Sunday

In 1992 Pope John Paul II beatified just 17 individuals out of nearly 460 whose names were put forward as dying for the faith during the religious and political upheavals of 16th and 17th century Ireland. So what made these individuals stand out from the rest during this period? Former President of Ireland, Dr Mary McAleese chats to Edward Stourton about the stories she uncovered in her new book ‘The 17 Irish Martyrs’. 50 years ago, Idi Amin, then President of Uganda, ordered the expulsion of his country’s Asian minority. Around 60,000 individuals were given just 90 days to leave. Many went to Canada, India, Kenya or Pakistan. Around 28,000 came to the UK. The majority settled in Leicester where a new exhibition ‘Rebuilding Lives’ has just opened at the Museum and Art Gallery. Edward speaks to Nisha Popat, the exhibition's project leader and Mina Patel who has a personal family connection to one of the exhibits on display. Krishna Das, formerly known as Jeffery Kagel, is a Grammy-nominated vocalist who performs Indian devotional singing known as Kirtan. He took time out during the UK leg of his European tour to tell us how his spiritual journey began.As the Conservative Leadership contest enters the final stages, the majority of talk has been around tax and the cost of living. But what about religion, could that also play a role in deciding who our next Prime Minister will be? Edward discusses the contenders with Tim Montgomerie, Co-founder of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and Creator of Conservativehome.com and Dr. Ekaterina Kolpinskaya, from the University of Exeter who is researching religion and the voting habits of Conservatives. Photo Credit: Perry JulienProducers: Jill Collins and Rosie Dawson Editor: Tim Pemberton

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week

'Racism is a gaping wound in the body of Christ' - so said the former Labour cabinet minister Paul Boateng. He is chairing the Archbishops' Commission for Racial Justice, and this week he produced the first of several papers on what needs to be done to heal that wound. We hear from him and the Reverend Arun Arora about how the work is going.Next week sees the start of the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in London. 600 delegates from 60 countries will take part. The Tory MP Fiona Bruce will be in the chair - she's the Prime Minister's special envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief. It's the fourth such conference and we ask her what's been achieved so far.The Church of England diocese of Blackburn wants parishes to drop wedding fees because they are 'economically unjust'. It's passed its own motion on the matter and will be proposing the plan when the General Synod gathers next weekend. The fee for a C of E wedding is usually between 512 and 560 pounds. We hear what that's meant to some parishioners and why the diocese is taking the action.And Hajj begins next week, but this year's pilgrimage has been marked by widespread complaints about a new booking system for traveling to Mecca. The Saudi authorities have launched their own booking portal this year. But the Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on Hajj and Umrah, tells us that for many would-be pilgrims it has proved chaotic. Presented By Edward Stourton. Produced by Julia Paul and Rebecca Maxted.

The traditional Sufi devotional music known as Qawwali had its origins in the 13th Century, now the ensemble known as The Orchestral Qawwali Project are breathing new life into this ancient art. We caught up with them at the Bradford Literature Festival. And we journey to another part of the country to find out how music and spirituality go hand in hand at Glastonbury. From baptisms to wedding blessings to providing safe spaces, Reverend Chris North, Chair of the Church at Glastonbury reveals what it is like to minister to festival-goers. We continue our series of conversations to mark Pride month with Richard Kirker, a Founder Member of Lesbian and Gay Christians and Saima Razzaq, a Lesbian and Muslim, who is part of Birmingham Pride. As the US Supreme Court overturns Roe V Wade, Emily finds out what the ruling means for Shawn Carney, CEO and Founder of 40 Days For Life and Rachel Laser, President and CEO of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. At the heart of many Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities there is a deep religious conviction, it’s something that Theologian Dr Steven Horne, himself of Romany heritage, explores in his new book ‘Gypsies and Jesus’.Later this week Hong Kong will see a new Government sworn in and the former colony will also mark twenty-five years since the handover to China. Author and Foreign Correspondent, Michael Sheridan, examines what another Catholic leader in the form of John Lee will mean for Hong Kong and what the next twenty-five years may look like for Hong Kong’s faith communities. Producers: Jill Collins and Katharine LongworthEditor: Tim PembertonPicture credit: Gaelle Berri

