Israeli soldier vandalizes a crucifix in Lebanon: Israel responds, and so do the polls

Apr 20, 2026 18:45

Visual evidence first circulated by a Palestinian journalist was later reinforced by local sources who documented the same statue intact before the attack Photo: @ytirawi

Holy Land•Persecuted Christians•Religious Freedom

Israeli police prevent a Mass from being celebrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and bar Cardinal Pizzaballa from entering

As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Mar 29, 2026 19:23

ZENIT Staff

Cardinals and Bishops•Holy Land•Local Church•Religious Freedom•Vatican Diplomacy

Holy Land: Cardinal Pizzaballa Says Palm Sunday Mass Ban in Jerusalem Was a Misunderstanding

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said: «There were no confrontations, and we don’t want to force things, but rather find a solution respecting the right to prayer. We will celebrate Easter discreetly.»

Mar 29, 2026 17:28

ZENIT Staff

Holy Land•Persecuted Christians

Church authorities in the Holy Land denounce the seizure and encroachment on Christian properties by Jewish settlers

Speaking from Jerusalem, William Shomali has described a marked escalation in attacks against Christian communities in the West Bank, particularly in areas historically associated with a continuous Christian population

Mar 24, 2026 18:07

ZENIT Staff

Cardinals and Bishops•Holy Land•Local Church

Jerusalem: Holy Week Behind Closed Doors. A Statement from the Catholic Patriarch

Statement by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

Mar 23, 2026 18:08

ZENIT Staff

Holy Land•Local Church

Is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed? The Catholic Church in the Holy Land issues a statement in response to rumors on social media

Statement from the Custody of the Holy Land regarding the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

Mar 22, 2026 18:37

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV calls the liturgy the “driving force of evangelization” and urges priests to respect liturgical texts and norms

The Pope’s General Audience, May 27, 2026, on Tradition and Reform in the Liturgy

Pope Leo XIV receives Spain’s atheist president amid a political crisis in the country he is about to visit

The approximately 45-minute private audience between Sánchez and the Pope unfolded against a turbulent domestic backdrop. On the same day, Spanish political debate was dominated by developments involving investigations linked to the Socialist Party and the legal scrutiny surrounding former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

Israeli soldier vandalizes a crucifix in Lebanon: Israel responds, and so do the polls

After forty days of silence: Jerusalem’s holy sites reopen as fragile calm returns

Ceasefire brings no peace to Lebanon as Israel continues its attacks

A besieged Easter: Lebanon’s Christians between bombardment, blocked aid, and a fragile hope

New Israeli Policy Puts Christian Education—and Presence—in Jerusalem Under Strain

Between Kyiv and Jerusalem: Vatican Diplomacy in Full Swing During Holy Week. Pope Leo XIV Speaks with the Ukrainian and Israeli Presidents

Problem Resolved: Cardinal Patriarch of Jerusalem Meets and Reaches Agreement with Israeli Police for Remaining Holy Week Celebrations

Israeli police prevent a Mass from being celebrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and bar Cardinal Pizzaballa from entering

Holy Land: Cardinal Pizzaballa Says Palm Sunday Mass Ban in Jerusalem Was a Misunderstanding

Church authorities in the Holy Land denounce the seizure and encroachment on Christian properties by Jewish settlers

Jerusalem: Holy Week Behind Closed Doors. A Statement from the Catholic Patriarch

Is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed? The Catholic Church in the Holy Land issues a statement in response to rumors on social media