Arms Spending Reaches World Record: Holy See Is Only Country To Point It Out

May 21, 2026 10:14

Rafael Llanes

The United States accounts for 33% of all global military spending with $954 billion Photo: AP

Justice and Peace

In the Spanish capital, the courts have authorized the designation of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a “destructive cult”

The court’s reasoning is notable not so much for endorsing a doctrinal judgment about a religious group, but for clarifying the legal scope of expression in matters of public interest

Apr 24, 2026 20:31

ZENIT Staff

Justice and Peace•Local Church

Israeli Army Replaces Crucifix Destroyed in Lebanon and Sentences Involved Soldiers to 30 Days in Prison

The military response was swift and unusually explicit. Following an internal investigation, the army israeli concluded that the conduct of those involved “completely deviated” from its ethical standards. The soldier who carried out the act, along with another who documented it, was removed from combat

Apr 21, 2026 08:42

ZENIT Staff

Justice and Peace

Easter Under Fire: A Fragile Truce Between Russia and Ukraine Collapses as Fighting Resumes

The symbolism of the moment was difficult to ignore. Easter, the central feast of the Christian calendar, commemorates resurrection and renewal. Yet along the front lines of a war now entering its fourth year, it instead exposed the limits of religious gestures in the absence of political convergence

Apr 14, 2026 11:36

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Analysis Opinion•Justice and Peace•Pope Leo XIV•Vatican Diplomacy

Trump Attacks the Pope for the Second Day, and Meloni Defends Him. The World Reacts While the Catholic Vice-President of the USA Supports Him

Far from toning down, the US President reiterated his criticism the following day, April 13, before the media, ruling out any apology.

Apr 14, 2026 07:11

Jorge Enrique Mújica

Justice and Peace

Russia and Ukraine Reach a Ceasefire Agreement for Easter

The choice of Easter is not incidental. In the Christian East, the feast is the liturgical center of the year, marking the Resurrection and carrying a strong theological emphasis on reconciliation and new life

Apr 10, 2026 17:53

ZENIT Staff

Lebanon Turns to the Pope: Lebanese President Visits Leo XIV Amid the Israeli Siege

On Thursday, August 20, Pope Leo XIV received Aoun at the Apostolic Palace for a private meeting lasting around half an hour. The Lebanese president then held talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations

What should the music be like during Mass (or in the liturgy in general)? Leo XIV provides the answer

Pope’s General Audience, August 19, 2026, on Sacred Music

Arms Spending Reaches World Record: Holy See Is Only Country To Point It Out

Trump announces the killing of the second-in-command of the Islamic State in Nigeria

Prison sentence for two Israeli soldiers who desecrated an image of the Virgin Mary in Lebanon

A cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary: the controversial act of an Israeli soldier in Lebanon

The fragile ceasefire in Lebanon is falling apart: civilians trapped, holy sites damaged, and the Church’s response with emergency aid

Lawsuit filed against U.S. bishops’ liturgical and financial measures at the Vatican: they’ve already secured their first victory

Holy Land: Catholic Church denounces Jewish settlers’ encroachment on church-owned properties. Israeli government seeks to mend relations

In the Spanish capital, the courts have authorized the designation of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a “destructive cult”

Israeli Army Replaces Crucifix Destroyed in Lebanon and Sentences Involved Soldiers to 30 Days in Prison

Easter Under Fire: A Fragile Truce Between Russia and Ukraine Collapses as Fighting Resumes

Trump Attacks the Pope for the Second Day, and Meloni Defends Him. The World Reacts While the Catholic Vice-President of the USA Supports Him

Russia and Ukraine Reach a Ceasefire Agreement for Easter