The Wise and the Wherefores

In this episode of ‘The Wise and the Wherefores’, Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet and Sister Liz Dodd CSJP talk to James Alison and his editor John Edwards about James’ new book, Beguiling Belonging, published by Paulist Press. Beguiling Belonging rethinks questions of catholicity, ecclesiology, and belonging through the lens of René Girard’s anthropology. The essays examine how Jesus’s life, death, andresurrection unmask humanity’s ‘scapegoat mechanism’ and demonstrate that, in Christ’s self-offering, this violent dynamic is undone. The result is an invitation for Christians to rediscover their identity, not as belonging to a sacred institution that draws boundaries around insiders and outsiders, but rather to a reconciling body that refuses to remain blind to its collective tendencies toward creating false unity at the expense of others.James Alison is a well-known Catholic priest andtheologian whose work engages the theology of René Girard and its implications for faith and culture. Widely…

Ruth and Liz in this episode speak to Gemma Simmonds CJ about nun girl summer. They also discuss the tragedy in Nepal, and the Catholicism of Andy Burnham. Sister Liz Dodd was talking in the days running up to taking her final vows as a fully-professed sister in the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace. Sister Gemma has been talking and writing over the summer about the latest social media viral trend, nun girl summer. This includes an article in the latest print issue of The Tablet that you can read here and although it is paywalled, by signing up you can get some articles for free. https://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/nun-girl-summer-you-are-so-good-at-that/ We are now on Substack for free with our twice-weekly newsletters, and in these you can access our latest subscription issue, five issues for just £5. You can also find that offer here.

Sister Liz Dodd CSJP and writer Rhidian Brook both have Lent books out. Easter in Disguise by Liz and Notes on an Execution by Rhidian have both been picked up by parishes around the country to study and think about at Lent group gatherings. Ruth Gledhill is assistant editor of The Tablet, and her own parish is studying Rhidian’s book. Here, she talks to both authors about the enduring Lenten practices that make this time of year so fruitful for all those who are on a Christian journey.

In this bonus episode of The Wise and the Wherefores, Ruth Gledhill and The Tablet’s Plater Trust intern Aili Winstanley Channer went to Archbishop’s House, Westminster to interview Archbishop Richard Moth ahead of his installation as Archbishop of Westminster at the cathedral on Saturday. ‘There’s a word I always put with leadership, which is service,’ Richard Moth told The Tablet in an interview ahead of his installation as Archbishop of Westminster on Saturday. Archbishop Richard Moth said the Church must continue to use her voice to ‘bring the light of the gospel and the light of Christ, into the world we are living in’ at this point in history, in the context of contemporary national and international challenges. He said, ‘This is what the Church has always been about. That never changes. What changes is the circumstance. The circumstance of this year is very different from the circumstance of ten years ago or even two.’ Read the online news story Subscribe to The Tablet

This is our first podcast of 2026 and we start by discussing Sister Liz’s Lent book, Easter in Disguise, published by Bloomsbury. There will be more on this in our next podcast as well, but basically, Liz believes there is more, lots more, to Lent than giving up chocolate! For the first time also, we have a guest and we hope that this will be a regular feature of The Wise and the Wherefores as we move forwards into our second season. Where did last year go so fast? So, in this week’s Tablet, our cover is by theologian, writer and Anglican ordinand Theo Hobson. Headlined ‘The dark night of liberalism’, Theo unpacks why the word ‘liberal’ has become associated with a demand for absolute personal autonomy and an unregulated economic free-for-all. Might Christian ideas be what is needed to create a space that brings freedom of conscience together with the common good? Read Theo’s feature here: https://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/the-dark-night-of-liberalism/ Subscribe to The Tablet…

In the latest episode of The Tablet podcast, The Wise and the Wherefores, Ruth Gledhill and Liz Dodd discuss the Westminster succession as well as the latest pronouncement on women deacons. They also talk about how they are both responding to the season of Advent. Takeaways The delay in appointing a new Archbishop of Westminster reflects broader vacancies in the church. Rumours about potential candidates for the Archbishop position include Richard Moth, John Wilson, and Bernard Longley. The ordination of women deacons remains a contentious issue within the church, with many feeling disappointed by the lack of progress. There is a growing sentiment that the church is not keeping pace with societal changes regarding women’s roles. The discussion around the new Archbishop may indicate the church’s priorities under Pope Leo. Advent is seen as a time for preparation and reflection, with a focus on social justice this year. Liz’s new book aims to connect Lenten spirituality with social justice themes. The…

