Sunday

Swiss singer Nemo has won the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden, with their song The Code. The contest in Malmo Sweden has been marred by protests about the Israel Gaza conflict threatened to derail the event. Emily Buchanan gets an update rom BBC reporter Sophie Yardley and Dr Paul Jordan, an expert on Eurovision whose thesis, The Eurovision Song Contest: nation branding and nation building, examined the political changes in the competition.For the fifth time, Vladimir Putin took the oath of office and was sworn in as Russia's president for a new six-year term in the Kremlin Palace before being blessed by Patriarch Kirill in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Where he was likened to Alexander Nevsky - known for fighting off raids of Teuton knights. Patriarch Kirill claimed “God himself entrusted the service of Russia to you". How do these events shape the identity of the Russian Orthodox Church? Sunday programme hears from Katharine Kelaidis, Director of Research and Content at the National Hellenic Museum

The way many Muslims have voted in the local elections this week has raised some difficult questions for Labour. We hear from Shaista Aziz one of ten Labour councillors in Oxford who resigned in the autumn over the party's position on the Gaza conflict, and Stephen Fisher, Professor of Political Sociology at Oxford University, on what it could mean for a general election. Lama Rod Owens is one of a new generation of Buddhist teachers centred on living in a just way, with a focus on social change, identity and spiritual wellness - with many of his practises taking place online. He’s currently on tour in the UK and joins us to discuss how his Methodist upbringing in America’s South has helped form his unique practise of Tibetan Buddhism.The government announced this week that it was consulting on whether to lift current rules that mean faith schools can only offer up to 50 percent of their places to pupils on the basis of religious belief. The Catholic Education Service has been lobbying for over a decade and c

As the malaria vaccine is rolled out across sub Saharan Africa, medical experts are concerned about the impact of anti vaccine sermons from influential religious figures. An example is Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, a multi-millionaire televangelist in Nigeria whose promotion of anti-vax conspiracy theories risks undercutting the country's efforts to deal with malaria. William Crawley speaks to Julius Ogunro, a media and political consultant in Abuja who's been writing about the pastor's anti-vax views.Lady Bushra has been gracing stages across the UK and America with a drag and comedy act representing South Asian communities, wearing traditional Desi makeup and rocking a Saree. Behind the make-up is the Bradford-born artist and performer Amir Dean, who spoke to William Crawley just before one of his shows in Manchester.As Humanists UK release a book of interviews called ‘What I Believe’, we ask what they do believe, apart from the assertion that there is no God. We hear from Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Hum

Parishioner's in Gaza’s only Roman Catholic church are marking Easter Sunday with some extra pomp and pageantry but basically as they do everyday, with prayers for food and a ceasefire. More than 500 people have been sheltering in the Holy Family Church since the outbreak of war. They’re part of the dwindling Christian community in Gaza who’ve stuck together for protection and ignored warnings to leave the northern part of the strip. Producer Catherine Murray has kept in touch with one of their members, George Antone, and tells us how they have communicated over the past six months.Former United States president Donald Trump is selling Bibles during the Easter holiday, encouraging his supporters to "Make America Pray Again". In a three-minute video posted on his Truth Social network on Tuesday, Mr Trump told supporters that "Christians are under siege" as he endorsed a large-print King James Version of the Bible complete with what he called America's "founding father documents." We’ll hear from Theologian Br

Faith leaders including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Vincent Nichols have welcomed a new report which calls for better support for asylum seekers. It comes from a commission set up to consider how refugees might be helped to integrate into society more easily. It makes a series of recommendations and suggests that the current system creates barriers to asylum seekers who want to quickly make good use of their existing skills and qualifications. The government says it's committed to ensuring refugees can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK.It's 300 years since J S Bach's setting of the Passion narrative from St John's gospel was first performed on Good Friday at the St Nicholas Church in Leipzig. This week many of the UK's cathedrals and churches will be marking the anniversary by performing it. The composer, conductor and singer, Bob Chilcott celebrates the work and reflects on what is one of the most revered of all musical settings of the Passion. Does r

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is normally a time of fasting, family and prayer for Muslims around the world. How can the people of Gaza observe Ramadan in the middle of conflict, displacement and desperate food shortages? Ghada Ouda, a journalist in Rafah in the south of Gaza, tells us about her preparations.The first ever helpline in the UK dedicated to people leaving controlling groups or experiencing religious trauma has just been set up. Terri O'Sullivan, Apostate Services Development Officer, at Humanists UK explains who is using the service.As Christians mark the fourth Sunday in Lent, Mothering Sunday, we ask is it ok to avoid church? Lizzie Lowrie discusses the alternative liturgy she helped create for those who find the day difficult.Editor: Dan Tierney Presenter: Emily Buchanan Producers: Alexa Good and James Leesley Studio Managers: Simon Highfield and Kelly YoungProduction Coordinator: Pete Liggins

