Catholic Bishops' Conference Podcasts

Catholic Bishops' Conference Podcasts episodes:

• 06.14.2024

  Hospices “help you live until you die”

  Hospices – places you go to die, right? Horizontal in a bed for the last months of your life? Decades ago, perhaps, but the modern hospice offers a wide variety of services – all designed to provide high quality, compassionate...

  
• 06.06.2024

  The Body of Christ | Episode 22

  The only place to start with June’s At the Foot of the Cross podcast is to offer an apology. After two months of radio silence, we return with an episode that looks back over April and May and forward into...

  
• 05.16.2024

  Guiding the Catholic Church in the West of England

  For this special Catholic News podcast, we take a look back on Bishop Declan Lang’s twenty-three years as Bishop of Clifton. Let me set the scene for you… It was the evening before his successor’s episcopal ordination, and we were...

  
• 04.27.2024

  Gaza’s priest | Fr Gabriel Romanelli

  Father Gabriel Romanelli is the parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. He had to watch from a distance as the horrors of the 7 October Hamas attack unfolded, before Israel’s bombardment of the Strip led to the...

  
• 04.19.2024

  Media Bishop on Pope’s AI message for World Communications Day

  This Catholic News podcast looks at AI and Pope Francis’ message for World Communications Day. Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for Communications here at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, talks about how the technology can make information...

  
• 03.19.2024

  Participating in Holy Week | Episode 21

  March’s At the Foot of the Cross podcast focuses on Holy Week and our journey to the Cross at this profound moment in our Catholic life. Canon Christopher Thomas, our General Secretary, joins us to bring us up to speed...

  
• 03.19.2024

  Fr Fadi Diab | The Church’s Prophetic Voice in the Holy Land

  We keep our firm focus on the Holy Land and whilst we continue to weep as we look on at the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the suffering of all civilians caught up in this conflict, we’re joined by Fr...

  
• 03.08.2024

  Any hope left in the Holy Land?

  Bishop Declan Lang, Chair of our International Affairs department, recently joined former Middle East North Africa advisor to the Bishops’ Conference, Dr Harry Hagopian, on a special podcast to discuss the tragic events playing out in the Holy Land as...

  
• 02.20.2024

  Why the Lord’s Prayer is so important to us

  The focus of this Catholic News podcast is the Year of Jubilee in 2025, and the preparation year proceeding it that we’re currently living – the Year of Prayer. Pope Francis wants the Church to be prepared for the Jubilee...

  
• 02.16.2024

  Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving | Episode 20

  It’s an early Lent this year and as such, the focus of February’s At the Foot of the Cross is very much on the three pillars of the season – prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Canon Christopher Thomas, our General Secretary,...

  
• 02.15.2024

  Deliver Us From Evil

  Deliver Us From Evil is a new booklet, published by the Catholic Truth Society (CTS), offering Catholics a useful set of prayers and supplications, humble requests for the Lord’s help, that can be used in times of fear, distress or...

  
• 01.24.2024

  Christian Unity | Episode 19

  The first At the Foot of the Cross podcast of 2024 has a very ecumenical flavour to it. That is a word that can confuse rather than clarify so what we’re discussing today is dialogue and Christian unity. There are...

  
• 12.01.2023

  A place of belonging for people with disabilities

  As the Church enters the season of Advent, on the first Sunday, 3 December, we also celebrate the International Day of Disabled Persons. It’s an occasion that reminds us, should we need reminding, that the Church needs to be a...

  
• 11.30.2023

  Christ the King | Episode 18

  The November 2023 episode of At the Foot of the Cross has crept in on the very last day of the month. The task set for our General Secretary, Canon Chris Thomas, is to bridge the gap from the Feast...

  
• 11.17.2023

  Bishop of Wrexham celebrates Shrine’s elevation to National Status

  Bishop Peter Brignall, the Bishop of Wrexham, has warmly welcomed the news that the Shrine of St Winefride in Holywell, north Wales, has been elevated to the status of a National Shrine for England and Wales. The shrine, on Bishop...