In this conversation, Ruth Gledhill and Liz Dodd discuss the recent developments in LGBTQI inclusion within the Church, particularly focusing on the findings from a conference in Amsterdam. They explore the impact of Pope Francis on the acceptance of LGBTQI individuals in the Catholic Church and delve into the implications of Pope Leo's new document, Dilexi te. They also touch on the intersection of technology and morality, the role of women in the church, and personal reflections on how technology influences faith and community. Takeaways The Catholic Church in England and Wales is surprisingly inclusive for LGBTQI individuals. Grassroots movements play a crucial role in fostering inclusivity within the church. Pope Francis's language has significantly impacted the treatment of LGBTQI Catholics. Pope Leo's document, Delexi te, is seen as a powerful and radical statement. The intertwining of finance and hate speech is a growing concern. The pride flag is viewed as a symbol of identity and devotion, not just…

Ruth Gledhill of The Tablet and Liz Dodd, a sister of St Joseph of Peace, discuss the visit to the UK this week of US President Donald Trump, the Royal family, a recent Star Wars retreat in Ireland – and why people are still attracted to the Religious life.

Ruth Gledhill and Sister Liz Dodd discuss the recent election of Pope Leo and the implications of his leadership style for the Catholic Church. They explore initial reactions to his election, the challenges he faces, particularly regarding the Latin Mass, and the significance of women's roles within the Church. The conversation also touches on Sister Liz's upcoming travels, the influence of Chicago on Pope Leo's formation, and the intersection of physical fitness and spirituality in leadership. Additionally, they discuss the importance of fundraising for social justice causes, particularly in light of the current situation in Gaza, and how running serves as a meditative practice for both hosts. Takeaways: Pope Leo's election had a postive reception worldwide. His leadership style aims to bridge divides within the Church. Women in the Church are increasingly being recognized in leadership roles. The Latin Mass remains a contentious issue for Pope Leo's papacy. Sister Liz emphasises the importance of community…

Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet and Liz Dodd CSJP discuss for the latest Tablet podcast, The Wise and the Wherefores, the legacy of Pope Francis and who might emerge as his successor in the coming conclave.See all our coverage of this hugely significant moment for the Catholic Church and the wider world and sign up for our twice-weekly free newsletters at https://thetablet.co.ukSubscribe at http://thetablet.co.uk/subscribe

In this episode of the Tablet podcast, Ruth Gledhill of The Tablet and Sister Liz Dodd CSJP discuss the recent health concerns surrounding Pope Francis and the implications for the Catholic Church and the world. They explore the transparency of the Vatican regarding the Pope's health, the significance of his leadership in the current political climate, and the role of faith in addressing social issues. The conversation also touches on a new teaching document from the bishops of England and Wales, emphasizing the need for social action and the church's response to contemporary challenges.

Ruth Gledhill and Liz Dodd kick off the first podcast in our new season, a series of ten, with a discussion on women in the Catholic Church, Donald Trump – and top Catholic movies. Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet and former religion correspondent of The Times and Liz Dodd, a former Tablet journalist who is now a sister with St Joseph of Peace (CSJP), discuss the latest developments on women in the Catholic Church, Donald Trump in the US and recent content in The Tablet such as the top Catholic movies. Liz’s latest Tablet column, on The Traitors and more. https://www.thetablet.co.uk/columnists/i-read-recently-the-traitors-is-edited-backwards-which-is-what-makes-it-so-compelling/ The Tablet spread on top 20 Catholic movies https://www.thetablet.co.uk/arts/the-top-20-catholic-movies/ Subscribe to The Tablet https://www.thetablet.co.uk/subscribe/ The Tablet podcast, The Wise and the Wherefores, is available on all the usual platforms

Earlier this year, Lorraine Currie was appointed the new chief executive of Sciaf. In this podcast for The Tablet, assistant editor Ruth Gledhill talks to Lorraine about her story of how she progressed into international development, of the work being done in the field by Sciaf and of exciting plans for the future. You can find out more about Sciaf, including how to donate to the charity’s Advent appeal, here. Subscribe to The Tablet, the international Catholic weekly, here.