More than 100 Palestinians died trying to get food from an aid convoy earlier in the week. We hear from Gaza's small Christian minority, most of whom have been sheltering in two churches, as well as from ICRC's Matt Morris on the challenges aid agencies face in getting aid across to a people on the brink of starvation.The 26-year-old artist claimed a record-breaking six prizes, including Best Artist and Best Album. She also became the first woman to win songwriter of the year. Raye is outspoken about her life as a committed Christian, and has even suggested that God saved her from taking her own life. She's talked about her faith to the BBC music correspondent, Mark Savage. The prime minister's dramatic appearance at the Downing Street lectern on Friday night, warning of extremists "trying to tear us apart", followed days of roiling political turmoil; the row over the now former Tory MP Lee Anderson claiming that the Mayor of London is "controlled" by Islamists, the claim by another Tory MP, Paul Scully, that

Some of the Vatican’s secrets have been revealed in a new book, ”Secretum”, by Massimo Franco. It’s in the form of a series of conversations with Archbishop Sergio Pagano, who has worked in the Vatican archive for 45 years. From stories of Vatican intrigue to a letter written in 1530 by English nobles urging Pope Clement VII to grant Henry VIII an annulment so he could marry Anne Boleyn, Massimo Franco tells Edward about some of the gems in the Archive.The Inter Faith Network (IFN) is to close after the government withdrew funding because one of its trustees is associated with the Muslim Council of Britain. Since 1987 the IFN has worked to promote understanding and good relations between people of different faiths. Edward talks to IFN’s executive director, Dr Harriet Crabtree and to Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.Increasingly AI is being used to help people maintain a form of relationship after death, to help preserve a legacy or experiences worth remembering. We hear f

Israeli troops are set to advance into the Gazan city of Rafah, defying international pleas to reconsider. Some 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering there. The UK House of Bishops is calling for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict. The Sunday programme spoke to Bishop of Worchester Dr John Inge.Sir Keir Starmer has defended his handling of the antisemitism row in his party as a Muslim candidate is withdrawn from the race in Rochdale. William Crawley speaks to Marc Levy - the chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Mohammed Shafiq, National Executive Committee member of PCS Union and Chief Executive and founding member of the Ramadhan Foundation which is one of the UK's leading Muslim youth organisations.Church buildings have opened their doors and held public events for centuries; Choral Evensong, Classical concerts and in more recent times, Lego building and Crazy Golf. But this year, many cathedrals across the country are taking it a step further and hosting 80

Sunday's interview last week with Weymouth Baptist Church has led to a great deal of debate about whether church leaders are backing fraudulent asylum claims. The home secretary is now investigating how the asylum system deals with migrants who have converted to Christianity. We talk to the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani on the churches role in asylum.Religious leaders across different faiths united to offer their prayers for King Charles following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis. How is personal faith challenged by a cancer diagnosis and how do different faiths and modern science approach the idea of praying for someone’s health in times of sickness? We hear US neuroscientist Joshua Brown and Kishori Jani, a teacher of Hindu scripture who runs popular social media channels featuring mantra chanting.Spanish artist Salustiano García Cruz's depiction of a handsome, youthful Jesus on a poster in Seville has become the source of controversy. The painting, which shows a young and muscular J

The issue of converting asylum seekers to Christianity has been in the headlines this week with accusations that some clergy are naive or too eager to help asylum seekers stay in the country. We talk to a Baptist elder with experience of converting and helping asylum seekers.Jaz from Traitors won the respect of TV audiences with the way he played the gameshow, but he revealed it was his Sikh faith that guided him through the show and helped him be a true Faithful. The film Samsara – which has just reached our cinemas – has attracted some great reviews despite the fact that you are encouraged to watch part of it with your eyes closed. It tells the story of the journey of the soul of an elderly woman in Laos to its reincarnation as goat in Zanzibar. Edward speaks to director Lois Patino and Dechen Pemba from the Tibetan Film Festival who went to see it on our behalf.There was another bust up over same sex blessings in the Church of England this week. A Bishop resigned from the process, and 130 people wrote a le

The Church of England is facing renewed criticism following its decision to close its own Independent Safeguarding Board last year. At the time, church authorities said they closed the board in order to replace it with a more independent and more effective body. But some victims and survivors of abuse say that decision left them feeling abandoned, silenced and re-traumatised. William Crawley hears from one of those survivors, as well as from David Glasgow, a clinical psychologist who has published his own report into the matter, and from Dr Jamie Harrison, chair of the House of Laity on the Archbishops' Council.In Nicaragua, Catholic universities and charities have been closed or seized by the government because bishops and priests have publicly challenged what they view as the regime's abuse of human rights. Francisco Urrutia, General Secretary of the Association of Jesuit Universities in Latin America, tells the programme that President Daniel Ortega's regime is set on silencing the church's voice in publi

Sunday hears from George Antone from Catholic aid agency Caritas, a member of Holy Family Church in Gaza City. He's one of around 400 parishioners taking shelter in the church and tells us about problems finding food and receiving aid to keep going amidst the war.Would an entry fee put you off visiting a cathedral? One in four now charge in England. William hears from listeners as well as the Very Revd Jo Kelly-Moore, Chair of the Association of English Cathedrals, and the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford, Dean of Chester Cathedral, which is free to enter. Muslim comic Ola Labib talks about keeping her standup secret from her parents when she changed careers from pharmacy, and the things she won't do on stage because of her religion.Hear about the beautiful tradition of Gaelic Psalm singing being preserved and presented in a new exhibition touring the Hebrides this year. Dr Frances Wilkins and Magidh Smith talk about Seinn Spioradail.Does it matter if the future King, and therefore the future Supreme Governor of th

