Mid-City Christian: The Transfiguration of Jesus explained by Pope Leo XIV

From Africa to Spain via Monaco: this is Leo XIV’s global travel schedule for 2026

ZENIT Staff

The schedule outlines three distinct journeys: a ten-day pilgrimage across four African nations, a one-day visit to Monaco, and a six-day trip to Spain that will culminate in the Canary Islands. Together, they form a carefully calibrated map of priorities that blends history, diplomacy, evangelization and social concern.

Heiner Wilmer takes the helm of the German Bishops’ Conference: he will present the controversial Synodal Conference to the Vatican

Joachin Meisner Hertz

During the same plenary assembly, the bishops approved the statutes of the future Synodal Conference, intended as a permanent body bringing together bishops and representatives of the Central Committee of German Catholics. The text has been sent to Rome for recognitio, the formal approval required for canonical validity.

A Barracks for the 21st Century: How the Vatican Plans to Rebuild the Home of the Swiss Guard

Valentina di Giorgio

The new barracks will stand as a rare example of contemporary architecture embedded within one of the world’s most historically dense environments

Notre Dame University Backs Away from a Contested Appointment

Tim Daniels

On February 26, the administration of University of Notre Dame confirmed that Professor Susan Ostermann will not assume the directorship of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, a post she had been scheduled to take up in July 2026

Pope Leo XIV concludes his annual spiritual exercises with some impromptu words about Christ and Communion

ZENIT Staff

In a few unscripted minutes, the Pope managed to summarize the meaning of the week: a retreat grounded in Scripture, shaped by tradition, attentive to human frailty, and oriented toward hope. It was a conclusion that reflected the spirit of Lent itself—quiet, demanding, and ultimately centered on Christ

For the first time, a Pope will address the Spanish Parliament: it will be Leo XIV during his visit to Madrid in June 2026

Covadonga Asturias

According to converging confirmations from parliamentary and ecclesial sources, the Vatican and the Spanish Congress have agreed to convene a joint session of both chambers of the Cortes Generales so that the Pope may address deputies and senators gathered in the hemicycle

Brazilian bishop declares excommunication for Catholics who participate in “traditional” Masses

Enrique Villegas

On February 11, the Archdiocese of Maceió announced that the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass according to the Missal of St. Pius V would be permitted exclusively in a single location: the São Vicente de Paulo Chapel, and only once a week. Any celebration of that rite elsewhere — whether in another church, a private venue or even within a civil association — would, the note warned, constitute a “public act of schism” and would entail excommunication latae sententiae

One in three Mexican bishops will be replaced by Pope Leo XIV between 2026 and 2027

ZENIT Staff

The generational shift is also visible in the provenance of current appointments. As of the beginning of 2026, 52.5 percent of Mexico’s bishops and archbishops were appointed by Pope Francis, 27.6 percent by Benedict XVI, 17.2 percent by John Paul II, and just 2.6 percent by Leo XIV himself. That last figure is set to rise sharply

Israeli government announces new museum dedicated to the baptism of Jesus

ZENIT Staff

Known in Arabic as Al-Maghtas, meaning “the immersion,” Qasr el Yahud occupies a liminal geography both spiritually and historically. It stands at the threshold between desert and river, promise and fulfillment, and has long been embedded in Christian memory as a site of epiphany and renewal

USA: Bishops take a stand against Trump before the Supreme Court and argue in favor of birthright citizenship

ZENIT Staff

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed before the high court, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops argued that ending the automatic conferral of citizenship to children born on U.S. soil would be “immoral,” legally unfounded, and incompatible with core principles of Catholic social teaching

The Transfiguration of Jesus explained by Pope Leo XIV

ZENIT Staff

Address on the occasion of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, March 1, 2026

Historic: Doors of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem Are Removed for Restoration

ZENIT Staff

While awaiting the return of the 12th century doors to their original position, an exceptional scene was witnessed: they were replaced by panels with photo reproductions of the original doors to maintain the illusion of their presence.

Preaching to the Pope and the Roman Curia: ZENIT Interviews the «Official» Preacher of the Papal Household

ZENIT Staff

At 54, the Capuchin friar is a theologian, biblical scholar, lecturer, and author of numerous books. He is also known for his profound and accessible catechesis, as well as his online podcasts, in which he explores Scripture with clarity.

German bishops ask Vatican to allow lay people to give homilies, despite rejection in 2023

ZENIT Staff

What is clear is that the debate is no longer simply about who speaks from the ambo. It has become a test case for the limits of synodality, the reach of episcopal conferences, and the extent to which sacramental theology itself is open to reinterpretation