Should the Lords Spiritual be scrapped? Currently 26 bishops sit in the Lords. But it's been reported that some cabinet ministers want that to end after the Church of England criticised the government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. We debate the issues with the former attorney general Dominic Grieve - a practising Anglican and former Conservative MP - and Dr Jonathan Chaplin from the Divinity Faculty at the University of Cambridge.In Ukraine, the focus of the fighting has shifted to the Donbas region, but it is as fierce as ever. A senior government official has told the BBC that Ukraine is losing between one and two hundred troops every day. Military chaplain Father Sergiy Berezhnoy, a Ukrainian Orthodox priest and a chaplain to the 42nd Battalion of Defenders of Kyiv tells Edward how Ukrainian soldiers are bearing up in the latest battle.The Archbishop of Canterbury has apologised after research showed the Church of England's investment fund has links to the slave trade. Justin Welby said he is 'deeply sorry' for the links. But are apologies enough? We speak to Robert Beckford, Professor of Climate and Social Justice at the University of Winchester, who's recently been to Barbados to explore the legacy of the link between Anglicanism and slavery.As devoted yogis prepare to mark International Yoga Day, we speak to Heather Mason from the Yoga in Healthcare Alliance, which trains people to use yoga to prevent health conditions and we ask the Indian cultural minister for the UK, Amish Tripathi, how he feels about yoga being detached from its spiritual roots. Plus an Anglican church leader in Rwanda responds to his English counterparts' attack on the UK Government's new asylum policy. Presented by Edward Stourton Produced by Rebecca Maxted and Julia Paul Editor: Helen Grady

Musician Jim Seals was the man behind 1970’s classics like Diamond Girl and Summer Breeze. Jim who passed away this week at the age of 80, was also an adherent of the Baha’i faith. Fellow Bahaist, Jack Lenz, the Canadian composer and friend, pays his own tribute. National celebrations or commemorations often include a keynote Bible reading from the Prime Minister of the day, but perhaps inadvertently they can also invite commentary on political leadership. It’s something Prime Minister Boris Johnson fell prey to at the recent Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving Service, when he read a passage from the New Testament, focussing on the theme of integrity. Edward discusses the pitfalls with the Reverends George Pitcher and Fergus Butler Gallie. Nigeria’s government is facing increasing criticism for failing to tackle widespread insecurity in the country. Now for the first time, the authorities are blaming a militant Islamic State group for the recent attack on Christian worshippers in the town of Owo, in the South West of the country, in which more than forty people were killed and dozens more injured. The BBC’s Samuel Murunga explains the complex picture of religious tensions in the country. Throughout Pride month we are listening in on conversations between LGBTQ people of faith. This week we hear Jude Rose and Joel Rosen navigate their lives around Orthodox Judaism. And as the row escalates over the Government’s scheme to send would-be asylum seekers to Rwanda, Edward explores both sides of the argument with Ann Widdecombe, former Home Office Minister and Shadow Home Secretary and Dr Edie Friedman, Executive Director of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality. Producers: Jill Collins and Rosie DawsonEditor: Tim Pemberton

It’s the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend and Sunday is joining in the day’s celebrations. Her Majesty the Queen has always had a strong Christian faith, but how has that become more evident to the public throughout her reign? We hear from two experts in the field.What does the Jubilee mean to people of other faiths? We join the Muslim organisers of one event in London, bringing together dozens of different nationalities and faiths, as well as refugees, at a food bank in London. Across the country, more than 60,000 people have registered to host Big Jubilee Lunches. There’s a battle in the music charts as several different versions of “God Save the Queen” compete for the number 1 spot. But choirs across the country will be singing the Jubilee anthem – Rise Up and Serve – which was composed especially for this weekend.The war in Ukraine has increased the tensions between the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, which comes under the authority of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Now the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate has also declared its independence. We hear about the fallout for both churches.And it's the start of Pride month, and in a new series, we bring together LGBT people of faith. This week two Catholics talk about their experiences. George White is a 28-year-old transgender man and an RE teacher at a Catholic secondary school. Claire Jenkins is 73, and was also a teacher, but felt she had no option but to leave the profession when she transitioned from male to female in the 90s.Presented by William Crawley.Produced by Julia Paul and Katharine Longworth.Photo credit Georgina Poullais.