To the surprise and disappointment of many on the left, Donald Trump won the US election. What part did Catholics play in this? And what does this mean for the Democrats, going forward? In our latest podcast, and the first of a series on this subject, Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Michael Sean Winters, The Tablet’s US correspondent and senior journalist at National Catholic Reporter. You can find this podcast on all the usual outlets, including Spotify and Apple.

The environment is a key platform of the papacy of Francis and his encyclical will form a significant part of his legacy over decades if not centuries. So why has Laudato Si’ not taken root in the US as it has in the UK and elsewhere? Could one reason be the polarisation of society and Church where climate change has itself become so politicised? Yet the lack of engagement with Laudato Si’ is not along Democrat-Republican lines, it seems to cross the political divide. At the root of it is how to bring the common good into debate in a society that, across all parties, is fundamentally libertarian, whether in regards to economics or personal morality. In this podcast, Michael Sean Winters and Sebastian Gomes talk to Tablet assistant editor Ruth Gledhill about a conference Michael helped organise on the encyclical, and from which Sebastian, of America magazine, put together a video which has some of the answers and may contain clues as to how we can all continue to progress this cause as we engage this month of…

In September, with JC Journeys, we are going on pilgrimage to Patmos, led by Fr Nicholas King SJ. In this podcast, Ruth Gledhill of The Tablet talks to Fr King about this beautiful island and its place and meaning in the Bible. On this trip, pilgrims can visit the Cave of Revelation, the Monastery of St John and there will be a daily Mass, celebrated outside wherever possible.

Catholic bishops have called for new treaties to regulate weaponised drones and lethal autonomous weapons systems. In a new paper, “Called to be Peacemakers”, the bishops of England and Wales also call for a “global moratorium” on lethal autonomous weapons systems. In this podcast, Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Bishop William Kenney, one of the authors, about the challenges and opportunities facing the Catholic Church and wider community on the latest weapons technologies, the continuing debate over nuclear deterrence, and what we can all do to help. Read the latest Tablet article on the paper here.

Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, discusses with Fr Alban McCoy OFM Conv the question of Pope Francis and his approach to the war in Ukraine, and where this fits in the context of just war theory.

Following on from Plato and Socrates, in the second in our series on why truth still matters, Fr Alban McCoy, OFM Conv, and Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, discuss St Thomas Aquinas, 750 years after his death.

Journalist Ruth Gledhill is in conversation with Catholic priest, philosopher and theologian Fr Alban McCoy OFM Conv in the first in a new series of podcasts. Subscribe to The Tablet.

Award-winning writer and former Financial Times journalist Jimmy Burns’ latest book A Faithful Spy, based on previously undisclosed personal private papers of former MI6 and MI5 officer, Walter Bell, gives a remarkable insight into the working of British Intelligence. In this Tablet podcast, Emily Buchanan of the BBC talks to Jimmy Burns about the book and some of the startling things that he uncovered during his research. In this article in The Tablet Jimmy Burns gives further insight into the life of Walter Bell.

The 2023 synod summit in the Vatican ended with a series of openings for reform, including on the role of women, training of priests and a re-think of the church’s sexual teaching. For those in the hall, a vast majority agreed that the synod process and style — which saw cardinals and lay people gathered around tables listening to each other — is how church business should be done in the future. But what happens next? Synod 2023 is the first of two assemblies, with another due in October 2024. In this episode, I talk again to Myriam Wijlens, who took part in the synod as an expert adviser. Professor Wijlens, a theologian and canon lawyer who has been closely involved in the synod process, stressed a general agreement that women need an enlarged role in the church but a “struggle” over how this should happen in practice. The question of women deacons is to be further studied, and Wijlens said a “conclusion” to the discussion over the possibility of women deacons could take place at the synod next year.…

In October 2023 we began a series of articles on Family Matters, the first of which was by our very own Editor, Brendan Walsh. Brendan wrote movingly and candidly about his experience of first-time fatherhood in his early 60s. Other articles followed covering themes of adoption, welcoming strangers into your family, the death of a child, being a mother with cancer, an unconventional upbringing, and grandfathers. Three online webinars accompany this series, the first of which was on 8 November with Brendan Walsh and Carina Murphy, who was diagnosed with cancer five years ago when her children were five and nine years old. This is the conversation between Brendan, Carina and Tablet readers, introduced by deputy editor Maggie Fergusson.

