Sunday

Pilgrimages are having a moment, with new paths in Scotland, around Durham and between the Cathedrals of England. The famous international ways from Camino de Santiago and Via Francigena have risen massively in popularity too, stalled only by the pandemic. We'll hear the highs and lows of our listeners' pilgrim tales and discuss the attraction with travel writer Sarah Baxter. Just what is it about walking for days on end that works for people and do you have to be religious to benefit?This week Northern Ireland marks the centenary of the state’s foundation after the partition of Ireland. The anniversary comes just weeks after renewed sectarian tensions. After the recent violence, the Irish President Michael D Higgins said education separated along Catholic and Protestant lines can no longer be justified - 93% of schoolchildren in Northern Ireland are separated by faith. We'll be talking to the headteacher and a parent from a school that will be one of the first to teach protestant and catholic children side b

On Friday, President Biden will mark his first 100 days in office. Each day he has received a letter written by a religious scholar about a pressing issue of the day. William is joined by the founder of '100 Days, 100 Letters' Rabbi Andrea Weiss. The issue of racism has become a common theme over the early days of this presidency and in the week of the conviction of the former policeman Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd Andrea shares some of the letters that explore the divisons and rifts many Americans are trying to resolve. Also we hear from Patrick Ngwolo the lead pastor at Resurrection Houston who knew George Floyd as a friend.The long awaited report from the Church of England's Archbishops' Anti-Racism Taskforce was released this week. It aims to bring about 'a change of culture in the life of the church.' But does it go far enough and what is being done differently to ensure the recommendations are acted on? We hear from a former race advisor to the church and two members of the taskforce,

Are you feeling stressed by the pandemic? You could try Sufi meditation to music. Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism that emphasises introspection and spiritual connection but the meditation can work whether you are of other faiths, or none. When the pandemic began the Sufi music group Zendeh Delan decided to create Sufi-inspired music to aid meditation and broaden its appeal. The result is an album fusing Persian with western orchestral instruments and it is now being used in hospitals and clinics. We talk to musician Omid Asgari about what he calls "the music of the soul" and to clinical psychologist Dr Saloumeh Bozorgzadeh about how she uses it in her practice. As the United States mourns the victims of the shooting at Indianapolis, Emily talks to Jennifer Hubbard, mother of six year old Catherine, who was one of twenty children and six adult staff members who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012. It is one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history. Jennifer tells Emil

Following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, William Crawley looks back on his life and reflects on his faith with Bishop Graham James, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, historian Coryne Hall and the writer Martin Palmer.Also in the programme, as violence returns to the streets of Northern Ireland, how significant is this moment and do religious leaders have any influence on events? With the Catholic Bishop Noel Treanor, and the Presbyterian Moderator, Dr David Bruce.And the musicologist Michael Spitzer, author of the new book 'The Musical Human: A History of Life on Earth', explores how music was fundamental to our evolution and its relationship to religious and spiritual beliefs across the world and across time.Producers: Dan Tierney and Rosie Dawson.

The singer and musician Harry Connick Junior is a Grammy and Emmy winning star. He's sold more than 28 million records worldwide and is in constant demand for concerts internationally. So when Covid struck, he found himself with time on his hands. The result is a new album Alone with My Faith.Last December, the Conservative MP Fiona Bruce was appointed the Prime Minister's Global Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. In her first broadcast interview since being appointed, she tells William her priorities for the job.The actor Sir David Suchet has played many roles from Poirot to Dr Who. His latest performance goes live on Easter Sunday when he reads the whole of St John’s Gospel from Westminster Abbey. The world premiere - as it has been billed - will be released on the Abbey’s website at 4pm on Easter Sunday.Producers: Carmel Lonergan Olive ClancyEditor: Tim PembertonPhoto Credit: Georgia Connick

