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

May 07, 2026 12:19

he image, which circulated widely online on Wednesday, May 6, immediately provoked outrage among many Lebanese Christians Photo: Social Networks

Euthanasia

Progressive? Colombian government led by socialist Gustavo Petro approves euthanasia for children

Adolescents aged 12 and above may now request euthanasia under the same general conditions as adults. Even more strikingly, children between 6 and 12 years old could be considered eligible if they demonstrate what the regulation describes as an “exceptional neurocognitive and psychological development

May 05, 2026 20:32

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Local Church

Data on the generous participation of Chinese Catholic Communities in the 2026 national Collection

The collection is promoted by Jinde Charities, an organization that has been coordinating charitable works supported by Catholic communities in mainland China for 30 years, and which in 2026 celebrated this initiative for the ninth consecutive year.

May 05, 2026 20:25

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

How many Catholics are there in South Korea? The Church releases its impressive statistics (and challenges)

More revealing than total membership is the age profile of the faithful. Nearly one in three Korean Catholics—28.9 percent—is now aged 65 or older, making the elderly the largest demographic group within the Church

May 05, 2026 20:18

ZENIT Staff

Persecuted Christians

Islamists reduce historic church to rubble in northern Mozambique

The attack on the parish of St Louis de Montfort did not inflict any casualties on the missionaries but generated widespread panic among the Christian population.

May 05, 2026 19:49

ZENIT Staff

Cardinals and Bishops•Dicasteries

What should a bishop be like, and how should doctrinal issues be discussed, according to the Synod? The Vatican releases the findings of the synodal reports

The document introduces the “principle of pastorality”: there is no proclamation of the Gospel without taking responsibility for the interlocutor, in whom the Spirit is already at work. In addressing emerging questions concretely, the Group proposes three methodological steps

May 05, 2026 19:40

ZENIT Staff

Under the agreement with China, Leo XIV appoints a new bishop

Chang Yanfeng, 42, was ordained bishop today under the Sino-Holy See agreement to a diocese that has been without its own pastor for 20 years. Just three weeks ago, the new prelate had to publicly commit the local Church to a controversial law designed to eliminate minorities.

Leo XIV encourages religious to view community life as a source of inspiration and sanctification

Message from Leo XIV to the Conference of Major Superiors of Men’s Religious Orders in the United States

L	M	X	J	V	S	D
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

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

The Vatican’s London Trial Nears a Breaking Point as Legal Setbacks Threaten Financial and Institutional Disaster

Twenty days before his ordination as bishop, he says no. The reason? “Personal shortcomings,” claims the honest priest

She was baptized at age 98, with her 77-year-old son serving as her godfather: the touching story of a long-awaited baptism

A Catholic priest goes to the doctor and is prescribed euthanasia twice: here’s how that unpleasant experience unfolded

This Is the Catholic Church’s Podcast in the USA on the Occasion of the 250th Anniversary of Independence

Trump attacks the Pope again, and Leo XIV responds once more: “If anyone wishes to criticize me, let them do so with the truth”

Progressive? Colombian government led by socialist Gustavo Petro approves euthanasia for children

Data on the generous participation of Chinese Catholic Communities in the 2026 national Collection

How many Catholics are there in South Korea? The Church releases its impressive statistics (and challenges)

Islamists reduce historic church to rubble in northern Mozambique

What should a bishop be like, and how should doctrinal issues be discussed, according to the Synod? The Vatican releases the findings of the synodal reports