Sunday 26/10/2025
14 snips
Oct 26, 2025 Catherine Pepinster, a noted author and commentator on religion and the monarchy, discusses the historic significance of King Charles’ prayer with Pope Leo in the Sistine Chapel. She highlights how this moment embodies ecumenism and the evolving Anglican-Catholic dialogue. Pepinster also delves into the barriers hindering full church unity, including women's ordination. Additionally, the conversation touches on the potential acceptance of visits by female Anglican leaders to the Vatican, offering intriguing insights into contemporary religious dynamics.
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Historic Ecumenical Gesture
- The King and Pope praying together symbolises six decades of Anglican–Catholic progress since the 1960s.
- Catherine Pepinster says the visit revealed ecumenical rapprochement most people didn't realise had advanced so far.
Persistent Theological Faultlines
- Deep theological differences remain, notably over women's ordination and shared communion.
- Pepinster warns unity-in-diversity may reflect pragmatic accommodation rather than full institutional unity.
Halloween's Layered Origins
- Halloween combines harvest celebration and seasonal fear with medieval Christian remembrances of the dead.
- Ronald Hutton explains modern pagan Samhain reworks these themes to confront darkness and honour the dead.
