Catholic Church in the US publishes its 2026 annual report on religious freedom in the country

Feb 19, 2026 17:27

ZENIT Staff

religious freedom is not only holding steady but growing. Photo: DW

Gender Ideology

The progressive Anglican Church decides not to bless same-sex couples (for now)

«Bishop» of London Sarah Mullally told the Synod, as reported by The Telegraph, that the Living in Love and Faith process has wounded both individuals and the institution itself. The debates, she said, have touched core theological convictions and the Church’s sense of identity

Feb 17, 2026 17:45

Elizabeth Owens

Marriage and Family

Chinese government announces ban on online and AI content that discourages marriage or having children

By including “fear of marriage” and “childbirth anxiety” among prohibited themes, the latest campaign highlights how demographic policy has migrated into the realm of content control

Feb 17, 2026 17:05

ZENIT Staff

Local Church•Pro Life

Notre Dame “Catholic” University against (at least) nine American bishops (including the president of the Episcopal Conference)

As the most prominent Catholic university in the United States, its decisions reverberate nationally and internationally. When bishops speak in unusually unified tones — at least nine within days — the signal is unmistakable: they perceive not a routine hiring matter, but a test of identity

Feb 17, 2026 16:43

ZENIT Staff

Justice and Peace•Religious Freedom

USA: Judge orders that migrants detained by ICE be allowed to receive ashes on Wednesday, 2026

He has ordered both sides to confer not only about Ash Wednesday but also about ongoing ministry at Broadview, including whether clergy may pray inside and outside the facility and interact directly with detainees

Feb 17, 2026 16:34

ZENIT Staff

Good News•Local Church

Number of Dutch Catholics on the Rise: Dutch Episcopal Conference Releases Data

The number of new members of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands increased significantly in 2024. Compared to 2023, the total number of adults who joined, with or without Baptism, increased by almost 40%.

Feb 17, 2026 10:00

ZENIT Staff

Neither spiritualizing pain nor downplaying suffering: Pope Leo XIV’s powerful response on depression and mental health to a woman who attempted suicide

Pope Leo XIV’s response to a young Catalan woman who attempted suicide due to depression and asked the Holy Father two questions: Where can we see God when the darkness is absolute and we cannot take it anymore? How can we trust in God when it seems that nothing — not even our own life — is worth it?

Do you need to forgive? Leo XIV’s response to a heartbreaking story of crime, drugs, and neglect that moved Spain

Pope Leo XIV’s reply to Desiré, a young woman from Barcelona, who asked the Holy Father: “how can I forgive my father for almost leaving me without a mother?” and “How can I truly be reconciled with God?”

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

Catholic Church in the US publishes its 2026 annual report on religious freedom in the country

Bishops Representing Latin America, Canada, and United States Gather to Pray, Discuss, and Reaffirm Their Unity as One Church

Exile as Policy: Nicaragua Expels Another Priest as Pressure on the Catholic Church Intensifies

Israel unprecedented expropriation of Palestinian land

Puerto Rico’s pro-life governor redefines the concept of “human being” in criminal law, opening a new phase in the abortion debate

Pope Leo XIV to Equatorial Guinea: video captures the Holy Father’s travel coordinator visiting the country ahead of a papal trip

Vatican says no to Trump and declines to join the “Board of Peace”

The progressive Anglican Church decides not to bless same-sex couples (for now)

Chinese government announces ban on online and AI content that discourages marriage or having children

Notre Dame “Catholic” University against (at least) nine American bishops (including the president of the Episcopal Conference)

USA: Judge orders that migrants detained by ICE be allowed to receive ashes on Wednesday, 2026

Number of Dutch Catholics on the Rise: Dutch Episcopal Conference Releases Data