Last November, the World Health Organisation declared loneliness a ‘Global Public Health Concern’. Meanwhile, Gen Zs are emerging as the loneliest generation ever.
Japan has a reputation as a lonely country, but here, there are more lonely people in their 20s and 30s than any other age group. An extreme expression of loneliness are the infamous “hikikomoris” – shut-ins who have isolated themselves from society. More join their ranks each year.
But apart from this group, there are millions of other youths who experience alienation and loneliness. And with it comes a slew of social ills – from greater rates of depression, to falling marriage rates, to lower productivity. Social anxiety, the suffocating rat race and cultural stigma - Insight explores what is driving solitude in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
St. Luke’s Breaks Ground on 78 Affordable Homes
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The groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, March 28, 2025, marked the official start of construction on the first project of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego’s (EDSD) Mission Real Estate initiative—an effort to reimagine underutilized church property as a tool for community flourishing. In partnership with Trestle Build, the new development will provide much-needed housing for individuals and families earning 30–70% of the area’s median income.
News coverage from Fox5 San Diego can be found here.
News coverage from NBC San Diego can be found here.
News coverage from KPBS can be found here.
LGBT+ tyranny: school suspends toddler accused of ‘transphobia’
Syria: Catholic woman to be in new Muslim-majority government as labor minister
ZENIT Staff
The announcement over the weekend by President al-Sharaa, who confirms the commitment to build ‘a new state’. He should remain in office for five years and lead the country to the writing of the new Constitution and the first post-Assad political elections. The Kurds have rejected the new government, denouncing the lack of (real) involvement of minorities.
LGBT+ tyranny: school suspends toddler accused of ‘transphobia’
Elizabeth Owens
Suspension of a Toddler for «Transphobia» Sparks Outrage in the UK
New technologies become a topic of prayer (and concern) for the Pope: here we explain it
ZENIT Staff
In the video illustrating his prayer intention for the month of April, the Pope asks that we pray “that the use of the new technologies will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person, and will help us face the crises of our times.” Pope Francis advocates putting technology at the service of every person, especially the weakest, and for taking care of the earth. “Something’s wrong if we spend more time on our cell phones than with people.”
USA: Catholic bishops release joint report with evangelicals on impact of mass deportations on Christian families
ZENIT Staff
The report underscores that roughly one in twelve Christians in the United States—and one in five Catholics specifically—either face the risk of deportation or live in a household with someone who does. The report further emphasizes the impact of mass deportations on every Christian believer, beyond those who could be directly affected by such enforcement efforts
This is the new archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church chosen by Pope Francis
ZENIT Staff
The Vatican Library and Archives hold some of the most precious manuscripts and records in the world, spanning centuries of Church history, diplomacy, and theological thought. The role of the Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church is not merely custodial but deeply intertwined with the Church’s mission to preserve and disseminate knowledge.
Reconstruction of the face of St. Teresa of Jesus: this is what her face looked like according to science
ZENIT Staff
The unveiling of the reconstructed face has resonated beyond the scientific and religious communities. It has offered a renewed sense of closeness to a saint whose writings and spiritual insights continue to inspire generations.
Vincent, the boy alive thanks to a miracle attributed to Cardinal George Pell
ZENIT Staff
From the moment Vincent was admitted, prayers surged from family, friends, and beyond. The Robinsons reached out to the saints they had always venerated—especially those connected to their children and the family’s own history of loss. Among them was Cardinal George Pell, whom they had met during his visit to Phoenix in 2021. Inspired by their personal encounter with the late prelate, they specifically asked for his intercession, along with that of Blessed Conchita, a Mexican mother of nine who had lost her youngest child to drowning.
Attempted Satanic Ritual at Kansas State Capitol Ends in Arrest and Catholic Counter-Protest
Tim Daniels
The Satanic Grotto had previously announced its intention to challenge an order from Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, which prohibited their ritual from taking place inside the Capitol. Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, had openly condemned the event, urging believers to resist not with anger but with prayer.
1 in 12 Christians could be impacted by Trump deportations
Evangelical, Catholic groups: 1 in 12 Christians could be impacted by Trump deportations
Religion News
Service: The report serves as both a theological and data-driven
refutation of the president’s campaign pledge to enact “the largest
deportation in US history.”
Religion Unplugged: 8% of US Christians live in homes susceptible to deportation
Christian Zionism hasn’t always been a conservative evangelical creed — churches’ views of Israel have evolved over decades
The Conversation: Christian Zionism is much older than the 1980s alliance between the Republican Party and the religious right.
Supreme Court seems ready to let religious groups opt out of unemployment compensation laws
NPR: The U.S. Supreme
Court appeared openly doubtful on Monday about Wisconsin’s refusal to
exempt Catholic Charities from making payments into the state’s
mandatory unemployment system.
