Why did Jesus tell the parables of the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast? Leo XIV answers

Jul 19, 2026 09:25

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV recited the Marian prayer of the Angelus with hundreds of pilgrims Photo: Vatican Media

Local Church•Priests•Religious Freedom

A new Swiss law requires priests and monks to perform military service based on the premise that, in modern society, the clergy is no longer essential

Swiss men deemed fit for military service are generally required to complete approximately eight months of service, normally between the ages of 18 and 30. For generations, clergy were excluded from that obligation because they were considered essential to the civilian population, particularly in wartime

Jul 17, 2026 15:38

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Analysis Opinion•Euthanasia•Local Church

France Legalizes Euthanasia: High Alert for Catholic Hospitals That May Be Forced to Kill Patients

The final decision now belongs to the Constitutional Council. The deeper cultural question, however, will remain long after the judges have ruled

Jul 17, 2026 15:32

Covadonga Asturias

Good News•Vatican City

Launches Magnifica Humanitas Ambassador Programme During the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly at Borgo Laudato Si’ (Vaticano)

New Global Initiative to Give a First-Ever Meaningful Voice to People and Communities Worldwide Most Impacted by the Rapid Development and Deployment of AI

Jul 17, 2026 09:12

ZENIT Staff

Local Church

Dom Robert Igo OSB Elected President of the English Benedictine Congregation at Historic 100th General Chapter

Dom Robert, who will also continue to serve as Abbot of Ampleforth Abbey, succeeds Abbot Christopher Jamison OSB of Worth Abbey, who completed nine years of dedicated service as President of the Congregation.

Jul 17, 2026 08:17

ZENIT Staff

Good News

Order of Preachers Launches Renewed Official Website

The renewed op.org is not only a website but a service to communion and mission. It helps the Order speak with greater clarity, share its resources more generously, promote vocations more effectively, and make visible the many ways Dominicans continue to preach the Truth for the salvation of souls.

Jul 16, 2026 07:13

ZENIT Staff

De Foucauld´s "Spiritual Intuitions" Touted by Pope
Urges Sahara Missionary´s Followers to Promote Charity
Pope Leo XIV will not participate in the anniversary of St. John Pau...
The Vatican’s decision does not suggest a setback in his recovery: r...
The words of Pope Leo XIV that everyone working in school and univer...
The Pope's Address to Participants in the International Congress on...
This is what the Vatican’s new document on the transmission of...
The document was commissioned under Pope Francis and approved for pu...

Pope Leo XIV will not participate in the anniversary of St. John Paul II’s historic World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi

The Vatican’s decision does not suggest a setback in his recovery: reflects the prudence required after major surgery, even when clinical results are encouraging. The Pope had been expected to attend the gathering entitled “Disarmed and Disarming Peace,” which will bring together Christian leaders, representatives of other religious traditions and invited guests in the Umbrian town.

Pope Leo XIV to Jews at the Vatican: The Church does not tolerate anti-Semitism and combats it, in accordance with the Gospel itself

The Pope’s Remarks to a Delegation from the American Jewish Committee

Why did Jesus tell the parables of the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast? Leo XIV answers

Questions about liturgy: Use of Stole Outside Mass

Sexuality and Mental Health in Seminaries: What a Major U.S. Study on Psychology and Sex Reveals

The United Kingdom bars a Finnish lawmaker from entering the country after she posted a biblical quote opposing gender ideology

New scientific research casts doubt on the original existence of Mecca, thereby undermining the historical origins of Islam

The Catholic Church and Mental Health: A Letter That Addresses Some Prejudices and Clarifies an Issue of Growing Concern from a Faith Perspective

Amnesty International directly attacks the Catholic Church and then backtracks by withdrawing a report supporting gender ideology

A new Swiss law requires priests and monks to perform military service based on the premise that, in modern society, the clergy is no longer essential

France Legalizes Euthanasia: High Alert for Catholic Hospitals That May Be Forced to Kill Patients

Launches Magnifica Humanitas Ambassador Programme During the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly at Borgo Laudato Si’ (Vaticano)

Dom Robert Igo OSB Elected President of the English Benedictine Congregation at Historic 100th General Chapter

Order of Preachers Launches Renewed Official Website