The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

So what’s in a name. When it comes to the papacy, almost everything. The name a new pope chooses can reveal a lot about his thinking and plans for the Catholic church. DAN HITCHENS recognised the significance of the name as soon as he heard it announced from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. A Pope Leo XIV will be inaugurated this weekend with a special Mass, but he’s already noticed a huge in-t...

Religion specialist Noel Debien speaks with Eparch’s vicar general Fr Simon Ckuj, who accompanied Cardinal Mykola Bychok CSrR, Eparch of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Australia and Oceania to Rome for the conclave. Cardinal Bychock was made the Catholic Church’s youngest cardinal by Pope Francis on 7 December 2024. Father Ckuj relates what the appointment of Pope Leo means for Australian...

So what’s in a name. When it comes to the papacy, almost everything. The name a new pope chooses can reveal a lot about his thinking and plans for the Catholic church. Cardinal Robert Prevost chose Leo XIV – a pope whose teachings on social and economic justice are felt today. DAN HITCHENS is a senior editor at First Things and a columnist at Compact magazines. He recognised the significance of th...

In April, a new book by the 14th Dalai Lama was published called “Voice For The Voiceless: Over Seven decades of struggle with China for my land and my people”. The Dalai Lama reveals that his reincarnated successor could be born in what he calls “the free world”. It would break with centuries of tradition – and raise the stakes in the dispute with China over control of the Himalayan region that t...

Pope Leo XIV will be inaugurated this weekend with a special Mass, but he’s already noticed a huge in-tray on his desk at the Vatican. Pope Francis was a beloved figure in much of the church, and the world, but his papacy was divisive among some Catholics and he left many issues unresolved.  So what are the priorities for Leo? Dr MILES PATTENDEN is a papal historian and commentator at Oxford Unive...

American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the next Supreme Pontiff and spiritual leader of the Catholic Church. The 267th pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is a member of the Augustinian religious order and the first American-Peruvian pope. Andrew West hosts this special edition of Radio National's Religion and Ethics Report and he is joined by papal experts, both in Rome and in Australia...

From St Peters Square, across from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican,  NOEL DEBIEN speaks to Austen Ivereigh ,  a UK-based writer and journalist who has written extensively on and with Pope Francis, and is a well known commentator on the convictions of the Catholic Church. He shares his insights into the secrecy, intrigue and drama of the conclave and the world of the Vatican

Andrew West speaks to Deacon George Peich Meat, the Permanent Deacon of St Mary's Dandenong,  and St Mary of the Cross, Mordialloc. He shares the story of his chance encounter with Pope Francis in South Sudan and reflects on the legacy of the late Pope on himself and his congregation.

As the cardinals enter the conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis, CLAIRE GIANGRAVE of the Religion News Service profiles the front-runners. Why did the Coalition perform so poorly among multicultural voters, even though many communities are highly religious, socially conservative and committed to a small business ethic that aligns well with Liberal Party values? The Liberals’ most success...

Back in Rome, ABC Religion specialist NOEL DEBIEN discusses the factors that will influence the cardinals as they choose a new pope. 

Why did the Coalition perform so poorly among multicultural voters, even though many communities are highly religious, socially conservative and committed to a small business ethic that aligns well with Liberal Party values? The Liberals’ most successful leader with ethnic voters, former NSW Premier BARRY O’FARRELL, who notched a stunning victory winning 65 percent of the vote in 2011, has some le...

As the cardinals enter the conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis, CLAIRE GIANGRAVE of the Religion News Service profiles the front-runners.

In another election, where only 135 votes are cast, what is the politicking behind the choice of the next pope? Jesuit priest and political scientist Thomas Reese , author of the classic book Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church , discusses the factors that will influence the cardinals.

In a pre-election broadcast from Parramatta Square, Professor Awais Piracha of Western Sydney University and Melissa Montiero of the Community Migrant Resource Centre discuss how religion could influence the result in heavily multicultural seats in Western Sydney and Melbourne, in particular. In another election, where only 135 votes are cast, what is the politicking behind the choice of the next...

