Sunday

The capture of the Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro, the attacks on alleged drug-running boats off the Venezuelan coast, the threats to strike the regime in Iran, the determination to take Greenland even though it is the territory of a fellow NATO member, the musings about invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act so that active-service troops can be deployed on the streets of Minneapolis - all of these things raise profound legal and moral questions. Edward Stourton speaks to the Catholic archbishop Timothy Broglio who leads the United States Archdiocese for the Military Services.Sales of the Bible have rocketed according to data from Britain's biggest Christian publisher, SPCK. For most of the 2010s they ran at a reasonably steady rate - between two and a half and three million a year - but they began to take off in 2021, and last year they hit over six million three hundred thousand. This comes amid claims of a religious revival being led by younger people. We begin a mini-series of reports devoted to Gen Z beli

As protests in Iran continue into their 16th day, Emily Buchanan asks Prof Ali Ansari whether the country is ready to end almost 50 years of clerical rule. Elegy from a Scottish church, as parishioners say goodbye to the Holy Family Parish in Inverclyde, one of more than 300 that have closed in Scotland since 2020.We hear about 'Born in Bethlehem' the BBC documentary that tracked the lives of Palestinian women giving birth in a Catholic-run hospital in the West Bank. Should the C of E foot the bill for lower income couples to encourage marriage? Church wedding costs are under scrutiny after a centre-right think tank, the Centre for Social Justice made the recommendation aimed at promoting marriage to improve outcomes for boys. The Universities of Leeds and Cambridge team up to train UK Muslims how to spot the moon themselves and end the so called 'moon wars' that often mark the end of Ramadan. Presenter: Emily Buchanan Producers: Catherine Murray & Bara'atu Ibrahim Studio Managers: Paul Everatt & He

The citizens of Caracas in Venezuela were woken in the early hours yesterday by airstrikes and later discovered that President Maduro and his wife had been captured and taken for trial to the US. Presbyterian minister, Rev Ricardo Corzo is in Caracas and has been speaking to the programme following a night of little sleep.Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy has announced a recruitment drive for more magistrates to help deal with the huge backlog in the courts, which follows his controversial proposal to abolish jury trials in all but the most serious cases. He and cabinet colleague Wes Streeting have made no secret of their Christian faith - a change from the Blair years when Labour famously 'didn't do God'. David Lammy is asked about his faith and its fundamental role in justice. Gospel musician Richard Smallwood, has died at the age of 77. He is known for hits such as Total Praise and The Centre of My Joy. His work has also been covered by artists including Whitney Houston and Stevie Wo

Of all living composers, perhaps none are more closely associated with the sound of Christmas than John Rutter and Bob Chilcott. Earlier this year, both marked milestone birthdays - Rutter turned 80 and Chilcott 70. A few days before Christmas, we caught up with them to talk about carols, choirs, and the enduring magic of the season.Jimmy Lai is one of Hong Kong’s most prominent critics of the Beijing government: a media tycoon, democracy campaigner, and a Roman Catholic. The 78-year-old British citizen has been in prison since December 2020 and is now, after last week's guilty verdicts, facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. In her first interview with UK media, his daughter Claire Lai, tells the BBC's Danny Vincent she fears her father may become a martyr. 'Before The Millennium'- a Christmas production by Karim Khan. It's set in a Woolworths store in 1999, the year Ramadan and the Christmas season coincided. It explores the friendship between two migrant women during the festi

The Catholic Church in England and Wales has a new leader - Richard Moth has been named as the new Archbishop of Westminster, succeeding Cardinal Vincent Nichols who turned 80 last month. We hear from Ruth Gledhill, Assistant Editor at the Catholic weekly The Tablet. A new song from the singer-songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg is called "Put Christ back into Christmas". The title is a reference to the current campaign by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Last weekend we reported on the Robinson-inspired carol service in London; Billy Bragg turned out for a rival carol service orgainsed by Stand up to Racism. He explains why. Today is the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year when, as the priest poet John Donne put it, the "whole world's sap is sunk". At three minutes past three this afternoon the earth tilts furthest from the sun, and from that moment the days begin to lengthen. It is a moment marked in pagan tradition, and we are joined by Erin Johansen, the first pagan chaplain a

Should the confirmation of Bishop Sarah Mullaly as Archbishop of Canterbury be postponed whilst a complaint against her for the alleged mishandling of a sex abuse case is investigated? We talk to Donna Birrell, who broke the story and to Rev Robert Thompson, a priest in the London diocese.The mystery of the star of Bethlehem - has it been finally solved? NASA Planetary scientist Mark Matney discusses his theory that it could have been a comet recorded by Chinese astronomers in 5BC.If it wasn’t for Jane Austen’s brother her novels would never have been published. So claims Christopher Herbert, former Bishop of St Alban’s, whose new book “Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother: Henry” tells the story of their close relationship.“Put the Christ back in Christmas” was the title of the carol concert organised by Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom in central London yesterday. We hear from one of the organisers, Pastor Rikki Doolan, and from Nick Spencer, senior fellow at the Christian think tank Theos, who is studying t

