Catholic News

We have a special guest for this Catholic News podcast episode – Sister Helen Alford OP, the President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Sister Alford, a religious sister of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena, was born in London and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in manufacturing engineering, where she was also awarded a PhD. Touching...

Our studio guest for this special 30-minute Catholic News podcast is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Born in northern Italy, the Patriarch, a Franciscan, has spend 35 years of his ministry in the Holy Land. In this time he has seen many episodes of war and tension. The current cycle of violence is particularly devastating. However, it is the season...

For this Catholic News podcast, we take on a difficult subject – one that needs a carefully considered pastoral approach to those in acute need. Our topic today is domestic abuse and we’re speaking to Nikki Dhillon Keane from Safe in Faith, an organisation that fosters safe support for survivors of domestic abuse and gender-based violence. Nikki is a Catholic psychotherapist and counsellor who spe...

Canon Christopher Thomas, General Secretary here at the Bishops’ Conference secretariat, gives us an update on the new lectionary that will be used for the first time in parishes across England and Wales on the First Sunday of Advent. Speaking on our monthly At the Foot of the Cross podcast, Canon Thomas tells us that we need to be patient with the new text, and gives us some examples of the diffe...

On this Catholic News podcast, you can listen to the President of the Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, talking about why it's so important to inform ourselves about assisted suicide and take action to oppose attempts to legalise it. In a pastoral letter to the priests and people of his diocese, the Cardinal refers to a private members' bill on assisted suicide that will shortly pass...

If you’ve been a regular at Mass over these summer months you will have listened to the guidance of the prophets in our readings. Whether you've heard God’s wisdom and warnings through Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, Micah or Hosea, it’s that time of year when we are given the revelatory word that brings about change in the hearts of some or consolation in the hearts of others. But, as our General Secreta...

If you’ve been a regular at Mass over these summer months you will have listened to the guidance of the prophets in our readings. Whether you've heard God’s wisdom and warnings through Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, Micah or Hosea, it’s that time of year when we are given the revelatory word that brings about change in the hearts of some or consolation in the hearts of others. But, as our General Secreta...

Ahead of the World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly, Bishop David Evans has spoken about the need for us to value the elderly and recognise the important contribution grandparents make to society. On this 'Catholic News' podcast we discuss how we can use this day, on Sunday 28 July, as one of thanksgiving and prayer for grandparents and the elderly. "We might have a rather rosy idea...

Ahead of the World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly, Bishop David Evans has spoken about the need for us to value the elderly and recognise the important contribution grandparents make to society. On this 'Catholic News' podcast we discuss how we can use this day, on Sunday 28 July, as one of thanksgiving and prayer for grandparents and the elderly. "We might have a rather rosy idea...

Ahead of Sea Sunday , the day we come together to pray for seafarers and fishers to thank them for the vital role they play in all of our lives, we spoke to Deacon Nick O'Neill, the Senior Area Port Chaplain for the South of England and Wales for Catholic charity Stella Maris . In this Catholic News podcast, Deacon Nick discusses the joys and challenges of his job supporting seafarers with host Fi...

Ahead of Sea Sunday , the day we come together to pray for seafarers and fishers to thank them for the vital role they play in all of our lives, we spoke to Deacon Nick O'Neill, the Senior Area Port Chaplain for the South of England and Wales for Catholic charity Stella Maris . In this Catholic News podcast, Deacon Nick discusses the joys and challenges of his job supporting seafarers with host Fi...

Hospices - places you go to die, right? Horizontal in a bed for the last months of your life? Decades ago, perhaps, but the modern hospice offers a wide variety of services - all designed to provide high quality, compassionate care for the dying person. In fact, around 50% of people that use the facilities and treatments go home at the end of the day. It's time to challenge the stereotypes, bust t...

Hospices - places you go to die, right? Horizontal in a bed for the last months of your life? Decades ago, perhaps, but the modern hospice offers a wide variety of services - all designed to provide high quality, compassionate care for the dying person. In fact, around 50% of people that use the facilities and treatments go home at the end of the day. It's time to challenge the stereotypes, bust t...

