Centre for Catholic Studies Podcast

First Anglican to be appointed prior of Taizé talks about the synod and Christian unity The synod process has the potential to bring about greater unity among Christians, the incoming leader of Taizé has said ahead of ecumenical prayer vigil ahead of the synod meeting in Rome. Brother Matthew (Andrew Thorpe) is the first Anglican to be appointed Prior of the Ecumenical Christian monastic fraternit...

Pentecostal church minister speaks about synodal renewal and why Pope Francis is a leader to charismatic Christians The synod process in the Catholic Church is attracting interest from other Christian denominations, including from unexpected quarters. In this episode, I interviewed Neil Hudson, a Pentecostal pastor for 30 years. He is a senior leader at the Elim church in Salford, the northwest of...

In this CTRS seminar, Dr Jacob Phillips of St Mary's University, gives a talk titled Criticising Newman's 'Apologia'.

The Archbishop of Liverpool, Malcolm McMahon, took charge of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle following the resignation of Bishop Robert Byrne who stepped down due to serious failures of leadership in child protection. In this podcast, the archbishop speaks for the first time about the problems in the diocese, the changes he has sought to introduce and the importance of the synod process or bet...

In this online CTRS seminar, Tia Noelle Pratt, Assistance Vice-President for Mission Engagement and Strategic Engagements at Villaonva University, gives a presentation on "Do the Work: Anti-racism and the Catholic Church". Please note that there is no Q&A session included at the end of this recording. Photo of Tia Noelle Pratt by Allen Harris.

In this CTRS seminar, Professor Greg Hillis of Bellarmine University talks about 'Opposing the “Heresy of Individualism”: Thomas Merton and Interreligious Dialogue'.

In this CTRS seminar, Professor Chris Insole of the University of Durham, speaks about 'Pantheism: A Word for the World'.

In this CTRS lunchtime research seminar, Professor Nicholas Lombardo OP of the Catholic University of America, gives a talk on 'The Grammar of Divinity: A genealogy of confused thinking about the divine essence in Western Trinitarian Theology'.

Professor Myriam Wijlens is a theologian and church lawyer who is playing a pivotal role in advising the global synod process. She understands church reform: how it happens, what is possible, and what isn’t possible and was one of the first women called to be involved in the synod organising committee. In this episode, she takes me through what has happened in the synod so far, including the groun...

In our annual Teilhard seminar, Dr Carmody Grey explores ‘Life’ in the Human and the Nonhuman: Theology and Phenomenology. Links Transcript: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ixaskp4ll4oxbvsd8105z/Teilhard-Lecture-Carmody-Grey-26th-May-2023.docx?dl=0&rlkey=cjfpipiiiqhjjgvm90se7uvow Slides: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tfcgjkqj1l9q8hv/Plessner%20and%20Scheler.pdf?dl=0 Supported by the British Teilhard Ne...

This is Season 2, Episode 3 of The Church's Radical Reform, a podcast on the synodal movement presented by Christopher Lamb. Christopher is Vatican Correspondent for The Tablet and a PhD student at the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University. The podcast is sponsored by the Centre for Catholic Studies and The Tablet. The synod discussions, whether in Asia, Latin America or Europe, have re...

Credible leadership is a critical feature of the synodal journey with Catholics across the globe calling for lay women and men to be more involved in decision-making. The synod is pointing to a renewed model, away from the top-down, command and-control style of the past to one which includes diverse voices and charisms in forging the future mission of the Church. In this episode, I talk to Lord Mc...

Climate, Covid, Conflict: Can Catholic Social Teaching show us the way through the storm?

This is Season 2, Episode 1 of The Church's Radical Reform, a podcast on the synodal movement presented by Christopher Lamb. Christopher is Vatican Correspondent for The Tablet and a PhD student at the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University. The podcast is sponsored by the Centre for Catholic Studies and The Tablet. In this episode, we hear from Timothy Costelloe, Archbishop of Perth, wh...

Polarisation presents one of the biggest challenges to the unity of the Church, which is far from immune to the political divisions that have become writ large across our political culture. Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher to the papal household, has pointed out that fraternity among Catholics has been “wounded” by “political options that grow into ideologies.” In this episode, Christop...

Dr Suzanna Ivanič speaks on the topic of "Iconoclasm at Christmas: Catholic Visual Culture in the Heart of Europe, c. 1600" for the Ushaw Lecture Series.

A commonly held fear about the synod process is that it will allow division and disagreement to veer out of control. Several bishops and priests don’t wish to engage with synodality as they worry it will disrupt the peace. Is this fear justified? In this episode, I go inside a synod gathering in Sydney, Australia, where an explosive moment of disagreement almost derailed the whole process. Halfway...

If you read some of the commentaries about the German synodal pathway, you might be forgiven for believing that the Church in Germany is planning a second Reformation. Der Synodale Weg, “the synodal path”, has faced heavy criticism for the way it is approaching the question of reform. The Germans have decided to focus on the use of power, women in ministry, priestly existence and Catholic sexual t...

A Lived Catholicism seminar by Dr Gregory Ryan (Durham University) 13 June 2022

A 'Lived Catholicism' Catholic Theology Research Seminar by Dr John O'Brien, Associate Professor (Research) in Transforming Church at the Centre for Catholic Studies, Durham University. Presented on 13 January 2022.

Cardinal Mario Grech is the man Pope Francis has placed in charge of the worldwide synod and in this episode, I talked to him about the tensions that had been unleashed by the process. The synod was never going to be plain sailing and disagreement among bishops about the direction of the Church has now spilt out into the open in ways not seen for centuries. A German synodal process, which is focus...

Much of the media focus on the synod has been on western churches with the underlining question centred on how the process can reverse declining congregations and respond to the abuse crisis. But what does it all mean for Africa, a part of the Catholic world where churches are overflowing and vocations booming? Is the synod having any impact? In this episode, these questions are put to two leading...

In Episode 3 of the Church's Radical Reform, Christopher Lamb speaks to Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras and a member of Pope Francis' council of cardinal advisers. The Church in Latin and Central America has been at the forefront of reform in Catholicism and Cardinal Oscar explains how the synodal process is something “totally new”. He discusses how syno...

Bishop Dunn Memorial Lecture 2022, presented as part of the Ushaw Lecture Series. Archbishop Wilson is introduced by Prof. Paul D. Murray, Dean-Director of the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University. The recording is produced by Premier Christian Radio, www.premierchristianradio.com

Pope Francis has launched the most ambitious Catholic renewal project for 60 years with a listening exercise that aims to give every member of the 1.3 billion Church a stake in its future. Through a “synodal” process, the Pope is asking Catholics to help re-imagine the future of the Church, and grapple with questions such as the role of women, evangelisation, priesthood, serving the marginalised a...