Sunday

The world was watching as American Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, stepped out onto the balcony of St Peter's Basilica earlier this week. William Crawley, live from Rome, gathers reaction from around the world. He’s joined by Austen Ivereigh, biographer of Pope Francis, and Professor Anna Rowlands, Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at Durham University. British Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe gives his first interview after voting in the conclave and tells the programme how he found the experience. We hear the reaction from Catholics in the UK and around world and explore how an American Pope will shape not only the Catholic church, but global politics going forwards.Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Dan Tierney in Rome; Katy Davis & Rosie Dawson in Salford Studio Managers: Jonathan Esp and Amy Brennan Production Coordinator: Liz Poole Editor: Chloe Walker

While Sistine chapels’ voting booth remains unpredictable, there are still potential runners and riders. To discuss these front runners as well as the intriguing internal politics of the papal conclave, William Crawley is joined by papal expert Edward Pentin and Vatican reporter Colleen Dulle.Also in the programme, we hear from the Gammarelli family, who have been dressing bishops, cardinals and popes for over 200 years. They were the personal tailors to Pope Francis, as well as his predecessors. William Crawley speaks to the shop owner, Lorenzo Gammarelli near the Pantheon in Rome.And William interviews Sister Nathalie Becquart, who has served as an undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops since 2021. She is the first woman to hold such an important position and the first to have voting rights in the Synod. Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Catherine Murray in Rome; Bara'atu Ibrahim & Ruth Purser in Salford Studio Managers: Phil Booth and Sharon Hughes Production Coordinator: Liz Poole Editor: Tim Pemberton

William Crawley is live from St Peter's Square in Rome, reflecting on Pope Francis’s funeral. He’s joined by Austen Ivereigh, biographer of Pope Francis, and Professor Anna Rowlands, Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at Durham University. The Venerable English College in Rome is the oldest British institution outside the United Kingdom. The college provides education and training for seminarians and priests from all over the world. This year the college doors are open for public tours for the first time in to mark the Catholic Jubilee year and William visits college Rector, Fr Stephen Wang to find out more.As well as speaking to pilgrims paying their final respects to Pope Francis earlier in the week, William hear speaks to the UK’s most senior Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols on the upcoming Conclave and future of the church.Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Dan Tierney in Rome and Katy Davis and Bara’atu Ibrahim in Salford Studio Managers: Denis O'Hare in Rome and Nat Stokes and Carwyn Griffith in Salford Editor: Tim Pemberton

As President Putin calls an Easter Truce, Emily Buchanan talks to writer Nadikya Gerbish celebrating Easter in Western Ukraine. We hear from aid worker George Antone, also marking Easter in the midst of war in Gaza's only Roman Catholic parish.Muslim groups in Birmingham on the spiritual urge to help keep Birmingham clean as the bin strike continues.Hear how a theology lecturer in the US is familiarising his students with dead bodies to prepare them for a life in ministry. Father Ted turns 30 and we talk about it's impact on Irish society with Lissa Evans who produced the comedy classic and academic Prof Eugene O'Brien.

Archive on 4 is available on BBC Sounds featuring previously unheard tapes of Kenneth Williams reading Bible stories. They were recorded by a young James Jones, now the retired Bishop of Liverpool when he was a young producer working for a Christian charity, charged with getting new recordings that would bring new audiences to Christianity. The tapes explore Williams's talent in bringing these well-known stories to life and 'open a window into his soul', exploring his own relationship with faith through the people who knew him. Edward Stourton discusses Kenneth Williams' faith with Mark Oakley who is the dean of Southwark Cathedral, and James Jones, the former bishop of Liverpool.Also on the programme; the founder of the first secure school for young offenders with a faith ethos, says the spiritual health of teenagers needs addressing. Steve Chalke says schools in his Oasis group use an holistic approach to address bad behaviour. According to a new Teacher Tapp survey commissioned by the BBC, more than a third of secondary school teachers say they’ve seen misogynistic behaviour from a pupil in their school in the last week. But while Steve Chalke argues that a faith ethos in a school can help, are some religious beliefs part of the problem?As Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza, six UN aid agencies have this week appealed for a ceasefire and the resumption of urgently needed aid deliveries. We hear from Muslim Aid, which has worked with aid workers in the strip for the last 19 years. Meanwhile Jewish people around the world are celebrating the start of Passover – but in Israel some of the hostages who’ve been released say it’s hard to celebrate this festival of freedom when 59 hostages are still in captivity. The President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews gives us the view from the British Jewish diaspora.Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Amanda Hancox Studio Managers: Sam Smith & Nat Stokes Editor: Tim Pemberton

