Sunday

Cardinal John Newman, who converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism, will be the first English person born since the 17th century to be declared a saint by the Catholic church on Sunday. A delegation led by Prince Charles will join thousands of pilgrims in St Peter’s Square for the special Canonisation Mass led by Pope Francis. For Newman to be declared a saint, two miracles must be verified by th...

An interactive map that tracks more than 3,000 Scots, mostly women, who were accused of being witches in the 16th and 17th Century has been published for the first time. Sunday hears from Professor Julian Goodare from the University of Edinburgh whose research into witchcraft in Scotland was used to build the map. Catholic Bishop John Arnold explains why his Salford diocese will be holding a mass...

On Good Friday, on the 300th anniversary of its premiere, the Academy of Ancient Music realised a long-held ambition to perform a new version of Handel’s mighty Brockes Passion at the Barbican in London. It will be released on CD next week and Alexander Von Ingen, Chief Executive of the Academy explains why this version is so unique. In a week of divisions and tensions in Parliament with some MPs...

A family from Bristol are bringing up their baby as gender neutral. They say it's to help their baby avoid unconscious gender bias. We hear from the family and discuss the theological implications of such decisions. The deadline for responses to a report on the persecution of Christians, led by the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, was this week. Some organisations have raised concerns about as...

In November 2017 a gunman walked into a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas and shot dead 26 parishioners. The pastor of that church, Frank Pomeroy, lost his 14 year old daughter in the attack. He tells William Crawley why he’s now running for political office and why he wears a gun in the pulpit. A crowdfunding page launched by a Muslim group opposed to LGBT relationships lessons has been r...

Should you make a promise you can’t keep? We reflect on the ethical issues thrown up by the week’s events in Parliament. Pope Francis has embarked on a 3 nation African tour. He’s visiting Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. Martin Bashir, the BBC’s Religion Editor, has been travelling with the Pope. The historian Dan Jones has just written a new account of the era through the multiple perspecti...

Who is protecting the rights of indigenous people in the Amazon? We hear from Kawá, an Amazonian tribesman living in the UK about how his tribe has been affected by the fires and Adriana Ramos from the The Instituto Socioambiental in Brazil. A group of Church of England bishops has issued an open letter on the prospect of a 'no-deal' Brexit and the need for national reconciliation. Rt Rev Paul Bay...

In a special Sunday programme, Edward Stourton takes a look at the relationship between religion and music. He begins with Gospel music and talks to historian Viv Broughton, promoter Roy Francis and singer Dawn Thomas Wallace about music that has its roots in the black oral tradition and which has had a massive impact on the popular music scene. The Rev Dr Jonathan Arnold discusses why religious m...

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham explains why some MPs want to close a legal loophole so that it is illegal for sports coaches and religious leaders to have sex with anyone in their care under the age of 18. Maji Peterx is a specialist in conflict resolution and has brought together former members and victims of Boko Haram in trauma awareness and peace-building workshops. He talks to Emily about h...

Sister Helen Prejean is known worldwide for campaigning against the death penalty in the US. She is the author of the bestselling ‘Dead Man Walking’ and joins Emily to talk about her latest book – a personal story of faith and spirituality. This week marks the 50th anniversary of the start of The Troubles and although the Good Friday Agreement saw an end to the violence twenty years ago, many in N...

A major clean-up is underway as homes were deluged, bridges destroyed, roads blocked and towns cut off as flash floods devastated parts of England. Reeth, in North Yorkshire, has been badly hit by the floods and the Bishop of Ripon, Helen-Ann Hartley has been one of those helping farmers and villagers as they try to get on top of the aftermath. The Salvation Army have been brought in by Coronation...

Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme presented by William Crawley.

Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme presented by Edward Stourton.

At the height of the English Civil War, the City of Chester was not only scarred by battle, it was also devastated by plague. One house, at 9, Watergate Street, was spared, it is still known as ‘God’s Providence House’. In 1652 a special oak relief carving was made to commemorate this building. Now, 367 years later, it has just turned up in a house-clearance sale in Shropshire and it goes to aucti...

Sir Stephen Cleobury – Director of Music at King’s College Cambridge – conducts his final Choral Evensong this Sunday. He talks to Emily about his 37 years at King's. The spotlight is once again on Ampleforth College over safeguarding as the Independent Schools Inspectorate published a Progress Monitoring Report highlighting failures at the school. Head teacher Deirdre Rowe will be leaving after j...

It's the biggest music festival in the world with more than 200,000 people expected to visit Worthy Farm in Somerset. It's renowned for its spectacular line up of musicians, but there is also a spiritual element to Glastonbury - and even a religious presence. The Reverend Chris North, has been volunteering for the past fifteen years in the Sanctuary Tent at the Festival. Senior Bishops in the Dioc...

Hindu spiritual leader BK Shivani described as “the very modern face of India's ancient Raja Yoga” this week she arrives in the UK to start a European Tour. Raja Yoga is known as the ‘yoga of the mind’ and BK Shivani’s has a vast following of almost 4 million on social media. She's expected to fill venues across the UK. Edward Stourton has been speaking to her ahead of her visit. Also in the progr...

Two years after Grenfell we hear about the role that faith plays in the lives of those still fighting for justice and overcoming the trauma of the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War. We hear why the Archbishop of Dublin has called for an end to gangland-style funerals and why some fear his statement could put local priests at risk. And as a new helpline for Jewish women suffering...

As the Cricket World Cup gets underway, Sarah Fane, founder and director of Afghan Connection a charity working to improve the lives of young Afghani's through cricket tells William about the extraordinary story of the rise of Afghanistan as a cricketing force. Commemorations are taking place for the 75th anniversary of D-Day on 6th June 2019. Of the countless sacrifices made on that day some of t...

Asia Bibi's lawyer, Saif-ul Malook, was named Secularist of the Year this week by the National Secular Society. This week he returns to Pakistan after forfeiting his asylum in the Netherlands in order to fight another blasphemy case. He tells us why. Diarmaid MacCulloch joins us to explain why is he so concerned at a British Academy report this week warning that Theology and Religions courses are...

In her day, Queen Emma was a powerful political figure who married two successive Kings of England and was the mother of Edward the Confessor. Experts believe that they have found her bones in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral. Replicas of those bones now form the centrepiece of a new exhibition exploring the relationship between monarchy, power and the church. Trevor Barnes has been to inv...

Walking pilgrimages are increasingly capturing the popular imagination; Bernadette Kehoe joins pilgrims on a new pilgrimage route in Kent. The ‘Augustine Camino’ winds its way from the Anglican Cathedral in Rochester to the Catholic shrine of St Augustine. Jean Vanier, the Catholic theologian and founder of the L’Arche communities, died this week. We pay tribute to his life and work with John Sarg...

Ramadan begins tomorrow and for the next month, Muslims will fast every day from sunrise to sunset. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam as is Zakat - the compulsory giving of a proportion of your wealth to charity. We hear from young Muslims about the importance of giving. Today the Pope sets off on a visit to Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia. Why is he visiting countries in wh...

Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday bombings left at least 250 dead and more than 500 wounded. One week on we examine the history behind Sri Lanka's religious tensions and speak to a Catholic leader as churches across the country remain shut in fear of further attacks. After so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, we ask if this is now the terror group will operate now its territory h...

How was the date of Easter decided in the West? Michael Carter, Monastic Historian at English Heritage explains why Whitby Abbey played a crucial role. Ethirajan Anbarasan from the BBC's Sihala service gives the latest on the bombing of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka where hundreds have died. Cardinal Vincent Nichols head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales joins Emily live to discuss is...