Zenit News Agency
Encyclopedia
ZENIT is a non-profit
news agency that reports on the Catholic Church
and issues important to it from the perspective of Church doctrine. ZENIT's motto is, "The world seen from Rome."
The ZENIT website describes their perspective as one which is "convinced of the extraordinary richness of the Catholic Church's message, particularly its social doctrine ... [and which] sees this message as a light for understanding today's world." ZENIT's "compass is the social doctrine of the Church, summarized in the Compendium published by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
."
ZENIT began publication in 1997 and now publishes in seven languages. By its own account, ZENIT has 450,000 e-mail subscribers and its articles have been reprinted in 20,000 media sources .
The name "ZENIT" means "zenith
" in many languages, and refers to the highest point in the sky reached by the sun, a symbol associated with Jesus Christ
by early Christians
.
On Thursday, September 29, 2011, it was stated that Jesus Colina, Zenit's publisher, resigned voluntarily at the request of the sponsoring Legionairies of Christ because he felt they had not let Zenit set up separate financial mechanisms to be more readily fiscally transparent (partly regarding the order's founder, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, and his sex abuse cases), which they supposedly had earlier promised to do, and also because he felt they were too evasive, selective and partial (in other words, not cooperative or forthright enough) about the actual results and implications of the Father Degollado sex abuse cases themselves.
According to an online article by John Thavis of Catholic News Service
(CNS) posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2011: "The six editors of the Catholic news agency Zenit have resigned, saying the agency has become too closely identified with the Legionaries of Christ. "The initial vision of Zenit was never to make it a service of a particular congregation, but rather of the universal church. This has been the spirit with which we have worked throughout the years, and the spirit we could not betray," said a statement issued Oct. 10 by the editors of Zenit's French, Italian, Spanish, English, Portuguese and Arabic services. ..."
Innovative Media Inc. is a non-profit based in New York, according to ZENIT, and is registered as a non-profit organization in Atlanta, Georgia. Its president is Antonio Maza.
ZENIT says it was funded during its first three years in large part by Aid to the Church in Need
, the Italian Bishops' Conference
and the Legion of Christ
.. As of 2007, ZENIT says it is funded 75% by reader donations and 13% by institutions and benefactors.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
news agency that reports on the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and issues important to it from the perspective of Church doctrine. ZENIT's motto is, "The world seen from Rome."
The ZENIT website describes their perspective as one which is "convinced of the extraordinary richness of the Catholic Church's message, particularly its social doctrine ... [and which] sees this message as a light for understanding today's world." ZENIT's "compass is the social doctrine of the Church, summarized in the Compendium published by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is a part of the Roman Curia dedicated to "action-oriented studies" for the international promotion of justice, peace, and human rights from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church...
."
ZENIT began publication in 1997 and now publishes in seven languages. By its own account, ZENIT has 450,000 e-mail subscribers and its articles have been reprinted in 20,000 media sources .
The name "ZENIT" means "zenith
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...
" in many languages, and refers to the highest point in the sky reached by the sun, a symbol associated with Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
by early Christians
Early Christianity
Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
.
On Thursday, September 29, 2011, it was stated that Jesus Colina, Zenit's publisher, resigned voluntarily at the request of the sponsoring Legionairies of Christ because he felt they had not let Zenit set up separate financial mechanisms to be more readily fiscally transparent (partly regarding the order's founder, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, and his sex abuse cases), which they supposedly had earlier promised to do, and also because he felt they were too evasive, selective and partial (in other words, not cooperative or forthright enough) about the actual results and implications of the Father Degollado sex abuse cases themselves.
According to an online article by John Thavis of Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service is an American news agency covering the Roman Catholic Church. CNS was established in 1920 and is a leading source of news for Catholic print and broadcast media throughout the world....
(CNS) posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2011: "The six editors of the Catholic news agency Zenit have resigned, saying the agency has become too closely identified with the Legionaries of Christ. "The initial vision of Zenit was never to make it a service of a particular congregation, but rather of the universal church. This has been the spirit with which we have worked throughout the years, and the spirit we could not betray," said a statement issued Oct. 10 by the editors of Zenit's French, Italian, Spanish, English, Portuguese and Arabic services. ..."
Publisher
According to the ZENIT website, the organization's publications are published and edited by Innovative Media Inc., and ZENIT works directly or in collaboration with the following non-profits internationally: Fundación ZENIT España in Spain, Association ZENIT in France, ZENIT eV in Germany, and Asociacao ZENIT in Brazil.Innovative Media Inc. is a non-profit based in New York, according to ZENIT, and is registered as a non-profit organization in Atlanta, Georgia. Its president is Antonio Maza.
ZENIT says it was funded during its first three years in large part by Aid to the Church in Need
Aid to the Church in Need
' describes itself as "an international pastoral aid organization of the Catholic Church, which yearly offers financial support to more than 5,000 projects worldwide...
, the Italian Bishops' Conference
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
The Italian Episcopal Conference is the episcopal conference of the Italian bishops of the Catholic Church and as such is the official assembly of all the bishops in Italy. The conference was founded in 1971 and carries out certain tasks as well as having authority assigned to setting the...
and the Legion of Christ
Legion of Christ
The Legion of Christ is a Roman Catholic congregation of pontifical right, made up of priests and seminarians studying for the priesthood. It was founded in Mexico in 1941, by Fr. Marcial Maciel, who directed the congregation as its General Superior until January 2005...
.. As of 2007, ZENIT says it is funded 75% by reader donations and 13% by institutions and benefactors.
See also
- America (magazine)America (magazine)America is a national weekly magazine published by the American Jesuits that contains news and opinion about Catholicism and how it relates to American politics and cultural life....
- CommonwealCommonwealCommonweal is a American journal of opinion edited and managed by lay Catholics. It is headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City.-History:...
- National Catholic RegisterNational Catholic RegisterNot to be confused with the National Catholic Reporter or the Catholic RegisterThe National Catholic Register is the oldest national Catholic newspaper in the United States. It was founded on 8 November 1927 by Msgr. Matthew J...
- National Catholic ReporterNational Catholic ReporterThe National Catholic Reporter is the second largest Catholic newspaper in the United States; its circulation reaches ninety-seven countries on six continents. Based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, NCR was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964 as an independent newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church...
- Faith & Family MagazineFaith & Family MagazineFaith & Family Magazine is a quarterly periodical published by Bayard, Inc. about Catholic living, with a particular emphasis on marriage and motherhood...