As the population over 65 becomes more ethnically diverse, how ready are care providers to help meet their religious and spiritual needs? It’s a question which has inspired Maaha Suleiman to come up with an App designed to help Care Agencies and Councils match people based on religious and cultural understanding. Our reporter Vishva Samani looks at how it works in practice. The official celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday will include a special Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s. The Dean, the Very Revd. Dr. David Ison, shares some of the plans the Cathedral has in store. Following the Church of Scotland's vote to allow clergy to conduct same-sex marriages, we ask what it means for the future of the Church and its wider Protestant family. We hear from those right at the heart of the issue, the Rev Prof Andrew McGowan and the Rev. Scott M Rennie. The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, tells us about the power of reconciliation, the theme of his latest book. And in the wake of the massacres at Buffalo and now Ulvade in the United States, we ask why some Christians oppose gun law reform. We hear from the Rev. Jim Wallis, Director of the Centre on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University and a former Pastor John Correia, Founder and Owner of Active Self Protection, a self-defence and firearms training company. Photograph: Karuna Manor Care Home Producers: Jill Collins and Rebecca Maxted

We explore how different religious groups in the United States regard 'replacement theory'. This is the idea that politicians are attempting to wipe out White Americans by 'replacing' them with non-White immigrants and Jewish people and is often associated with Christian nationalism. This 'theory' was referenced by the 18-year-old who is alleged to have shot 10 people dead in a supermarket in a mainly black area of Buffalo.Thirty years ago a group of students from different parts of the UK set about carving out dedicated spaces for Hindu young people at universities. The National Hindu Students Forum is now the largest Hindu student organisation outside of India, representing 10,000 students at Hindu societies across the UK. They marked their 30 year anniversary with a celebration at the House of Lords this week. Edwards speaks to Janhavi Dadarkar who was one of the founding members of the Forum in the early nineties, and Dhruvisha Joshi who’s a Hindu student at Loughborough University. And the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is encouraging us to remember the people of different faiths who contributed to the world wars. We hear about Noor Inayat Khan, the Sufi Muslim pacifist who turned British resistance agent during the second world war. Noor was executed by the Nazis and cremated at Dachau. She was later awarded the George Cross in 1949.Picture of Noor Inayat Khan courtesy of Shrabani Basu. Producers: Julia Paul and Rosie Dawson. Presenter: Edward Stourton

Generations of black women and girls who took up the call to religious life in America found themselves subjected to racism, sexism and exclusion from within their own Roman Catholic communities. Edward Stourton explores this hidden history with Dr Shannon Dee Williams, from the University of Dayton in Ohio and author of ‘Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle’ and Dr Patricia Grey, a former nun and the Founding President of the National Black Sisters Conference. The war in Ukraine has prompted many countries to review their military strategies. But one religious group believes the way to bring peace is for individuals to build bridges. The Quakers in Britain are suggesting people contact individual Russians, emphasising our common humanity and shared values. They call it Citizen Diplomacy, and hundreds of Quakers have been using social media to reach people in Russia, or making cards to send. One Russian supporter of the Quakers, who now lives in the UK, has been reaching out to people in his homeland through his own initiative - a Russian language podcast called Human Rights in Russia. Sergei Nikitin talks of building bridges of peace through personal relationships.Earlier this week an outspoken supporter of democracy and former leader of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, Cardinal Zen, was arrested and then released on bail. Edward Stourton asks Lord Chris Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong for his reaction to the news and his fears for the future of religious freedom in Hong Kong.Producers: Jonathan Hallewell and Jill Collins Presenter: Edward Stourton