedom Before the EU Court

The Advocate General is expected to issue a formal opinion on October 1, 2026. Although that opinion will not be binding, it could influence the court’s eventual judgment, expected toward the end of 2026 or in 2027.

Sep 09, 2026 16:26

ZENIT Staff

Analysis Opinion•Justice and Peace•Religious Freedom

How Beijing Turned Uyghur Childhood Into a State Project

Official documents trace a policy chain from preschool language instruction and boarding schools to mainland classes, vocational training, and labor transfer.

Sep 04, 2026 20:19

ZENIT Staff

He walks, eats normally, celebrates Mass, and does physical therapy: what you need to know after Pope Leo XIV’s surgery

The encouraging signs have prompted cautious optimism, but they do not yet provide a complete picture of his prognosis. The Vatican has confirmed that the cancerous tissue was removed, while the results needed to establish whether the disease had spread have not been made public

Pope Leo XIV appears in a scene from Chris Pratt’s new movie about St. Peter

Pratt described the opportunity to work with the Pope and the Vatican as an extraordinary honor, expressing gratitude for the trust and access granted to the production. He said St. Peter’s story remains fundamental to Christian faith and that he was grateful to help bring the apostle’s legacy to the screen.

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Pakistani court orders reopening of case involving young Christian woman abducted, forced to convert, and married to a 30-year-old man

Pakistan: Bill to Reform the Christian Marriage Law Passes

Holy Land: In Taybeh, Christian olive farmers are being driven away from their trees while Jewish settlers steal their olive trees

US Bishops Warn That Broadcasting an Execution Would Turn Justice Into a Public Spectacle

Two Christian women killed in yet another Israeli military airstrike on Gaza

Priests Carry Names of Children Killed in Gaza and Lebanon Through Rome, Urging a Return to Diplomacy

Jehovah’s Witnesses “change their doctrine”: yes to blood donation

USA: Colorado forces doctors to medically transition patients or risk prosecution

USA: WA father sues school district for denying religious opt-out from LGBTQ instruction

USA: WA teenager, sexually assaulted by male wrestler, appeals case to 9th Circuit

Can Europe Force the Church to Erase a Baptism? A Belgian Case Puts Religious Freedom Before the EU Court

How Beijing Turned Uyghur Childhood Into a State Project