  
• 11.17.2023

  General Secretary on Bishops’ Plenary Resolutions

  Canon Christopher Thomas, General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales speaks about the Bishops’ Autumn Plenary meeting held at Hinsley Hall in Leeds from 13-16 November 2023. He talks, in particular, about the resolutions from the...

  
• 11.11.2023

  Remembrance: We all need to rededicate ourselves to peace

  Dominican friar Fr Samuel Burke OP is a chaplain in the Royal Navy currently serving on HMS Duncan in the Mediterranean. He gave a poignant reflection on remembrance and honouring our war dead on BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the...

  
• 11.10.2023

  Praying for the dead at the beautiful London Oratory Church

  November is a very important month in the Catholic calendar. It’s the month when we pause on many occasions to remember our friends and loved ones who have died – the Holy Souls. We also remember those killed in the...

  
• 10.30.2023

  Alleviating the cost-of-living crisis

  Director of Policy and Research here at the Bishops’ Conference, Philip Booth, joins us to talk about our latest cost-of-living statement. Philip is an economist who is also Professor of Finance, Public Policy and Ethics at St Mary’s University, Twickenham,...

  
• 10.26.2023

  The Holy Souls | Episode 17

  October’s At the Foot of the Cross comes out as we approach the end of the month so we felt it appropriate to look ahead to November and the month of the Holy Souls when we pray for and remember...

  
• 10.19.2023

  World Mission Sunday – Wisdom from encounter

  Father Anthony Chantry joins us for this Catholic News podcast to discuss World Mission Sunday. Celebrated on the penultimate Sunday of October, it’s a chance to support missionaries and the churches, hospitals and schools where they do the Lord’s work,...

  
• 09.28.2023

  Good Custodians | Episode 16

  Mission and good custodianship are the order of the day for this ‘At the Foot of the Cross’ – the first after the summer break. Canon Christopher Thomas, our General Secretary, rather skilfully threads the ‘mission’ topics of the day...

  
• 08.08.2023

  Walking pilgrimages in England and Wales

  Phil McCarthy is the man behind Pilgrim Ways – a digital resource that provides walking routes to key pilgrimage sites in each of our dioceses. An author, and former CEO of the Caritas Social Action Network, he has created a...

  
• 08.01.2023

  Pathways to God | Episode 15

  Our summer ‘At the Foot of the Cross’ is very much a pilgrimage podcast. So whether you’re staying at home or travelling abroad, there’s always time to walk with the Lord and deepen your faith. Canon Chris Thomas, General Secretary...

  
• 06.29.2023

  Accompaniment and Encounter | Episode 14

  June’s At the Foot of the Cross podcast is just creeping in at the end of the month. It’s a ‘mea culpa’ from the presenter who has been away for a few weeks. This is very much a programme of...

  
• 06.02.2023

  Drought recovery in northern Kenya

  In this Catholic News podcast, we’re joined by Bishop Peter Kihara Kariuki, Bishop of Marsabit, and Isacko Jirma, Director of Caritas Marsabit. Marsabit is a semi-arid location 500km north of the capital of Kenya, Nairobi. The local Catholic diocese spans...

  
• 05.25.2023

  Helping women recover and heal after an abortion

  Rachel’s Vineyard is a healing ministry for those who are suffering from the trauma of abortion, or have been closely connected to someone who is – whether they’re siblings, grandparents, aunts, cousins. Rachel’s Vineyard recognises that abortion impacts the wider...

  
• 05.25.2023

  What is the Catholic understanding of ‘eternity’?

  Recently, Archbishop Bernard Longley was a keynote speaker at a unique interfaith event that examined how followers of the world’s major religions viewed eternity, and how a knowledge of eternity can help us to make the most of the life...

  
• 05.19.2023

  Good News | Episode 13

  The mission of the Church, how we share our faith with others and the need to communicate clearly and truthfully from the heart – these are the over-arching themes of our At the Foot of the Cross podcast. Know who...

