Sunday

Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme presented by William Crawley.

Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme presented by Edward Stourton.

At the height of the English Civil War, the City of Chester was not only scarred by battle, it was also devastated by plague. One house, at 9, Watergate Street, was spared, it is still known as ‘God’s Providence House’. In 1652 a special oak relief carving was made to commemorate this building. Now, 367 years later, it has just turned up in a house-clearance sale in Shropshire and it goes to auction on Wednesday. Edward talks to the man who identified the carving Jeremy Lamond.The Archbishop of Capetown Thabo Makgoba met with Nelson Mandela in his home in 2009, in response to the request of his wife, Graça Machel. This moment marked the beginning of a moving relationship between southern Africa’s Anglican leader and Mandela until his death in 2013. We hear how this relationship influenced the Archbishop."To fail at safeguarding casts a stain over every good thing the church does" those were the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury told the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA): this week. This comes at the end of two weeks as the inquiry has examined the extent of any institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse within the Anglican Church. Donna Birrell has been at the inquiry. Production Team Carmel Lonergan Emmie HumeEditor Christine Morgan

Sir Stephen Cleobury – Director of Music at King’s College Cambridge – conducts his final Choral Evensong this Sunday. He talks to Emily about his 37 years at King's.The spotlight is once again on Ampleforth College over safeguarding as the Independent Schools Inspectorate published a Progress Monitoring Report highlighting failures at the school. Head teacher Deirdre Rowe will be leaving after just ten months in post. The Tablet’s Liz Dodd explains why Ampleforth is “in turmoil”.Nazir Afzal, the former CPS prosecutor, talks to Emily about his role as a mediator at the Anderton Park [School] dispute about teaching LGBT rights and what the way forward should be.In this celebratory year of the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak, Dr Jasjit Singh and Mahmood Awan discuss the impact of the Guru's poetry and writings on literature. Producers Amanda Hancox David Cook.Photo Credit Kevin Leighton

It's the biggest music festival in the world with more than 200,000 people expected to visit Worthy Farm in Somerset. It's renowned for its spectacular line up of musicians, but there is also a spiritual element to Glastonbury - and even a religious presence. The Reverend Chris North, has been volunteering for the past fifteen years in the Sanctuary Tent at the Festival.Senior Bishops in the Diocese of Blackburn have spoken out about their concerns over safeguarding in the Church of England. In a letter the Bishops of Blackburn, Lancaster and Burnley, along with other senior clergy in the Diocese, say the Church of England needs to look again at its culture and structure, and understand that safeguarding is not just about ticking boxes. The BBC's Donna Birrell has been speaking to the Bishop of Burnley, the Right Reverend Philip North, who told her that the Church is complacent in thinking safeguarding failures are "historic".A law allowing parents to withdraw their children from religious education should be overturned, head teachers from across England have argued in a new study. The research, carried out by Liverpool Hope University, found that 41% of school leaders interviewed had received requests for students to be withdrawn from teaching about one religion. Dr David Lundie from Liverpool Hope University talks about the implications of this research.Producers Carmel Lonergan Peter Everett Editor Amanda Hancox

In this engaging discussion, Jane Fay, a Trans Catholic writer, shares her personal experiences within the Church and critiques how Vatican documents impact transgender individuals. She emphasizes the need for compassion and understanding rather than viewing gender as a moral issue. Alongside her, BK Shivani illuminates the modern applications of Raja Yoga, which focuses on mental meditation rather than physical practices. The conversation also covers the role of religious groups in the Hong Kong protests, blending spirituality with activism.

Two years after Grenfell we hear about the role that faith plays in the lives of those still fighting for justice and overcoming the trauma of the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War. We hear why the Archbishop of Dublin has called for an end to gangland-style funerals and why some fear his statement could put local priests at risk. And as a new helpline for Jewish women suffering sexual abuse is launched, we hear from the head of Jewish Women's Aid about the cultural and religious reasons why Jewish women take over 11 years to seek help.For more information about the helpline please find the link at the bottom of the programme page. Producers: Catherine Earlam Helen LeeEditor: Amanda Hancox

As the Cricket World Cup gets underway, Sarah Fane, founder and director of Afghan Connection a charity working to improve the lives of young Afghani's through cricket tells William about the extraordinary story of the rise of Afghanistan as a cricketing force.Commemorations are taking place for the 75th anniversary of D-Day on 6th June 2019. Of the countless sacrifices made on that day some of the lesser known stories were those of the military chaplains. Sarah Meyrick has researched the role of the military chaplains for her recently published book, The Restless Wave, and tells William some of their stories.Ahead of the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Bishop of Kensington Graham Tomlin talks about his report on the legacy of the tragedy and the social issues it continues to raise. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has published a research report on child sexual abuse in religious institutions, based on accounts shared by survivors at its Truth Project. We hear from survivor Angharad Woolcott and Ann-Marie Field, Chief Operating Officer at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.Producers Carmel Lonergan Rajeev GuptaEditor Amanda HancoxPhoto Credit: Afghan Connection.

Asia Bibi's lawyer, Saif-ul Malook, was named Secularist of the Year this week by the National Secular Society. This week he returns to Pakistan after forfeiting his asylum in the Netherlands in order to fight another blasphemy case. He tells us why.Diarmaid MacCulloch joins us to explain why is he so concerned at a British Academy report this week warning that Theology and Religions courses are at risk of "disappearing" from universities.And a US pastor baptising people in the online world of virtual reality explains why the idea could catch on.

In her day, Queen Emma was a powerful political figure who married two successive Kings of England and was the mother of Edward the Confessor. Experts believe that they have found her bones in a mortuary chest at Winchester Cathedral. Replicas of those bones now form the centrepiece of a new exhibition exploring the relationship between monarchy, power and the church. Trevor Barnes has been to investigate.Panorama presenter Jane Corbin discusses the suspension of The Bishop of Lincoln.Two years after the Manchester Arena bomb took the lives of 22 people, David Walker - the Bishop of Manchester – talks about healing and remembrance in the city.BBC White House correspondent Tara McKelvey discusses controversial new anti-abortion legislation in the US.It is Stonewall’s 30th Birthday on 24th May. Its CEO Ruth Hunt talks about her faith and how the organisation is working towards greater inclusion for LGBT people in all religions.The government’s rejection of a definition for ‘islamophobia’ this week prompted widespread criticism from the British Muslim community. But not all Muslims agree that the definition is a good idea. The journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Labour shadow immigration minister Afzal Khan discuss.Producers: Helen Lee Catherine EarlamEditor: Amanda Hancox