Sunday Folgen

For our first programme of 2021 we brought together three journalists to talk about the big religious news stories of the past year and what they expect to be reporting on in the next. Emily Buchanan is joined by Justin Cohen, News Editor at The Jewish News, Aina Khan a freelance journalist who writes for Al Jazeera among others and Ruth Gledhill, Multi-media Editor of the Catholic magazine The Tablet. As hospitals across the country struggle under the strain of the current spike in coronavirus cases we hear from Yunus Dudhwala, Head of chaplaincy at Barts Health NHS Trust, about the work they are doing to support both patients and staff. And what role does religion play when it comes to vaccine scepticism? Emily Buchanan talks to Dr Eric Stoddart, lecturer in practical theology at the Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics, University of St Andrews and Dr Hina Shahid, Chair of the Muslim Doctors Association.

Is it possible to find hope in a pandemic? One thing many agree on is that a pandemic can reveal much about who we really are, individually and as a society. Pandemics can expose the cracks in our health care and the inequalities that separate us – nationally and globally. If that’s true, pandemics also give us a chance to learn how to care for one another better. That’s a message we often hear from those working in development charities around the world as they’ve continued to combat poverty and hunger, wave after wave of this pandemic. William Crawley speaks with Esther Lehmann-Sow, World Vision’s partnership leader for faith and development and Shahin Ashraf, Islamic Relief's head of global advocacy.Devotional music and religious chanting have long been a way for people to express an emotional response to the world around them –that’s even more the case, as you might imagine, during a year of pandemic. For many British Hindus and Sikhs, the demands of this year has required them to find creative ways to come together while staying apart. Vishva Samani has been speaking to some of them.Coldwater swimming is not for everyone. But there is growing evidence that taking a dip in a lake or the sea can help to alleviate stress and anxiety. There’s certainly been a lot of that about this year, which may explain why 2020 has seen a rise in people taking to the waters to exercise. The RNLI has even published new guidance to encourage people to stay safe while they seek out the stress-relief of a cold-water plunge. The poet and spoken word artist Harry Baker is one of those people. We asked him to capture his experience on paper for us.Editor Tim PembertonProducers Carmel Lonergan Louise Clarke-RowbothamPhoto Credit Worldvision

Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem have begun their Christmas celebrations under strict restrictions following a surge in corona virus cases in the occupied West Bank. As Yolande Knell reports, church leaders say Bethlehem will continue with its festivities to try to send a hopeful message to the world.In 2019 Cardinal George Pell was sentenced to six years in prison for 'historical sexual assault offences'. Earlier this year the Australian High Court voted 7-0 to overturn the original convictions. In a frank interview, the man who was once the third most powerful person in the Catholic Church reflects on his time inside jail, what he feels about his past handling of abuse allegations and the man whose accusations put him behind bars for 404 days.And the full choir of Leicester Cathedral have all been booked in for rapid Covid tests on Sunday morning. The Dean, the Very Rev David Monteith tells Edward why it will be such a momentous moment if the choir can sing together for the first time since March.Producers: David Cook Dan TierneySeries Producer: Amanda Hancox