Everyday Ethics

Rev Izzy Hawthorne Steel and Rev Chris Bennett on how they dealt with church arsonists aged 10 and 11 and Carl Stauffer on restorative justice around the world.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde recalls her sermon before Trump—a plea for mercy in Washington National Cathedral that sparked his outrage the morning after his inauguration.

Cardinal Robert Prevost became Pope Leo XIV in May. 100 days later, is the shape of his papacy emerging? Audrey Carville hears from theologian Professor Anna Rowlands, Michael Kelly whose biography of Pope Leo was published just days after the conclave ended, and Emer McCarthy who works at the Vatican at the Commission for the Protection of Minors.

On the 80th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell's powerful political satire Animal Farm, we hear about the author's motivations and the power of his storytelling from Professor Jean Seaton, director of the Orwell Foundation. Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov is perhaps most famous for his book Death and the Penguin. He lives and works in a war zone. En route from home in Kyiv to Edinburgh Book Festival, he spoke to Audrey Carville about the risks involved in writing political satire. Orwell Prize winner Sally Hayden (My Fourth Time We Drowned) and EU Prize for Literature winner Jan Carson (The Firestarters) discuss whether their writing is political and how books can change the world.

Fr. Carlos Ferrero on the bombing of his church and the starvation of the people of Gaza.

Rod Dreher on JD Vance's conversion to catholicism

A new technique creates IVF embryos with DNA from three people to stop a genetic disorder

This weekend marks the feast day of Benedict- a 6th century monk who had his own rule, which has survived down the centuries. That rule emphasises moderation, work and prayer.Our journey this morning will begin in the Great Italian Monastery of Monte Cassino as we learn about the man himself and how he shaped monasticism in Western Europe. The Benedictine Order still exists across Europe- and we will hear three tales-first from Father Pere Basile, a monk who glorifies God through making wine at the Papal Vineyard of Pope Clement V in Provence in France.Then to Karol O’Connell, the Mother Superior at Kylemore Abbey in the West of Ireland leading an order of Benedictine Nuns who fled to Ireland after their monastery in Belgium was destroyed in the First World War. We finish our journey with Abbot Mark Ephrem of Holy Cross Monastery in Rostrevor in County Down - the first new Monastery built here for 800 years.

A special programme remembering the London bombings 20 years on. Audrey talks to two men connected by the explosion at Edgeware Road Station.David Gardner was reading the script of a Shakespeare play when the bomb went off. He lost a leg and the hearing in his left ear. 22-year-old David Foulkes was killed on his first work trip to London. He had accidentally boarded the wrong tube. His father Graham talks to Audrey about the enduring loss of his best friend.We also speak to two experts in trauma about the impact such an event can have on the human body and mind, and how people can be taught to deal with such trauma - Jo Dover is a specialist who works with victims of international terrorism and Sara Cook is a conflict response specialist.

Lamorna Ash talks about her conversion to Christianity.

Will Leitch explores the meaning of Sancutary Sunday.

Lord Eames looks back on being a Bishop for 50 years.

Professor Niobe Way on the challenges facing teenage boys.

Father Brian D’Arcy turns 80 today. He’s Ireland's best known priest, a journalist, a broadcaster, and someone who has never shied away from speaking his true feelings about some of the most important religious, political and social issues.Brian sat down with Audrey Carville to talk about love and loneliness, look back at some the moments that changed the course of his life, what happened after he spoke out against clerical abuse on The Late Late Show, how he’s not afraid of dying, and his biggest regret … going home instead of staying an extra day in Vegas to meet Elvis!

After 19 years, the Stormont government finally has an anti-poverty strategy.

What relevance does an event which took place 1700 years ago this week have for people today?The event was the gathering of the Council of Nicea- a meeting of Christian bishops by the Roman Emperor Constantine the First. It met in what is now the Turkish city of Iznik from May until the end of July. It was an ecumenical meeting - the first of many to achieve agreement among all the branches of Christianity and it was as much political as it was religiousIts most significant achievement at the time was the agreement on the wording of a Creed - something which many Christians still say during their services today.So why does any of this matter in 2025 and does the wording of that Creed still hold true in today's world?

Special episode from Rome on the election of Pope Leo XIV.