Amid the prospect of an imminent US strike on Venezuela, we look at how a once overwhelmingly Catholic country has seen its evangelical population surge from just 4% in the 1970s to nearly 30% today. This religious shift is unfolding as President Nicolás Maduro faces international rejection of his 2024 victory and mounting pressure from Donald Trump’s White House. William Crawley speaks to Dr Fernando Mora, an academic and former pastor who has spent years studying the rise of Evangelicalism in Venezuela.On the Second Sunday of Advent, we explore the season’s history. Advent calendars are just one of many traditions that have emerged – and evolved – over centuries in connection with this annual liturgical journey. To guide us through that story, the Sunday programme speaks to Dr Colin Donnelly, Associate Professor in Reformation and Early Modern Christianities at Oxford.Following the death of Sir Tom Stoppard at the age of 88, we look back at a writer celebrated for incisive wit, emotional depth, empathy and

The Pope has been marking a historic Christian anniversary during his visit to Turkey - and on Sunday is heading to Lebanon, just days after Israeli airstrikes on its capital, Beirut. A key moment of the trip has been in the Turkish town of Iznik, the site of the ancient city of Nicaea. Pope Leo and leaders of other Christian traditions gathered to mark the anniversary of an ancient council that took place there 1,700 years ago. In 325 AD, among other key decisions, more than 200 bishops at the council affirmed the belief that Jesus was the son of God, eventually leading to what is known as the Nicene Creed. We hear the latest from his trip to the region.Islamophobic incidents at football grounds have reached record highs in recent years, according to the anti-racism charity Kick it Out. Now more Premier League clubs are introducing dedicated prayer rooms, with some hosting Iftar celebrations on the pitch. In September, Djed Spence also became the first Muslim player to represent the England men’s national te

The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Northern Ireland's Christian-focused RE curriculum is unlawful. Since then, churches, politicians and schools there have been trying to make sense of the possible implications of that ruling, both for RE teaching and for the place of religion in schools more generally. Pope Leo has revealed his top four favourite films ahead of an event in the Vatican where he welcomed some Hollywood A-Listers: including Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen and Monica Bellucci. Alissa Wilkinson, film critic at the New York Times, explores the Pope's passion for cinema. The UK's favourite school assembly hymn will be revealed today, as the winner of a public poll is announced on Songs of Praise, as part of The Big School Assembly Singalong. We speak to Becky Silver, songwriter of contemporary songs for schools and a former teacher, about the role of hymns in schools.Presenter: William Crawley. Producers: Katy Davies and Bara'atu Ibrahim.

Across China, unregistered house churches are facing growing pressure from the authorities as the Chinese Communist Party tightens control over religious life. The Chinese Communist Party says citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law. We've a report from the BBC's Correspondent in Hong Kong, Danny Vincent. Spanish Dictator Francisco Franco died 50 years ago on the 20th of November. We explore the legacy of his system of National Catholicism and how a far right party is gaining popularity in the country today. A religious theme is finding its way into the music charts thanks to the latest album from Rosalia. The Spanish singer herself appears on the cover in the guise of a nun - part of a phenomenon which has now been defined as "nunmania". Sister Gemma Simmonds from the Congregation of Jesus gives her thoughts on the trend.PRESENTER: EDWARD STOURTON PRODUCERS: KATY BOOTH & KATY DAVIS STUDIO MANAGERS: AMY BRENNAN & BEN HOUGHTON EDITOR: CATHERINE MURRAY

It is Remembrance Sunday, and one of the First World War stories we often refer back to at this time of year is the Christmas truce between British and German soldiers. A story has now emerged of a World War Two truce during one of the bloodiest episodes of the conflict between the United States and Japan. Edward Stourton speaks to Professor Nick Megoran from Newcastle University who researched what happened.Metropolitan Hilarion was once one of the most powerful figures in the Russian Orthodox Church — effectively its foreign minister, as well as a theologian and composer. But in 2022 he was removed from office and sent to serve as the head of the Orthodox church in Hungary - there was widespread speculation he was being punished because he wouldn't endorse the invasion of Ukraine. Then last year he lost that job too, following allegations of spying, sexual misconduct, and financial abuse. He's now talked about all this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Budapest, Nick Thorpe. Despite a re

If you're one of the millions who've been gripped by The Celebrity Traitors, you'll be counting down the hours to the final on Thursday. The Sunday programme explores the ethical questions about taking part with Anglican Priest Reverend Lisa Coupland who appeared in the third 'civilian' series of the game. History could be made in New York City on Tuesday with the potential election of its first ever Muslim mayor. Zohran Mamdani's ascent to getting within touching distance of one of the most prominent positions in US politics has been astonishing. Not least in a city where a generation ago in the wake of 9/11, Islamophobia was an unwelcome fact of life. Mamdani has explicitly made his Muslim faith part of his political identity. We speak to former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf - who was the first Muslim to lead a Western democracy and Professor Najam Haider, from the Department of Religion at Columbia University. With the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury set for the new year, there'