In this podcast, from a Tablet webinar on the Synod on Synodality, Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor, The Tablet – talks to Professor Renee Kohler-Ryan, National Head of the School of Philosophy and Theology and Rev Professor Eamonn Conway, Professor of Integral Human Development, both of the University of Notre Dame Australia. This was one of a Tablet series of webinars on Synodality, in partnership with the University of Notre Dame, Australia. To sign up for future Tablet events, go here. Tablet podcasts are available on all the usual podcast apps such as Apple, or can be listened to via our dedicated page on our own website.

The reflections of Fr Timothy Radcliffe have been one of the highlights of the October 2023 synod assembly in the Vatican. The English Dominican friar led the synod participants on a retreat before the synod gathering and offered wise reflections and spiritual guidance. Some have called him the “spiritual father” of the synod. In this episode, I sat down with Fr Timothy to discuss the synod process and how to navigate disagreement in an increasingly polarised world and church. Fr Timothy led the worldwide Dominican Order from 1992-2001, the first English friar to do so. He knows the universal Church and the workings of the Vatican and has attended several synods. “I think to see Roman Curial cardinals sitting with young women from Latin America and Asia and listening, really listening. I think that’s what is most transformative,” he told me. The process of listening, he says, is the “foundation for any subsequent things to happen” and that both individuals and the Church collectively need to be “changed”…

In Losing a Kingdom, Gaining the World, Dr. Ambrogio A. Caiani tells the story of the Catholic Church in the modern age. Beginning with the aftermath of the French Revolution and the democratic rebellions of 1848, Caiani follows the Church's evolution that sees three popes being forced out of Rome, the secular power of papacy being destroyed, a disastrous series of concordats with fascist states in the 1930s and the Church’s retreat into a fortress of unreason. As Catholicism lost its temporal power it made huge spiritual strides expanding across the globe and gaining new converts in America, Africa and the Far East; losing a kingdom but gaining the world, he writes. In this Tablet podcast, assistant editor Ruth Gledhill talks to the author about why he wrote the book, some of his discoveries and their implications, and what he hopes to do next. Ambrogio A. Caiani grew up in Ireland and spent his summers in Italy and France. Since his early childhood he has had a passion for history, politics, and religion.…

The October 2023 synod assembly in the Vatican is adopting a very different process to the one used by previous gatherings, which is demonstrated by the arrangement of round tables in the Pope Paul VI audience hall. The sight of bishops and cardinals seated around tables with lay delegates is deliberate and designed to foster what Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the synod co-ordinator, described as “genuine sharing and authentic discernment”. Significantly, the seating is not “hierarchical”, symbolising the vision of the Church as primarily the “People of God”, which is at the heart of the synod process. So, how does it all work? Austen Ivereigh, the journalist and papal biographer, is one of the expert theologians working inside the hall and in this episode he talks about the nuts and bolts of the process. We spoke as the synod was getting underway. Previous synods, he explained, took place in a theatre-style assembly where some of the work was done in small groups of 10-12 people. The participants were…

Canon Victor Darlington, Episcopal Vicar for the South East in the Archdiocese of Southwark, talks to Ruth Gledhill of The Tablet about racial justice in Southwark and the wider church. It comes on the eve of the Synod in Rome and as Canon Victor and the archdiocese prepares for a seminar on 28 October on promoting racial and cultural inclusion in schools and communities. Canon Darlington leads the Commissions for Promoting Racial Justice and Cultural Inclusion, Education and Caritas, Archdiocese of Southwark. The archdiocese covers some of the most racially diverse areas of the UK. In this podcast, Canon Darlington talks about some of the challenges involved, what the priorities are and his hopes for the future.