The English National Opera and BBC Two are going ahead with a full rendition of Handel's Messiah over Easter. The soprano Nadine Benjamin and the conductor Laurence Cummings tell Emily Buchanan why this socially distanced performance means so much to them.After a tense week in which a Batley school used an "inappropriate" image of the Prophet Mohammed, we discuss how you strike the balance between teaching controversial subjects and promoting respect and tolerance. Emily Buchanan is joined by teacher and campaigner Ayesha Ali-Khan and Andrew Copson, Chief executive of Humanists UK.And the Sikh Women's Action Network, which helps Sikh survivors of domestic abuse, says calls during lockdown more than doubled. Emily Buchanan hears one survivor's story and talks to the co-founder and Executive Director of SWAN Sahdaish Pall about what they are doing to help.

I've Forgotten Now Who I Used To Be is an album from Ghana's so called Witch Camps. The Italian-Rwandan film maker Marilena Delli Umuhoza and the Grammy award winning producer Ian Brennan recorded music made by women accused of witchcraft and ostracised. Most are guilty of nothing more than being older, destitute or of having disabilities. The couple specialise in documenting the music of the marginalised from prisoners in Malawi to genocide survivors in Rwanda. It is, they say, the music of pure emotion - join us to hear it and how it was made.The right to protest should be on an equal footing with the right to communal worship under lockdown rules. That's the view of the Joint Committee on Human Rights this week, and they've called on the Government to take urgent action accordingly. Is protest really as sacred as worship? And if so where do we draw the line on what is acceptable behaviour in the name of a cause we truly believe in? William Crawley discusses the ethics of protest with two women of faith and

In this episode of Sunday we hear the little known Jewish history of one of the most influential protest songs of the 20th century 'Strange Fruit' and how it came to be performed by Billie Holiday, which is the subject of the film 'The United States vs Billie Holiday' currently streaming on Sky Cinema. Former prison inmate now prison chaplain, Jonathan Aitken takes us inside HMP Pentonville, as he describes a year of prison chaplaincy during the pandemic which he says has led to some ground-breaking and long overdue reforms. ‘If you’re not religious, say so!’ – that is the request of a campaign launched this week by Humanists UK. They want people who are "not in any meaningful sense religious to tick the ‘no religion’ option on the 2021 Census". Ed Stourton is joined by the Chief Executive of Humanists UK, Andrew Copson, and also Nick Spencer of religion and society think tank Theos to discuss the Census, religion and the none-religious.Producers:Catherine Earlam Louise Clarke-Rowbotham

Sister Norma Pimentel is one of the most important advocates for immigrants in the United States. For over three decades, she has been working to support migrants seeking refuge in the U.S. along Texas border with Mexico and as Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, she directs efforts to provide shelter, food, sanctuary and comfort to people often treated as less than human. Last year she made Time magazine's list of the100 most influential people and her work has earned her the moniker of “the Pope’s favourite nun.”It is estimated that 71% of victims of modern day slavery are women and girls. For the past six years, former police officer Karen Anstiss has been running Caritas Bakhita House - a place of safety for women escaping human trafficking which is supported by the Catholic Church. Karen talks about her work and how we can help the victims of modern day slavery.On 3rd January this year, Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben became the first female chaplain to the US House of Re

Sixty of the country’s black majority churches have joined forces to support the Covid vaccination programme. Pastor Agu Irukwu, head of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, which is operating a pop-up vaccination centre, talks to Ed Stourton about what they are doing to tackle vaccine hesitancy. Pope Francis is due to visit Iraq this Friday. It will be the pontiff's first international trip since the start of the pandemic, but the Pope is said to be intent on going. Dr Elizabeth Monier, University of Cambridge, explains why the trip is so significant to Iraq's small Christian population. Should it be allowed for graves to be decorated and personalised to remember those we have lost? Ed Stourton hears the story of Lynsey Dent who was asked by her local diocese to remove toys and other mementoes from the grave of her two children because they were in violation of Church of England churchyard regulations. And Brendan Day, secretary and executive officer for the Federation of Burial & Cremation Authorities,

