Is the Pope Catholic?
The fierce debate dividing the Roman Catholic Church about the role of the Pope and what it means to be a Roman Catholic.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church has been accused of aiding the spread of heresy. A petition criticising the ambiguity of Pope Francis' statements on the treatment of people who have divorced and remarried is the latest twist in a fierce debate which is dividing Roman Catholics. The argument centres on whether divorcees on their second marriages should be able to receive Holy Communion, a ceremony that is central to the Christian faith. However, the dispute goes much deeper than that. At its heart, it is an argument over what it means to be a Roman Catholic and what the role of the Pope, and the Church, should be.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: James Fletcher and Helen Grady
(Photo: Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers in Manila, Philippines. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 02:06GMT91热爆 World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & West and Central Africa only
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 03:06GMT91热爆 World Service South Asia & East Asia only
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 06:06GMT91热爆 World Service Australasia & East and Southern Africa only
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 07:06GMT91热爆 World Service Europe and the Middle East
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 13:06GMT91热爆 World Service Australasia
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 14:06GMT91热爆 World Service except Australasia & News Internet
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 19:06GMT91热爆 World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Sat 21 Oct 2017 23:06GMT91热爆 World Service except News Internet
- Mon 23 Oct 2017 03:06GMT91热爆 World Service Australasia
Podcast
-
![]()
The Inquiry
Getting beyond the headlines to explore the forces and ideas shaping the world