The synod process has the potential to bring about greater unity among Christians, the incoming leader of Taizé has said ahead of Saturday’s ecumenical prayer vigil before the synod meeting begins in Rome. Brother Matthew (Andrew Thorpe) is the first Anglican to be appointed Prior of the Ecumenical Christian monastic fraternity in France, which has been organising a prayer vigil in St Peter’s Square on 30 September. This event will be the starting point for the synod and a three-day retreat, which participants will participate in before the synod’s formal opening on 4 October. Talking to “The Church’s Radical Reform” podcast, hosted by The Tablet’s Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb, Br Matthew spoke about how “synodality and ecumenism go hand in hand” and that while Christians have got used to walking on “parallel paths”, he hopes that the synod will find “creative ways” to bring different Christian traditions closer together. “If the Catholic Church [through the synod] can recognise and cherish the…

In this Tablet podcast, assistant editor Ruth Gledhill talks to Tony Sheen, who has been well-known through the London Catholic community and beyond as the Westminster diocesan coordinator for the Catholic international development charity Cafod. He retired last week after 17 years of hard and committed work. Tony’s energy and enthusiasm for tackling injustice and raising the plight of people all around the world has been infectious. He has built an extensive bank of volunteers across Westminster. In this episode, he talks about how he became involved with Cafod as a volunteer, how this progressed to becoming staff with the charity, the work of Cafod itself and why it matters so much today.

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP on overhauling church governance, the problems in Hexham and Newcastle and how the synod can bring about a ‘revolution’. The Church’s Radical Reform podcast series is sponsored by the Centre for Catholic Studies at the University of Durham in partnership with The Tablet. Producer: Silvia Sacco Editor: Jamie Weston

Ruth Gledhill and Christopher Lamb discuss the appointment of Argentinian Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and what this means for the synodal and other reforms of Pope Francis. Read more about Christopher’s chat with the Archbishop in The Tablet. https://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/2/23316/francis-finds-his-striker-cardinal-designate-v-ctor-manuel-fern-ndez⁠.

In the mid-nineteenth century, a relic of the Bishop and Martyr, Saint Thomas Becket, a piece of his skull, was given to Northampton Cathedral by Monsignor George Talbot, a secretary to Pope Pius IX. He had received the relic from the bishop of Veroli, Bishop Mariano Venturi. In a letter written in period Italian, from Bishop Venturi to Mgr Talbot in 1852, Venturi says it is is a relic of the ‘glorious bishop and martyr Thomas Becket’. It also mentions the ‘cranium’ that the relic resembles, therefore leading to beliefs that this is part of the skull of St Thomas Becket. Veroli is in the Provence of Lazio, Italy and today is the diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino. This weekend, the Becket Festival is being celebrated in Northampton. The Papal Nuncio to Great Britain, Miguel Maury Buendia, is making a pastoral visit to the diocese. St Thomas Becket’s feast day is at the end of the year, however the festival is being held in the summer in order to coincide with the Feast of the Translation of the Relics of…

Professor Myriam Wijlens is a theologian and church lawyer who is playing a pivotal role in advising the global synod process. She understands church reform: how it happens, what is possible, and what isn’t possible and was one of the first women called to be involved in the synod organising committee. In this episode, she takes me through what has happened in the synod so far, including the groundbreaking reforms Pope Francis made to allow women to vote in the forthcoming October assembly. Myriam, a Dutch theologian who teaches in Germany, explains that this change did not come about in a vacuum but is a natural next step given the involvement of women in the synod so far. The significant shifts in the synod, she says, are taking place in the way the church is making decisions and in reforms to its internal culture, moving away from a top-down model, to a bottom-up approach. A novelty of the synod, Myriam stressed, is that it started at the grassroots, of “where people live their faith.” During our…

In this Tablet podcast, assistant editor Ruth Gledhill talks to Dr Natalie Watson, theologian and editor, about the coming Tablet trip to Turkey, where classical civilisation can be found alongside the sites of the earliest Christian churches along with the locations of some of the earliest and most significant events of the early Church. We start with three nights in Istanbul, one of the world’s greatest cities, visting sites such as the grand Byzantine basilica Aya Sofya, often called Hagia Sophia, and the Ottoman sultans’ lavish Topkapı Palace. We take a guided stroll in the Grand Bazaar and have a traditional coffee tasting and ponder the spiritual adventure ahead, and enjoy the views from our Bosphorus cruise. We then travel through the countryside visiting the sites of the Seven Churches of Revelation. These churches were real, physical congregations when the Apostle John wrote this last book of the Bible around 95 AD. While in Patmos, John was seized by the Holy Spirit and received prophetic visions…

Our panel here is hosted by Ruth Gledhill, The Tablet’s Assistant Editor, and consists of Dr Michael Hahn and Dr Eleanor McLaughlin who run the MA programmes in Christian Spirituality and in Theology, Imagination and Culture, respectively, at Sarum College in Salisbury. Michael is a medieval theological historian working on the early Franciscan mystical traditions, and Eleanor is a theologian working on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and disability theology. In this webinar, the speakers examine the works of St Francis of Assisi and establish how useful they are in conversations about the Church, theology and faith today. Dr Michael Hahn explores Francis in his own time and introduce themes of disability, ecology and art in the early Franciscan tradition Dr Eleanor McLaughlin discusses how Francis’s writing on these themes fit into modern theological studies of these topics.

Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Dr Ruth Segal and Dario Kenner of Cafod about the recent report, Sowing the seeds of poverty: how the World Bank harms poor farmers. The report accuses the World Bank of promoting agricultural models that benefit large-scale agribusiness at the expense of poor farmers, arguing that id demands “regulations and laws that support the expansion of commercial markets for hybrid seeds and chemical inputs”, forcing poorer nations to purchase seeds and fertilisers from global corporations. Dr Segal is Cafod’s food systems lead analyst. She has worked on food and agriculture issues, both in the UK and internationally, for more than 25 years and is an expert on global food systems and seed systems. Mr Kenner is lead analyst for sustainable economic development at Cafod. He is an expert on the World Bank and debt within the Global South. He has published numerous research papers on the subject and regularly gives evidence at parliamentary select committees. A news…

Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of international school feeding charity Mary’s Meals. Mary’s Meals grew out of a charity called Scottish International Relief, which was set up after Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow and his brother Fergus took aid from their home in Argyll to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992, during the conflict. The global Mary’s Meals campaign was born in 2002 when Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow visited Malawi during a famine and met a mother dying from AIDS. When he asked her eldest son, Edward, what his dreams were in life, he replied simply: “To have enough food to eat and to be able to go to school one day.” Mary’s Meals feeds 2,429,182 children every day at school in 18 countries, across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Listen now to find out what happened to Edward, how thousands of children and communities are being helped and more about the incredible story behind the foundation and ongoing success of Mary’s Meals.

A three-year ‘synodal’ process is taking place in the Catholic Church that culminates in two Synodal gatherings in Rome in October 2023 and a year later in 2024. The overall theme is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission”. Christopher Lamb hosts this live webinar where he reflects on where the synodal discussions are leading the Catholic Church with guests Dr Elissa Roper, a theologian specialising in synodality in the Catholic Church based on Australia; Vimal Tirimanna CSsR, Professor of Moral Theology at the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka, Kandy, Sri Lanka and the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy, Rome and Christina Kheng, A lay person from Singapore, who teaches pastoral leadership at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila. She was called by the pope to be part of the Commission on Methodology that is accompanying the Synod’s work.

Leadership in uncertain times Credible leadership is a critical feature of the synodal journey with Catholics across the globe calling for lay women and men to be more involved in decision-making. The synod is pointing to a renewed model, away from the top-down, command and-control style of the past to one which includes diverse voices and charisms in forging the future mission of the Church. In this episode, Christopher Lamb talks to Lord McDonald, who was in charge of the British Diplomatic Service from 2015-2022, about his new book Leadership: Lessons from a Life in Diplomacy. Lord McDonald looks at what makes for a successful leader today and how to navigate the unprecedented scrutiny and pressures experienced by those in senior roles. Pope Francis has emphasised that the synod listening process must “pass beyond the 3 or 4 per cent that are closest to us” and “broaden” its range. The interview with Lord McDonald took place in that spirit, with the former ambassador talking about how he grew up as a…

How can we decide a fair allocation of healthcare resources during a pandemic? Hosted by Dr Sarah Walsh of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, this event features contributions from Dr David Kirchhoffer, Director of the Queensland Bioethics Centre at Australian Catholic University; Dr Bernadette Tobin, Acting Director of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, and Reader in Philosophy at Australian Catholic University and Prof. David Albert Jones MA (Cantab) MA MSt DPhil (Oxon) FHEA, Director, Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Professor of Bioethics, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, Research Fellow, Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, Vice-Chair, Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee. This podcast was sponsored by Australian Catholic University.

Professor Anna Rowlands of Durham University has been seconded to the Vatican to work with the Synod office and the Dicastery for Integral Human Development. Here, she talks to Ruth Gledhill about what this new role involves and what has already emerged from the ‘listening phase’ of the Synodal process - a major ‘lament’ of which turns out to be a universal plea for better sermons.