Simulcast with ABC TV and News Radio, Radio National's Religion and Ethics presents the funeral mass of His Holiness Pope Francis. Anchored from the Ultimo studios by ABC News presenter Jeremy Fernandez, the special features a panel of religion experts, including The Religion and Ethics Report host Andrew West, The Minefield 's Scott Stephens, and Clare Johnson , Director of the ACU Centre for Lit...

MARK SHRIVER has spent much of his life around power. He was a successful Democratic Party politician and he’s a Kennedy. JFK and Bobby were his uncles and his father, Sargent Shriver ran for vice-president.  But he’s also had a life of service, working with disadvantaged kids. A decade ago, grappling with his own Catholicism, he became fascinated with the relatively new Pope Francis. He wanted to...

Within days, perhaps even hours of Pope Francis’s funeral, the discreet meetings will begin among the 135 cardinals who will elect the next Pope.  When the doors close on the conclave, we won’t – strictly speaking, shouldn’t – know anything until a new pope appears on the balcony of St Peter’s Square.  But what happens in the crucial days leading up to the conclave as candidates start to emerge. ...

Claire Giangrave from the Religion News Service is in Rome where the city is preparing for the funeral of Pope Francis.  There’s a guest list including princes, presidents, and prime ministers.  Why is this funeral as much a geopolitical event as a centuries-old religious rite?

Claire Giangrave from the Religion News Service is in Rome where the city is preparing for the funeral of Pope Francis. There’s a guest list including princes, presidents, and prime ministers. Why is this funeral as much a geopolitical event as a centuries-old religious rite? Within days, perhaps even hours of Pope Francis’s funeral, the discreet meetings will begin among the 135 cardinals who wil...

Andrew West hosts a special Radio National Religion and Ethics broadcast. Joining him in the studio are Radio National Religion specialists Geraldine Doogue and Noel Debien. We are marking the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis who died early Easter Monday morning We cross around the world for reactions to this news. GUESTS: Claire Giangrave - Religion News Service in Rome Jesuit priest Father F...

During the church-led civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, many strove for a society that was colour blind. Purging prejudice meant looking beyond race to a common humanity. But for African-American writer TYLER AUSTIN HARPER, today's anti-racism movement erects barriers, demands discomfort, denies the possibility of friendship, even love across racial lines. In a major essay for The Atlan...

Rebuilding relationships between Israelis and Palestinians in a land they're fated to share. An impossible task, you might think, as the war in Gaza grinds on. But one Israeli-Australian author, educator and peace-builder won't let go of his vision for harmony in Israel and Palestine. And he has a plan to achieve it. ITTAY FLESCHER runs joint education programs for Jewish and Arab students in Jeru...

EASTER WEEK The Easter season is not just a time of spiritual trial – not just a reflection on the Easter story of sacrifice and redemption. Many Christians, and other people of faith, persevere in the face of real danger in regions convulsed by conflict. One of those places is Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A mixture of calm and fear now prevails in the city since rebels from the so-ca...

MARLEY KROK grew up in the Mormon faith but is now secular and MAGGIE PAUL is an Indian-born Catholic-turned-Buddhist, who’s in an interfaith marriage to a Muslim husband. They discuss how their faith lives have shaped their academic interests, the relevance of their PhD research to the upcoming election, and the challenges and rewards of being mature students in 2025. Sociologist Dr Anna Halafoff...

In our Students Week panel this week, MARLEY KROK grew up in the Mormon faith but is now secular and MAGGIE PAUL is an Indian-born Catholic-turned-Buddhist, who’s in an interfaith marriage to a Muslim husband.  They discuss how their faith lives have shaped their academic interests, the relevance of their PhD research to the upcoming election, and the challenges and rewards of being mature student...