For this special Catholic News podcast, we take a look back on Bishop Declan Lang’s twenty-three years as Bishop of Clifton. Let me set the scene for you… It was the evening before his successor's episcopal ordination, and we were fortunate to side-step all the intense planning and preparation for the day to come, in order to sit down in the garden of the retiring Bishop of Clifton as the Spring s...

For this special Catholic News podcast, we take a look back on Bishop Declan Lang’s twenty-three years as Bishop of Clifton. Let me set the scene for you… It was the evening before his successor's episcopal ordination, and we were fortunate to side-step all the intense planning and preparation for the day to come, in order to sit down in the garden of the retiring Bishop of Clifton as the Spring s...

Father Gabriel Romanelli is the parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. He had to watch from a distance as the horrors of the 7 October Hamas attack unfolded, before Israel's bombardment of the Strip led to the humanitarian crisis and suffering we now see in this torn land. Father Romanelli spent a week in the UK, in London and Glasgow, from 22 - 27 April, meeting with Christian lead...

Father Gabriel Romanelli is the parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. He had to watch from a distance as the horrors of the 7 October Hamas attack unfolded, before Israel's bombardment of the Strip led to the humanitarian crisis and suffering we now see in this torn land. Father Romanelli spent a week in the UK, in London and Glasgow, from 22 - 27 April, meeting with Christian lead...

This Catholic News podcast looks at AI and Pope Francis' message for World Communications Day. Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for Communications here at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, talks about how the technology can make information accessible and support the common good but we should make sure that it is carefully regulated. "Let's use machines to assist us in what we'...

This Catholic News podcast looks at AI and Pope Francis' message for World Communications Day. Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for Communications here at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, talks about how the technology can make information accessible and support the common good but we should make sure that it is carefully regulated. "Let's use machines to assist us in what we'...

We keep our firm focus on the Holy Land and whilst we continue to weep as we look on at the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the suffering of all civilians caught up in this conflict, we're joined by Fr Fadi Diab to discuss the lived realities of the Palestinian people in the West Bank as well as in the decimated strip. Fr Diab is from Ramallah and is the rector of St Andrew's Episcopal Church an...

We keep our firm focus on the Holy Land and whilst we continue to weep as we look on at the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the suffering of all civilians caught up in this conflict, we're joined by Fr Fadi Diab to discuss the lived realities of the Palestinian people in the West Bank as well as in the decimated strip. Fr Diab is from Ramallah and is the rector of St Andrew's Episcopal Church an...

Bishop Declan Lang, Chair of our International Affairs department, recently joined former Middle East North Africa advisor to the Bishops' Conference, Dr Harry Hagopian, on a special podcast to discuss the tragic events playing out in the Holy Land as the conflict continues to rage in Gaza. Five long, painful months after the Hamas terror attack of 7 October and the subsequent bombing and ground o...

Bishop Declan Lang, Chair of our International Affairs department, recently joined former Middle East North Africa advisor to the Bishops' Conference, Dr Harry Hagopian, on a special podcast to discuss the tragic events playing out in the Holy Land as the conflict continues to rage in Gaza. Five long, painful months after the Hamas terror attack of 7 October and the subsequent bombing and ground o...

The focus of this Catholic News podcast is the Year of Jubilee in 2025, and the preparation year proceeding it that we're currently living - the Year of Prayer. Pope Francis wants the Church to be prepared for the Jubilee Year with a particular focus on prayer, and what better prayer to use than the 'Our Father' that Jesus taught us. During Lent, we are offering a five-week course designed to help...

The focus of this Catholic News podcast is the Year of Jubilee in 2025, and the preparation year proceeding it that we're currently living - the Year of Prayer. Pope Francis wants the Church to be prepared for the Jubilee Year with a particular focus on prayer, and what better prayer to use than the 'Our Father' that Jesus taught us. During Lent, we are offering a five-week course designed to help...