Chinese Communist government takes advantage of Pope’s death to unilaterally impose new bishops

May 01, 2025 13:31

ZENIT Staff

St. Ignatius Cathedral, Diocese of Shanghai

Religious Freedom

France’s Proposed Ban on Religious Attire in Sports Sparks Controversy

However, critics view the proposed ban as another example of how secularism in France is often used as a tool of exclusion rather than neutrality. While “laïcité” was originally intended to prevent state interference in religious affairs, in practice, Muslim communities argue that it has been selectively applied to restrict their religious expression.

Feb 23, 2025 21:04

ZENIT Staff

Holy Land•Persecuted Christians•Religious Freedom

Christian Leaders Unite Against Jerusalem Municipality’s Move to Seize Armenian Patriarchate Properties

In April 2023, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, noted a sharp increase in such incidents since Netanyahu’s current government took office in December 2022. His coalition, widely described as Israel’s most right-wing government in history, includes ultra-nationalist figures with open hostility toward Christian institutions.

Feb 23, 2025 20:50

ZENIT Staff

Religious Freedom

Iraqi Man Burns The Koran and Is Shot Dead in Sweden

Sweden’s dominant culture puts freedom of expression above the aggression that exists when destroying publicly a sacred book. In many Islamic countries, the action of burning or trampling on the Koran entails the death penalty or life in prison.

Feb 13, 2025 18:17

Rafael Llanes

Holy Land•Interview•Justice and Peace•Religious Freedom

Israeli Jesuit David Neuhaus: the plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza feels like a kick in the stomach

Israeli Jesuit and professor of Sacred Scripture, David Neuhaus was born in South Africa to German-Jewish parents who fled Germany in the 1930s, he was also in the past Patriarchal Vicar for the Hebrew-speaking Catholics and for the Pastoral Among Migrants.

Feb 13, 2025 18:03

ZENIT Staff

Local Church•Religious Freedom

Washington bill aims to violate confidentiality of confessions

The proposed legislation, introduced by Democratic state senator Noel Frame and co-sponsored by five other lawmakers, would amend existing mandatory reporting laws to include clergy among those required to report suspected child abuse. While current law already mandates reporting from professionals such as teachers, medical personnel, and law enforcement officers, this bill explicitly removes an exemption for religious confessions—an exemption that had been recognized in previous legislative attempts.

Feb 13, 2025 17:57

Tim Daniels

Leo XIV, Putin’s rejection of the Christmas truce, and disappointment with the Democratic governor of Illinois

Speaking on the evening of December 23, Leo XIV returned repeatedly to a single theme that framed his reflections: the meaning of life, human dignity, and the possibility of peace—even if only for a day.

Germans trust Leo XIV more than Islam: new survey results released

Data released from a representative Forsa poll indicate that 28 percent of Germans now say they place high or very high trust in the Pope

Chinese Communist government takes advantage of Pope’s death to unilaterally impose new bishops

Jewish persecution of Christians in the Holy Land on the rise, research reveals

French Laïcité vs. American Secularism

U.S. Commission Condemns China’s Religious Repression in 2025 Annual Report

Chinese Bishop Is Arrested for Celebrating Mass, Marking the Beginning of the Jubilee Year, Without the Permission of the Communist Government

Christian-Catholic group opens investigation against government agency for violations of free speech during Biden’s tenure

Israel: ‘Netanyahu against NGOs, deadly attack on Israeli society’

France’s Proposed Ban on Religious Attire in Sports Sparks Controversy

Christian Leaders Unite Against Jerusalem Municipality’s Move to Seize Armenian Patriarchate Properties

Iraqi Man Burns The Koran and Is Shot Dead in Sweden

Israeli Jesuit David Neuhaus: the plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza feels like a kick in the stomach

Washington bill aims to violate confidentiality of confessions