King Charles and Pope Leo made history in the Sistine Chapel by praying side by side - a first for the leaders of the Church of England and Catholic Church. In this week's edition of our series on the study of religion, theologian Robert Beckford goes back to school to explore the teaching of RE at GCSE and A Level. Halloween may be on the minds of trick or treaters, however another festival is celebrated at this time of year - we explore Samhain that's observed by followers of Paganism.PRESENTER: EDWARD STOURTON PRODUCERS: KATY BOOTH & CATHERINE MURRAY STUDIO MANAGERS: JOE STICKLER & CHRIS WALKER EDITOR: CHLOE WALKER

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week with Julie Etchingham.

It's a new dawn in Gaza as the ceasefire holds, we hear from the Catholic aid agency ready to send aid to Palestinians returning to where their homes once stood. Israeli families countdown to the release of the hostages they've longed for: we hear from those already released on why their Jewish faith deepened in captivity.Does Andy Burnham 'do God?' The Mayor of Greater Manchester says it is time for faith communities to help form a bedrock for a new vision of local government - and he credits Pope Francis with the idea of fostering a new culture of encounter.PRESENTER: JULIE ETCHINGHAM PRODUCERS: CATHERINE MURRAY & KATY BOOTH STUDIO MANAGERS: MIKE SMITH & ADAM DOLAN EDITOR: CHLOE WALKER

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week with William Crawley.

One man has a special insight into the qualities needed to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury; Rt Rev Lord Richard Harries has known the last 7 holders of the office. With the new incumbent potentially days or weeks away from being appointed, he takes us through some of the characteristics that will stand them in good stead. Emily speaks to Phyllis Zagano, leading expert on the subject of women deacons about whether Pope Leo will continue progress on the question.In the week the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia died aged 82, we ask who will replace him and will the country continue on a modernising path away from strict religious customs? China has published a new code of conduct detailing what clergy may and may not do online, warning them against internet fortune telling, or using AI for preaching. So is this an attempt to rein in the overcommercialisation of religious life, or a move to control religious freedom? PRODUCERS: Catherine Murray & Katy Booth EDITOR: Catherine Earlam PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR

As the United Nations celebrates its 80th anniversary, William Crawley talks to Adrian Gallagher, Professor in Global Security about whether the UN has lived up to its founding principles.Britain's Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has condemned the UK decision to formally recognise Palestinian statehood this week as "an historic error of foreign policy", but could this action forge a way to peace?We're used to seeing faith and religion portrayed in books and films, but now it's religion inspiring video games. The Gaming Vicar, Rev Simon Archer, explains the fascination with religion in video games.On Sunday an open letter in the Sunday Times accused the organisers of the "Unite the Kingdom" rally in central London of misusing Christianity and co-opting Christian symbols.. Pastor Rikki Doolan, who brought Tommy Robinson to faith, explains why the bible should be at the heart of British culture and decision making. We get reaction from Rt Rev Rose Hudson Wilkin and Dr Maria Power, Co editor of "The Church, t

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is being seen as a dangerous moment between left and right in US politics. Sunday explores the Christian nationalist background to the story with Professor Gordon Lynch of Edinburgh UniversityEdward speaks to Bishop Mariann Budde, the woman who memorably asked President Trump to have mercy on marginalised groups in his inaugural prayer service in Washington. Is there a generation gap in Britain's mosques? The head of the Muslim Council of Britain expresses his fears about the 'painful revolution' that could be on the cards if the divide between old and young isn't addressed. We're asking if there's a generation gap in your place of worship and what you've done to address it. Email sunday@bbc.co.uk Pope Leo turns 70 today. Has he given a birthday present to devotees of the Traditional Latin Mass? He announced that Cardinal Burke will be celebrating such a service in St Peter's Basilica in October for the first time since Pope Francis placed restrictions on the form. Edward sp

Pope Leo will preside over a service of canonisation for the first time today. The ceremony also stands out because of the age of one of those being made a saint; Carlo Acutis, who was British born, was just 15 when he died of leukaemia. We discuss the significance of soon-to-be Saint Carlo Acutis with BBC’s Religion Editor Aleem Maqbool. Musa al-Sadr was a hugely influential Lebanese-Iranian Shia cleric. He disappeared on a visit to Libya in 1978, and although there have been persistent rumours that he was killed by the Gaddafi regime, no one has been able to say for sure what happened to him. A new BBC Eye documentary called ‘The Mystery of Musa al-Sadr’ may have the answer. We speak to the programme’s producer and reporter, Moe Shreif. It has been a long wait - for eight months there has been no archbishop of Canterbury. We are now being told that we will know the name of the next leader of the Church of England and indeed the worldwide Anglican communion by the end of September or early in October. The pr