Conservatives lash out at Austin pastor over post recognizing transgender holiday*
Chron: Pastor Zach Lambert said there are “no ‘biblical’ grounds” for transphobia. Fury ensued.
A groundbreaking synagogue lures burned-out techies with digital strategies (and ecstatic dance)
Religion News
Service: Chochmat HaLev has almost tripled its membership since 2022, in
part by appealing to younger generations with ties to Burning Man and
Silicon Valley.
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
America's elderly prisoner boom
In America some 2.2 million people are behind bars, and the prisoners are getting older. The number of people over the age of 65 who were in prison has doubled since 2007. In fact, aging men and women are the most rapidly growing part of America's prison population. In part, this is the hangover effect of the 1980s and 90s when a perfect storm of high crime rates and tough sentencing laws caused prison populations to soar. Phillip Burdick is 64. He works alongside Mr Baxter in a program called the Gold Coats. The volunteer inmates who become Gold Coats are carefully screened and shadow an experienced volunteer sometimes for several months of training. Older prisoners often have special needs; some have problems with mobility, others dementia or mental health.
The Francis Effect
From the moment Pope Francis appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, he won the people's hearts. His humility, simplicity, and closeness to the poor reveal a man sincerely in touch with the Gospel. His profile has soared. He initiated a fundamental reform of the Roman Curia, challenged a "globalization of indifference," and became the most talked-about person in the world.
Should Catholics identify as ‘feminists’?
| Lourdes bishop covers Rupnik mosaics on doors to Basilica of the Rosary |
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| Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes called the decision a “second step” after his initial decision in July 2024 to no longer light up the mosaics at night. |
| Pope Francis appoints Bishop Michael McGovern to lead Archdiocese of Omaha |
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| Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Michael McGovern of Belleville, Illinois, to lead the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska. |
| Pope Francis approves decree to advance sainthood causes of 5 people |
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| Among those to be canonized are Blessed Peter To Rot of Papua New Guinea, Blessed Ignatius Shoukrallah Maloyan of Turkey, and Blessed María Carmen of Venezuela. |
| Should Catholics identify as ‘feminists’? Notre Dame conference tackles the issue |
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| Should Catholics identify as “feminists?” A panel of prominent female Catholic thinkers explored the question at a recent conference at the University of Notre Dame. |
| U.S. bishops urge Congress to stop funding abortion and ‘gender transition’ services |
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| The letter was sent following the announcement that the Trump administration plans to freeze millions of taxpayer dollars from subsidizing abortion services. |
‘Sharing the Crust: A Communion of Saints in a Baltimore Neighborhood’
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By Adam Joyce |
Engaging in local politics helps avoid “political hobbyism” and focuses on the spaces most immediate to our lives. |
By Andy Stanton-Henry |
In the midst of ongoing political turmoil, pastors can step back and cling to three affirmations. |
By Elizabeth Tamez Méndez |
Decentralized networks and intergenerational storytelling better prepare organizations for leadership succession, writes a director of programs and grants for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. |
By Mark R. Gornik |
In this excerpt, the author writes about his friend and mentor Allan Tibbels’ “gift of prophetic conscience” and how it drove his work to build Christian community in a marginalized neighborhood. |
By McKenna Wallen |
As with a garden, so with the church — the remnants at the end of one season enrich growth for new opportunities in the next, writes a Presbyterian pastor. |
By Robyn Ross |
When San Antonio’s Catholic Worker house grew from offering a feeding ministry to building affordable housing, its leader got help from a surprising source: an administrator in the city department that had tried to shut it down. |
What to make of miracles
Pope’s doctor calls recovery ‘miraculous,’ says Francis wanted to keep fighting
Crux: Pope Francis’s
primary doctor during his hospitalization has said it was the pope
himself who chose to keep trying different therapies when his life was
most at risk, and has attributed the pontiff’s “miraculous” recovery, in
part, to prayer.
The ADL quietly eliminated its anti-bias educational program
Religion News
Service: In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the
ADL shifted its focus to combating antisemitism.
What to make of miracles*
The Atlantic: In a new book, Elaine Pagels searches for the narrative origins of Jesus’s most wondrous acts.
Judge disregarded bankruptcy trustee’s recommendation and punished New Orleans clergy abuse survivors
The Guardian:
Molestation survivors were removed from the committee in settlement
talks after a lawyer was accused of improperly identifying school
chaplain as child sexual abuser.
New film tells story of Audrey Evans, Episcopalian doctor who co-founded Ronald McDonald House*
The Christian
Century: “Audrey’s Children” is a feature-length biopic about Audrey
Evans, a pioneering British American pediatric oncologist and a devout
Episcopalian who co-founded Ronald McDonald House Charities.
A Political Tightrope
Some Christians want to focus on personal morality and leave public
morality to secular politicians. Others seek ways to guide the broader
culture while still communicating grace. Rather than propose a single
path, I will instead make a few observations and suggestions for
Christians to consider as we interact with a world that does not always
share our views.
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