Timothy Costelloe is the Archbishop of Perth, the President of the Australian Bishops’ Conference and part of the team preparing the global synod summit. As a senior figure in the Australian Catholic Church, he has been deeply involved in synodality, and what it means for the Church. An expert listener, he is an example of a bishop who adopts and lives the synod style of the Church. In this episode, Archbishop Tim explains to The Tablet’s Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb how the synod process can revitalise the Church globally and in Australia, but that it is not something that is going to happen overnight. In the face of a decline in religious practice in the West, Archbishop Tim wants a Church that can re-connect with a younger generation and consider adopting a “preferential option of the young.” But he also addresses the claim from the late Australian Cardinal George Pell that the synod is a “nightmare” and reflects on ten years of the Francis papacy. Archbishop Tim says that this Pope is reminding…

Bill Wilson was, with Dr Bob Smith, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. He wrote the Big Book and the Twelve Steps and Traditions, used by millions of recovering alcoholics to stay sober, one day at a time, and now adapted for use by many hundreds of self-help groups around the world. While AA is not allied to any sect, denomination or organisation, a belief in a ‘higher power’ is a core part of the programme. However the steps and Big Book are written in such a way that makes it clear that atheists and agnostics can happily remain as such while working the programme successfully. A key individual who helped Bill W while he worked with other recovering alcoholics to shape AA and the steps was Fr Ed Dowling, a Jesuit who had an active ministry to alcoholics and others living on the edges of society. Now the well-known writer and Catholic, Dawn Eden Goldstein, has written the first in-depth biography of this extraordinary priest. In this podcast, Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Dawn…

The Tablet’s Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb talks to Ruth Gledhill about the Pope Francis, the reforms he has undertaken and what he still hopes to do. Read Chris's article on the tenth anniversary of his election in The Tablet.

Pope Francis’ visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and his ecumenical pilgrimage to South Sudan are powerful examples of the role faith can play in peace building. In an historic first, Francis will be joined in South Sudan by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Christopher Lamb, The Tablet’s Rome Correspondent, spoke to Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States (foreign minister), Bishop Precious Omuku, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Special Representative on Conflict in sub Saharan Africa at Lambeth Palace and Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, about the trip before himself joining Pope Francis on the plane to Kinshasa.

Catherine Pepinster was editor of The Tablet, the international Catholic weekly, throughout the papacy of Benedict XVI. Here she discusses his time as pope, his shock resignation and his legacy with Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet.

The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the age of 95 was not unexpected. Pope Francis had indicated he was gravely ill from advancing age during his General Audience last Wednesday when he asked for prayers. He was the first pope to resign while in office in six centuries. Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb about the death of Benedict, his legacy and what happens now.

A commonly held fear about the synod process is that it will allow division and disagreement to veer out of control. Several bishops and priests don’t wish to engage with synodality as they worry it will disrupt the peace. Is this fear justified? In this episode, I go inside a synod gathering in Sydney, Australia, where an explosive moment of disagreement almost derailed the whole process. Halfway through the Catholic Church in Australia’s plenary council assembly, a vote on the equal dignity of men and women in the Church failed to pass. There was a protest among some of the members and the threat of a walkout. But then something remarkable took place. The gathering re-grouped, and a new motion on the role of women was formulated and later agreed upon. The moment of crisis became the turning point for renewal, and the plenary council ended up passing a series of motions that opens a new chapter for the Church in Australia. This episode features interviews with several of those involved in the synod,…

The sixth podcast in Christopher Lamb’s series looks at “The German Challenge”. If you read some of the commentaries about the German synodal pathway, you might be forgiven for believing that the Church in Germany is planning a second Reformation. Der Synodale Weg, “the synodal path”, has faced heavy criticism for the way it is approaching the question of reform. The Germans have decided to focus on the use of power, women in ministry, priestly existence and Catholic sexual teaching. A majority of the assembly has indicated they are in favour of changes such as female ordination, married priests, same-sex partnerships and giving the laity more of a say in choosing bishops. All of this has led to charges that the Germans are causing a schism in the Church. But is this true? In this episode, I spoke to two people involved in the process. One of them Lukas Nusser is aged 21 and a student, who is one of the youngest members of the synodal path. The other Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck leads the Diocese of Essen, a…