Pope Francis has called for a global ban on surrogacy, saying it is the commercialisation of pregnancy and a threat to human dignity. Edward Stourton hears the experiences of a couple and their surrogate and explores the ethics of surrogacy with Christian ethicist Dr Helen Watt and fertility lawyer Natalie Gamble. The Houthis in Yemen have been carrying out a campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, prompting US and UK air strikes this week. But who are the Houthis? What do they believe? International relations professor Simon Mabon explains the theology and ideology behind this Shia Islamist group.In recent decades, Ireland has seen the most extraordinary decline in Catholicism, with far fewer people regularly attending Mass. There's also a crisis within the clergy as the supply of vocations has dwindled. The average age of Catholic priests in Ireland is 70, for nuns it's over 80. Two new documentaries from the Irish broadcaster, RTE examine the possibility that both pr

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have conducted a wide-ranging survey on perceptions of religion and science, which suggests that half the UK population believes that religion does more harm than good. 50% of respondents said religion 'has more negative societal consequences than positive', 30% said it 'has more positive societal consequences' and 20% didn’t know. We discuss the findings and weigh up the religious ‘balance sheet’ with Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist, broadcaster and Vice President of Humanists UK; and Dr Musharraf Hussain, Imam, scientist and charity worker in Nottingham.Also in the programme:This week saw the UK cinema release of ‘One Life’ – a film about the British man Nicholas Winton who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued 669 mostly Jewish Czechoslovakian children from the Nazis. One of those children, Milena Grenfell-Baines, tells her story.The Church of Scotland is on a five-year mission to close places of worship made unviable by a lack of ministers, falli

Emily Buchanan presents the final edition of Radio 4's Sunday programme of 2023, and brings together a panel of guests from different faiths to discuss the stand out events of the last year and also look forward to the issues and stories they expect everyone will be talking about in 2024.New figures from the charity Shelter indicate a sharp rise in homelessness. More than 300,000 people are thought to have spent this festive season without a proper home. We speak to the Anglican Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, who regards this as a moral scandal. In recent days Russia has intensified its attacks across Ukraine, in a significant escalation of the war. We return to Zhanna Bezpiatchuk, a reporter with the BBC Ukraine Service, who was one of the first people we spoke to after Russia's full scale invasion in February 2022. She reflects on nearly two years of conflict, how it's affected her life and the importance, during wartime, of her personal faith. A spontaneous memorial garden has sprung up clo

Edward Stourton presents a special Christmas Eve edition of Sunday, featuring live carols from Manchester Chamber Choir.On Christmas Eve in 1223, in cave near the cliffside village of Greccio in Italy, St Francis of Assisi created what's thought to be the first nativity scene. It was staged for the local villagers and it was a 'living scene' featuring people and animals. Colm Flynn reports from Greccio, and the art historian Dr Geri Parlby explores the nativity scene’s fascinating story and enduring appeal.There will be no Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem this year. Shaimaa Khalil reports from the birthplace of Jesus. Rev Dr Munther Isaac, Dean of Bethlehem Bible College, has created a nativity scene in his church directly inspired by the suffering endured as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict. He reflects on it with Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner.Carol singing is another much-loved tradition at this time of year. But how many of us have really thought about where our favourite carols come from? The compose

Security corresponent Frank Gardner has the latest from Tel Aviv as Lord Cameron calls for a 'sustainable ceasefire' in the war between Israel and Hamas.In the midst of the Covid inquiry and following the government’s response, last week, to the 2017 Hillsborough report, it seems public inquiries are constantly in the news. But what is their purpose and what are the ethics of inquiry?From today, same-sex couples in the Church of England are able to receive a blessing. We know that private blessing services have been happening for years, below the radar, but the House of Bishops has authorised the use of a new suite of special prayers to be used as part of regular services from today. William talks to Rev Catherine Bond and Rev Jane Pearce being blessed in their parish in Suffolk. It's been called the Vatican 'trial of the century', Crux reporter John Allen has the latest from Rome where Cardinal Becciu , once considered a possible future Pope, has been found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to five

Eight hundred Christians have been sheltering in two churches in Gaza City since the beginning of the war, with warnings that supplies are running low. Nader Abu Amshah from the Middle East Council of Churches has been in regular contact with them.‘American Sikh’ is a short animated film about an ordinary New Yorker who is viewed with suspicion after 9/11 because of his beard and turban. One day as part of his search for acceptance in American society, he decides to wear a Captain America costume, fully turbaned and bearded. It completely transforms the way people interact with him on the streets of New York. After being screened at film festivals ‘American Sikh’ is eligible to be shortlisted for an Oscar, we speak to the film’s main character and director, Vishavjit Singh. The Israel-Gaza conflict involves two of the world's great religious traditions - Judaism and Islam - and each has their own principles for determining when and how war should be fought. To find out what they are, Edward talks to Daniel Gr