Pope Francis is in Cyprus this week where he said that "walls of fear" and nationalism were slowing down Europe's progress. As he moves onto Greece, another country on the frontline of the migrant crisis, we'll hear how this visit is being greeted on the ground. In the aftermath of the crisis of 2015, when thousands of asylum seekers arrived in Greece, the government there toughened its stance on migrants. How do Catholics in Greece, itself not long in recovery after a deep economic recession, view the Pope and his plea to open borders and offer safe haven to migrants?We're celebrating St Columba, or St Colmcille as he's known in Ireland, who was born in County Donegal 1500 years ago this week. He is revered for his miracles and missionary zeal but as a Nobleman with considerable power, he also had a reputation as a warrior and a troublemaker. We'll separate the fact from the folklore and hear how this Saint who is loved on both sides of the Irish border as well as in Scotland and the North of England now represents a shared heritage and future in a post-Brexit world. And as the Church of England releases its first ever single in a bid to be the Christmas number one, we'll be asking what it takes for a religious themed song to make it to the top of the charts.Photo Credit: Andreas Solaro/AFP
Folgen von Sunday
509 Folgen
-
Folge vom 05.12.2021The Pope in Greece; Columba - a post-Brexit saint; Religious Chart Toppers
-
Folge vom 28.11.2021The Bible in BSL, the Rabbi and Kim Kardashian, and Rev Dr John SentamuCountries around the world are racing to introduce travel bans and restrictions on Southern Africa to contain a new variant of Covid-19. With just ten per cent of Africans having received their first jab, Church leaders on the continent are calling for vaccine justice and faith leaders are working together to challenge vaccine hesitancy. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and President of the South African Council of Churches, tells us what new challenges the churches face. We hear the extraordinary story of how a rabbi and Kim Kardashian worked together to rescue girls from Afghanistan. And now that local councils are obliged to take in refugee children, we hear about the shortage of Muslim foster parents and how faith helped one young refugee settle into his new life in the UK. The Bible has been translated into many languages but now there is to be a new translation into BSL, or British Sign Language. What will this mean to deaf people? Emily Buchanan talks to Lord Bishop Sentamu of Lindisfarne as he takes over as the first African head of Christian Aid, and we hear how, for the first time, 'Spiritual Abuse' is cited as a definition in the draft statutory Guidance to the Domestic Abuse Act.Producers: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham and Jill CollinsEditor: Helen Grady
-
Folge vom 21.11.2021Rumi: The Musical, Asylum seeker conversions, Mother-and-baby homes in Northern IrelandIn the wake of last weekend’s bomb attack in Liverpool, carried out by an apparent convert to Christianity, Emily Buchanan and guests explore the role of religious conversion in the lives of those seeking asylum in the UK.The Stormont executive has agreed to accept all the recommendations of a panel set up to investigate institutions for unmarried mothers in Northern Ireland. We consider the implications and hear the testimony of one survivor, Adele Johnstone.While sayings of the 13th century Sufi poet Rumi are hugely popular on social media, this week ‘Rumi: The Musical’ premieres in London's West End with the aim of getting to the human and spiritual heart of the Muslim mystic.Producers: Dan Tierney Olive ClancyEditor: Helen Grady.
-
Folge vom 14.11.2021Europe's Best Cathedrals, FW. De Klerk's faith, and could Joe Biden be banned from Communion?With thousands of migrants stranded in freezing temperatures, we explore the humanitarian crisis unfolding on Poland's border with Belarus. Wojciech Wilk from the Polish Centre for International Aid gives the picture on the ground and journalist Jonathan Luxmoore explains local Church leaders' response. To mark Remembrance Day, our reporter Vishva Samani joins a group of British Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims as they uncover forgotten stories of sacrifice and valour from their own communities. Could the US President be banned from receiving Communion? Some Catholic Bishops are unhappy that Joe Biden, a practising Catholic, supports abortion rights and believe he and other Pro-Choice politicians should be denied the central sacrament of their Chuch. Will a new Church document agree? William explores the issue with Social Justice Campaigner Sister Simone Campbell and Ed Condon, Editor of the Catholic website ‘The Pillar’. FW. De Klerk was the last leader of apartheid South Africa and the man who freed Nelson Mandela from jail. Following his death this week, William asks if FW. De Klerk’s personal faith can help us make sense of his complex story. We hear from Saul Dubow, Smuts Professor of Commonwealth History at Cambridge University and the Very Reverend Rogers Govender, Dean of Manchester Cathedral. And listeners share what makes their local Cathedral so special - from West Wales to Orkney - as we go on a journey through those magnificent structures that have withstood centuries and still provide focal points in times of national crisis and celebration. Simon Jenkins, Author of ‘Europe’s 100 Best Cathedrals’, shares his favourites too. Producers: Jill Collins and Louise Clarke-RowbothamEditor: Helen Grady