Confirmed: The 4th Mediterranean Meeting will take place in Barcelona with the Pope in attendance

Mar 18, 2026 12:30

ZENIT Staff

Bishops of the Mediterranean with Leo XIV Photo: Religion Digital

Pro Life

One in four Americans supports abortion in all circumstances: data reveals a nation still searching for consensus

For pro-life advocates, these findings confirm that the national conversation is far from settled. Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, argues that public opinion is frequently portrayed as more unified than it actually is

Mar 17, 2026 17:58

Tim Daniels

Vatican City

After repeated acts of desecration, this is how the main altar of the Vatican basilica is being secured

According to the basilica’s workshop, the newly installed barrier consists of mobile polycarbonate panels that can be dismantled when necessary. The choice of material and design is telling: resistant enough to deter intrusion, yet enough to preserve visual continuity

Mar 17, 2026 17:51

Valentina di Giorgio

Local Church

How Many Weddings, Baptisms, or Funerals Are Celebrated in Germany? The Catholic Church in Germany Releases Annual Statistics

In 2025, there was a slight increase of 2,269 people joining the Catholic Church (2024: 1,839), while 5,443 members were readmitted to the faith (2024: 4,743). However, the number of people who left the Church was 307,117 (2024: 321,659).

Mar 17, 2026 17:44

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV•Vatican Diplomacy

For the first time, a pope (Leo XIV) will receive the U.S. Medal of Freedom: here’s what you need to know

Organizers have been explicit about this broader interpretation. For them, honoring the pope is not only about recognizing an individual, but about narrating a longer story—one that includes multiple faith traditions and acknowledges the complex path through which religious liberty became a foundational principle in the United States

Mar 17, 2026 17:34

ZENIT Staff

Holy Land•Pope Leo XIV•Vatican Diplomacy

A Phone Call in Times of War: Pope Leo XIV Answers a Call from the President of Palestine

According to the Holy See Press Office, the exchange was explicitly diplomatic. The Pope reiterated the Holy See’s long-standing position: peace must be pursued through political negotiation and diplomacy, anchored in full respect for international law

Mar 17, 2026 17:28

ZENIT Staff

Pope Leo XIV Speaks Again About Trump and the War (and It Is Announced That the Pope Will Carry the Cross Throughout the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday)

Referring indirectly to geopolitical developments, including statements by Donald Trump about ending ongoing conflicts, Leo expressed cautious hope that political leaders might be seeking “a way out” of violence

Pope Leo XIV Reverses Another Decision of Pope Francis: World Children’s Day Cancelled in Rome

All initiatives aimed at children’s ministry may be celebrated, at the discretion of the Bishops, at the diocesan or parish level.

Confirmed: The 4th Mediterranean Meeting will take place in Barcelona with the Pope in attendance

Canada Nears 100,000 «Assisted Deaths». Euthanasia Debate Enters a New Phase

Vatican: the only country in the world without a gender pay gap

Poland’s Bishops Move to Rebuild Trust with Independent Abuse Commission

The Clergy’s Crisis of Trust in Their Bishops Analyzed in a Book

Unexpected: Vatican court rules trial against Cardinal Becciu partially invalid and orders a retrial

Reopening the Archives: New Findings Challenge Accusations Against John Paul II in Poland’s Abuse Debate

One in four Americans supports abortion in all circumstances: data reveals a nation still searching for consensus

After repeated acts of desecration, this is how the main altar of the Vatican basilica is being secured

How Many Weddings, Baptisms, or Funerals Are Celebrated in Germany? The Catholic Church in Germany Releases Annual Statistics

For the first time, a pope (Leo XIV) will receive the U.S. Medal of Freedom: here’s what you need to know

A Phone Call in Times of War: Pope Leo XIV Answers a Call from the President of Palestine