Can Elton John really help us think differently about Lent? Canon Rachel Mann believes he can and she tells William how the rock star known for his flamboyance inspired her guide to the Christian season of self-examination and fasting which began this week.This week the Catholic Church in England announced new action on climate change, to be led by the diocese of Salford. The Church of England too has pledged zero carbon emissions by 2030. And the Islamic Relief charity is helping Muslims aim for an "eco-Ramadan" this year. But are young worshippers impressed with these measures? Recent research suggested young Christians at least are not. What will it take for religion to achieve anything meaningful in the battle against global warming?And we talk to the director of The Milkmaid, Nigeria's first ever entry for the Oscars. The film tells the story of a pair of young women abducted by Islamist fighters in the North of Nigeria. We hear how the production was halted when local police suspected them of being terr

What every day sounds make you happy; the sound of a coffee pot percolating, a cat purring or Church bells ringing? Musician Tommy Perman asked that question and has produced an album using everyday sounds. William Crawley talks to Tommy about why and how he made the album happen?On 13 February 2017, Malaysian Christian worker Raymond Koh was abducted. His family has been lobbying for his release or news of his fate ever since. They say they've received minimal cooperation from the Police or government. The family believe he was abducted for his faith and the Christian work he and his wife did among the destitute and people with HIV. He is not the only “disappeared” Christian in Malaysia in recent years. This will be the first time his wife Susanna has spoken to Western media about her and the family’s ordeal.A resource - thought to be the first of its kind - to help black majority churches response effectively to the issue of domestic abuse has been developed after it became apparent that women felt the chu

The Queen hailed Captain Tom Moore, the 100-year-old who raised millions for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden, as an "inspiration" this week after he died of coronavirus. We talk to 73 year old Rajinder Singh who was inspired by Captain Tom to become the "Skipping Sikh" - he gained worldwide acclaim for the exercise videos he made to cheer up his community in isolation and ended up raising money for the NHS as well. Maybe more than at any other point in history, we are talking now about race, ethnicity and equality. But how do we define who belongs to an ethnic minority and who is a target of racism? In his new book, Jews Don't Count, the comedian and writer David Baddiel argues that anti-Semitism is being left out of the public conversation about racism. And is Gospel Music in crisis? A meeting held this week discussed just that. After the high of The Kingdom Choir singing at the Royal Wedding in 2018, how is the music developing to attract younger singers whose musical interests lie outside gos

After the devastating news this week that 100,000 people have died in the UK after contracting Covid-19, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell tells Ed Stourton why he and the Archbishop of Canterbury are inviting the nation to join them in prayer every day at 6pm during the month of February. Nazir Afzal was Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England from 2011 to 2015. He built his career on bringing people to justice. This week he called for a public inquiry into the Government's handling of the Covid pandemic. He tells Ed Stourton why.Islamic Relief Worldwide has been cleared of institutional anti-Semitism in an independent report after two trustees and a member of staff were found to have posted offensive social media comments. The report's author Dominic Grieve explains its findings and recommendations and Martin Cottingham, Islamic Relief Worldwide's Director of External Affairs, responds. Producer:Catherine Earlam Carmel LonerganPhoto credit:Office of the Archbishop of York

When Kamala Harris was sworn in as the US vice-president this week, Hindus gathered in her family's ancestral home town in India to pray for her success. Much is said about her status as the first woman and first African American to hold her post, but less about her South Asian heritage. In this week's programme William Crawley asks how important her Hindu background is to her and to Americans.One of the final acts of the Trump administration this week was to declare that China's treatment of the Muslim minority Uighar people amounts to genocide. This happens to be one of the few things President Biden's government agrees with him about. Here, MPs debated but failed to implement a bill that would make it illegal to trade with a country guilty of genocide this week. Who are the Uighar people and what exactly is happening to them? We find out from an Uighar activist and refugee in the UK, Rahima Mahommad. This Wednesday, on Holocaust Memorial Day, we are asked to place a candle in the window to remember those m