Cardinal Charles Bo talks to Sunday about the devastation in his home country of Myanmar. William talks to Dr Leah Payne, an expert in female Pentecostalism about President Trump's controversial faith advisor Paula White-Cain.We get a first look at a mysterious medieval scroll that's gone on display in York, having been tucked away in a cupboard in the city's Bar Covent.Comedian and actor Omid Djalili tells us about his latest stand-up tour called Namaste, which is inspired by his Baha'i background.PRESENTER: William Crawley PRODUCERS: Catherine Murray and Katy Davis EDITOR: Chloe Walker STUDIO MANAGERS: Jack Morris and Kelly Young

Justin Welby has given his first interview, since he resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury because of a failure to act over the serial abuser John Smyth. Dr Welby admits in an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he 'got it wrong' because he was 'overwhelmed' by the scale of the problem. However, he says clearly that as Archbishop, there are 'no excuses'. The Sunday programme speaks to theologian and journalist Andrew Graystone who battled for years to bring the truth of John Smyth's crimes to light.Thousands of people have died in Myanmar and more have been injured following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that was also felt in neighbouring countries. Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings - including at least 50 construction workers who are unaccounted for after a high-rise was flattened by the earthquake in Bangkok. We get an update from BBC Correspondent Nick Marsh, who's in Bangkok, and discuss the relief efforts underway with Stefano Disperati who is delivering humanitarian programmes funded by the British NGO Muslim Aid.60 years ago this week, a whirling Julie Andrews burst onto our cinema screens in the UK and claimed her place in cinema history. The Sound of Music became an historic box office smash and won 5 Oscars including best picture. The portrayal of convent life, the religious music and spiritual themes were all part of its charm. But few might know that was because of the real life religious sisters who advised Rodgers and Hammerstein - the famous duo who wrote it. So who were they and how did they become the film's secret weapon? Julie Etchingham speaks to Ian Bradley, Emeritus Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History at St Andrew's University - he's writing a book on the theology of musical theatre, due out this year.Presenter: Julie Etchingham Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Saba Zaman Production Coordinator: Liz Poole Studio Managers: Helen Williams & George Willis Editor: Chloe Walker

A controversial Ramadan TV series banned in both Iran and Iraq explores the possible origins of the schism between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. We hear from Dr Sayed Ammar Nakshawani- Prophet Muhammad institute for Islamic Studies PMIIS and Khaled Salah, Egyptian Journalist and writer of the Moawiya series . Government figures show that there have been 14,000 social work assessments linked to witchcraft accusations since 2015 in the UK. But what is abuse linked to spirit, possession and witchcraft and why is it happening? Amrit Kaur- Sarangi player and vocalist, explains why she’s hoping to inspire other female Sikhs to learn a classical instrument. Pope Francis to be discharged from hospital- reporter Colm Flynn takes us through his upcoming plans and recovery.Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Katy Davis and Catherine Murray Studio Managers: Mike Smith and Tom Parnell Editor: Tim Pemberton

Downing Street's virtual summit of Ukraine allies may have given those countries a greater sense of unity, but the war continues in Ukraine and President Putin is still prevaricating over the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US and accepted by Ukraine. William Crawley explores how morally justified it would be to say 'no' to a ceasefire, with journalist and author Lucy Ash.Also on the programme, in his Times column for this year's Ash Wednesday, Giles Coren tells the story of his own waning atheism and gradual embrace of Christian faith. Though Giles was raised in a Jewish home he had “no Hebrew classes, no Jewish environment, no bar mitzvah”. He shares how he finds comfort within the traditions of English Anglicanism.The Dalai Lama, the 89-year-old spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, is worried that his successor could be chosen by the Chinese government. In his new memoir, he says he will choose to be reincarnated in a successor outside China, and instructs his followers to reject any successor chosen by China. Tibetan Buddhism now faces a very awkward possible future - with two competing Dalai Lamas. To discuss this on the Sunday programme is Professor Robert Barnett, one of the world's leading experts on Tibetan history.Presenter: William Crawley Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Amanda Hancox Studio Managers: Amy Brennan and Sam Mills Production Coordinator: Kim Agostino Editor: Chloe Walker

Ronald Reagan, Republican president and hero of right wing cold warriors, once famously described the Soviet Union as the Evil Empire. Today many conservative Christians on America's political right apparently admire the current Kremlin regime and, indeed, its leader Vladimir Putin. We have had to come to terms with all sorts of ideological summersaults during the crisis over Ukraine over the past couple of weeks, and this one is surely among the most bewildering and disorientating. To help us understand it, Edward is joined by Dr Katherine Kelaidis, author of Holy Russia, Holy War.On the National Covid Day of Reflection, Edward speaks to actress Sophie Myles about losing her father in the early days of the pandemic and how she'll remember him.The Pope may have been recovering from pneumonia in hospital but he's still managed to publish a book on his love of literature. 'Viva La Poesia' has come out in Italy. We hear from Italian writer Alessandro Zaccuri(The Windhover is read by Catherine Philips from Downing College, Cambridge and taken from 'In Our Time' on March 21st 2019 )