Current Events & Trends: January/February 2026
An overview of events and conditions around the world featured in the January/February 2026 issue of Beyond Today.
Catholic Church pursues ecumenism; will not officially designate Mary co-redeemer
Pope Leo XIV continues the Roman Catholic Church’s ecumenical mission to bring all of mainstream Christianity back into the same fold. As he said he would earlier last year, he later joined with Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I in worship in Turkey—both in Istanbul and in a pilgrimage to Nicaea, site of what’s called the First Ecumenical Council 1700 years before (see the May-June 2025 Beyond Today). Both spoke of the aspiration of restoring full communion (“Pope at Divine Liturgy: May We Continue to Strive Towards Christian Unity,” Vatican News, Nov. 30, 2025).
Catholic practice of venerating and praying to Mary the mother of Jesus, often calling her “co-redemptrix” or “co-mediatrix” with Christ, has been a serious point of division with Protestant churches. Now in a new doctrinal statement titled “Mother of the Faithful People of God,” the Church is admitting that regard for Mary as co-redeemer “carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ.” The Roman Church will not formally designate Mary as co-redeemer, as many of its adherents have requested—smoothing the waters with many Protestants. But the statement further notes that the title of co-redeemer may still be used “when it does not cast doubt on ‘the unique mediation of Jesus Christ, true God and true man” (“Mary, Mother of Jesus and All Believers, Is Not Co-Redeemer, Vatican Says,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Nov. 4, 2025).
The matter has been hopelessly confused. Mary was a wonderful woman of faith. But she is currently dead and not conscious—unable to hear anyone’s prayers (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10). She awaits a future resurrection. She is certainly not co-redeemer. Jesus is the one Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).
We should keep our eyes on such overtures to help draw mainstream Christianity together under the same umbrella. This is a wayward system foretold in the Bible. (See our free study guide Who Is the Antichrist? to learn more.)
Toward a European NATO; Germany planning major military buildup
Amid European leaders negotiating what they feel are unacceptable concessions to Russia among the points of America’s plan toward peace in Ukraine, there is a drive on both sides of the Atlantic to put Europeans in their own driver’s seat when it comes to the Western military alliance.
Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, is calling for the European Union to be expanded into a European NATO, saying, “We can no longer rely on the USA without restrictions.” Burden would necessarily fall to Europe’s strongest nation, Germany.
As noted at Newsweek, “comments by President Donald Trump’s envoy to NATO suggesting that Germany take over the American role of the alliance’s European commander signal Washington’s disengagement from European security affairs,” it being rumored that “the U.S. wants to step back from the role and . . . would like to see Germany replace the U.S. as Europe’s main security guarantor” (“Could Germany Replace America’s Dominance in NATO?” Nov. 30, 2025).
Moreover, U.S. Pentagon officials have threatened to pull out of some NATO defense coordination mechanisms if Europe does not take over the body within two years (“Exclusive: US Sets 2027 Deadline for Europe-led NATO Defense, Officials Say,” Reuters, Dec. 6, 2025).
Other recent headlines show that Germany is preparing for its leading role: “The New German War Machine: After World War II, Germany Embraced Pacifism . . . Now the Country Is Arming Itself Again,” The Atlantic, Dec. 1, 2025; “Germany Is Arming Itself to the Teeth to Transform Europe Again,” The Telegraph, Nov. 2; “Germany Wants to Build Europe’s Strongest Army—a New Conscription Bill Is Moving That Closer,” CNN, Nov. 23; “Germany’s Rearmament Upends Europe’s Power Balance,” Politico, Nov. 12.
Yes, change is underway. Ultimately, power in the world will shift from the United States to a German-led Europe, as foretold in biblical prophecy—spelling future destruction for America. But it appears that U.S. dominance on the world stage will yet continue a good while longer.
41% of U.S. voters under 40 favor rule by AI
As the United States comes up on its 250th national birthday this year, dissatisfaction with human governance has given way to dreams of technological salvation.
According to a recent Rasmussen survey sponsored by the Heartland Institute, 41 percent of likely voters ages 18 to 39 would support handing control of major public policy decisions over to artificial intelligence. More than a third “would let AI replace the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court,” while 36 percent “support giving an advanced AI system the authority to determine . . . rights related to speech, religious practices, government authority, and property” (“41% of Young Voters Would Give Artificial Intelligence Government Power,” Rasmussen Reports, Nov. 19, 2025).
Donald Kendal, a research director at Heartland Institute, says of these stunning results: “What we are seeing is the early emergence of an AI strong man mentality among younger Americans. Younger generations are increasingly disillusioned with the failures of traditional institutions, so much so, that they are willing to hand control to artificial intelligence.”
An amazing 35 percent are even willing to let AI wield global military power, giving an advanced AI system the authority to control all of the world’s largest militaries, thinking this will reduce deaths in war. No doubt more young people in other countries may end up caught up in such dangerous thinking.
The real answer to the problems of human government is the coming Kingdom of God. To understand more about what’s happening in the AI field and how to navigate, see the previous issue of Beyond Today (November-December 2025).