Lichfield Cathedral has committed to helping a medical practice vaccinate the local community for a year, meaning that for several days a week it will sacrifice its worship space for public health. Few cathedrals are accessible to the elderly and vulnerable who need to be vaccinated immediately – but fortunately Lichfield, which was built as a medieval centre of healing for pilgrims, was built with step-free access way back in the 12th century. Sophia Smith-Galer reports.Monday the 18th January is Martin Luther King day, a public holiday in the USA. The Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry is the first African American to serve as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church known for his sermon on the power of love for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. He talks to William about Martin Luther King’s life and all that he signified could not be more timely. An award winning documentary exploring Sikh music uncovers how the harmonium became a mainstream instrument in temples and Gurdwaras around the worl

There were crosses, “Jesus Saves” signs and “Jesus 2020” flags that mimicked the design of the Trump flags. Christian symbols were on display as the world watched rioters storm into the US Capitol on Wednesday. As many of the President's allies withdraw their support for him in the dying days of his presidency Edward investigates the religious rhetoric and symbolism that Trump and his supporters have embraced.The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She criticises what she says was the 'grievous misappropriation of the Christian faith.' And Robert P Jones, author of 'White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity' argues that the mob was motivated not just by loyalty to Trump, 'but by an unholy amalgamation of white supremacy and Christianity that has plagued the United States since its inception and is still with us today.'For decades, the Catholic Church rarely acknowledged the fact that supposedly ‘celibate’ priests were fathering childr

For our first programme of 2021 we brought together three journalists to talk about the big religious news stories of the past year and what they expect to be reporting on in the next. Emily Buchanan is joined by Justin Cohen, News Editor at The Jewish News, Aina Khan a freelance journalist who writes for Al Jazeera among others and Ruth Gledhill, Multi-media Editor of the Catholic magazine The Tablet. As hospitals across the country struggle under the strain of the current spike in coronavirus cases we hear from Yunus Dudhwala, Head of chaplaincy at Barts Health NHS Trust, about the work they are doing to support both patients and staff. And what role does religion play when it comes to vaccine scepticism? Emily Buchanan talks to Dr Eric Stoddart, lecturer in practical theology at the Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics, University of St Andrews and Dr Hina Shahid, Chair of the Muslim Doctors Association.

Is it possible to find hope in a pandemic? One thing many agree on is that a pandemic can reveal much about who we really are, individually and as a society. Pandemics can expose the cracks in our health care and the inequalities that separate us – nationally and globally. If that’s true, pandemics also give us a chance to learn how to care for one another better. That’s a message we often hear from those working in development charities around the world as they’ve continued to combat poverty and hunger, wave after wave of this pandemic. William Crawley speaks with Esther Lehmann-Sow, World Vision’s partnership leader for faith and development and Shahin Ashraf, Islamic Relief's head of global advocacy.Devotional music and religious chanting have long been a way for people to express an emotional response to the world around them –that’s even more the case, as you might imagine, during a year of pandemic. For many British Hindus and Sikhs, the demands of this year has required them to find creative ways t

Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem have begun their Christmas celebrations under strict restrictions following a surge in corona virus cases in the occupied West Bank. As Yolande Knell reports, church leaders say Bethlehem will continue with its festivities to try to send a hopeful message to the world.In 2019 Cardinal George Pell was sentenced to six years in prison for 'historical sexual assault offences'. Earlier this year the Australian High Court voted 7-0 to overturn the original convictions. In a frank interview, the man who was once the third most powerful person in the Catholic Church reflects on his time inside jail, what he feels about his past handling of abuse allegations and the man whose accusations put him behind bars for 404 days.And the full choir of Leicester Cathedral have all been booked in for rapid Covid tests on Sunday morning. The Dean, the Very Rev David Monteith tells Edward why it will be such a momentous moment if the choir can sing together for the first time since March.Produc