The 7th shrine dedicated to Mary, mother of persecuted Christians, will open in Iraq

Aug 15, 2025 10:06

ZENIT Staff

The new shrine will stand within the recently built Church of St. Ephrem Photo: Courtesy

Good News•Local Church•Virgin Mary

Zaragoza’s Basilica of the Pillar Marks Record-Breaking Global Pilgrimage Surge: Americans are the largest group

The first half of 2025 has brought unprecedented numbers of international pilgrims, with 2.64 million visitors recorded between January and June. Among them, 9,290 came in officially registered groups from 24 different countries—an increase of nearly one-third over last year.

Aug 13, 2025 16:06

Covadonga Asturias

Local Church•Persecuted Christians

Wave of Church Attacks in 2024 Sparks Concern Over Religious Freedom in the United States

The attacks appear most frequently in large states such as California (40 incidents), Pennsylvania (29), New York (25), Florida (25), and Texas (23). By contrast, several less-populated states, including Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, reported none.

Aug 12, 2025 20:36

Tim Daniels

Local Church•Protection of vulnerable people

Turbulent Times for Emmanuel Community as Global Leader Steps Down Amid Internal Strains

In his farewell letter, De Vregille acknowledged “blind spots” that had hindered attentiveness to victims and admitted that “ecclesial differences” had sharpened existing tensions between the International Council—which includes members from four continents—and other leadership organs.

Aug 11, 2025 20:30

Covadonga Asturias

Gender Ideology•Local Church

Lesbian and Pro-Abortion President of the Scouts and Guides of France Resigns

This 39-year-old woman is a member of the Socialist Party, openly LGBT+, and her positions clearly contrast with the official positions of the Catholic Church, particularly regarding abortion.

Aug 11, 2025 15:55

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

El Salvador: Catholic Church takes a stand on constitutional reform that would allow Nayib Bukele to run for re-election indefinitely

“To be legitimate, constitutional change must be born from the people,” the archbishop said, stressing that the Church’s concern stems only from a desire for the common good

Aug 09, 2025 23:18

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV Speaks Again About Trump and the War (and It Is Announced That the Pope Will Carry the Cross Throughout the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday)

Referring indirectly to geopolitical developments, including statements by Donald Trump about ending ongoing conflicts, Leo expressed cautious hope that political leaders might be seeking “a way out” of violence

Pope Leo XIV Reverses Another Decision of Pope Francis: World Children’s Day Cancelled in Rome

All initiatives aimed at children’s ministry may be celebrated, at the discretion of the Bishops, at the diocesan or parish level.

The 7th shrine dedicated to Mary, mother of persecuted Christians, will open in Iraq

Nicaraguan dictatorship attacks the Church once again and expropriates school owned by nuns

Jewish state of Israel expels Catholic priest from its territory “for reasons of national security”

British police arrest Catholic priest for publicly supporting the Palestinian cause

The Association of Hebrew Catholics is born in the Holy Land: we tell you what it is and what it does

Bishop of Santa Fe reinstated to the presbytery a man who left the priesthood and was married to another man

Congo’s Catholic Church Mourns, Protests, and Perseveres After Brutal Attack

Zaragoza’s Basilica of the Pillar Marks Record-Breaking Global Pilgrimage Surge: Americans are the largest group

Wave of Church Attacks in 2024 Sparks Concern Over Religious Freedom in the United States

Turbulent Times for Emmanuel Community as Global Leader Steps Down Amid Internal Strains

Lesbian and Pro-Abortion President of the Scouts and Guides of France Resigns

El Salvador: Catholic Church takes a stand on constitutional reform that would allow Nayib Bukele to run for re-election indefinitely