  
• 05.18.2023

  Media bishop on the challenges of modern communications

  To mark the 57th World Communications Day, this Catholic News podcast looks at Pope Francis’ message for the day and the challenges of emerging technologies with Bishop John Arnold. Bishop Arnold is the Lead Bishop for Communications for the Bishops’...

  
• 05.12.2023

  Why it’s important to pray for the Christians of the East

  Sunday 14 May, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, marks the International Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians. It’s an opportunity to come together to pray for peace in the world – especially in the Middle East. But with so many...

  
• 05.08.2023

  Cardinal gives a Catholic perspective on the Coronation of King Charles III

  Speaking to us shortly after Sunday Mass the day after the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, Cardinal Vincent Nichols looks back on a day of celebration that showcased plenty of elements familiar to Catholics. Six Catholic...

  
• 04.27.2023

  Bishop Tom Neylon on the vibrant Catholic Church in Pakistan

  Bishop Tom Neylon, Lead Bishop for Asia for the Bishops’ Conference, has recently returned from a week-long trip to Pakistan from 9-16 March. He visited a number of projects funded by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need...

  
• 03.31.2023

  Archbishop of Southwark on why we pray for the Pope

  Archbishop John Wilson tells us of his ‘shock’ when he learned Pope Francis had been admitted to hospital with viral bronchitis. Thankfully, the Pope is on the mend and is scheduled to be discharged from Gemelli hospital on Saturday morning....

  
• 03.31.2023

  Holy Week | Episode 12

  Holy Week is a very sacred time for us as we follow Christ from his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to the foot of the Cross – the name of this very podcast – as sorrowful bystanders to His Passion. On...

  
• 03.22.2023

  New charity to address ‘great social need’ in South London and Kent

  On today’s Catholic News podcast, Archbishop John Wilson joins us to talk about the launch of CARITAS Southwark – a new diocesan Caritas social action charity to help those in need across the south east. Archbishop Wilson is keen to...

  
• 03.06.2023

  John 5: 1-18

  Jesus encounters a sick man at a pool called Bethesda in Jerusalem. He had been unable to walk for 38 years. Jesus says to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” The Jews persecute Jesus for healing on...

  
• 02.25.2023

  Synod, Lent and Ukraine | Episode 11

  We’ve held our February podcast back a week so we can justly and solemnly mark the tragedy of the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, the Eparchial Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the...

  
• 01.27.2023

  Edith Stein

  This audiobook, recorded and produced in collaboration with the Catholic Truth Society (CTS), sees us re-visit the ‘Victims of the Nazis’ series to shine a light on a truly remarkable woman – Edith Stein – who we know and venerate...

  
• 01.27.2023

  Benedict XVI Rest in Peace | Episode 10

  A new year, a new ‘At the Foot of the Cross’ podcast. Much has happened since we were last with you. A prayerful focus on the last days of Advent and the O Antiphons was followed by the joy of...

  
• 01.25.2023

  Chair of the Holy Land Co-ordination speaks about the group’s visit to Jordan

  Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Chairing his first Holy Land Co-ordination, spoke to us on the eve of his return home from Amman, the capital of Jordan. He had just spent five days leading a pilgrimage of Bishops from 11 countries around...

  
• 01.05.2023

  Cardinal’s reflection on Pope Emeritus Benedict’s Funeral

  “In one way it was a very straightforward celebration of a Funeral Mass as would take place at the deathof any Catholic in any parish church. And yet in another way it was a uniquely historical event and an event...

  
• 01.05.2023

  Cardinal’s “precious time” praying by Pope Benedict’s mortal remains

  Shortly after arriving in Rome the day before Benedict XVI’s funeral, Cardinal Vincent Nichols spent some time in prayer and quiet contemplation before the body of the late Pope Emeritus Lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict was...

  
• 12.21.2022

  The Wondrous Gift | Episode 9

  Our final ‘At the Foot of the Cross’ podcast of the year features a whistle-stop review of the year with our General Secretary, Canon Christopher Thomas. As we move prayerfully through the final octave of Advent, and with our O...

  
• 11.30.2022

  Advent Begins | Episode 8

  November’s ‘At the Foot of the Cross’ really is pushing its luck, coming in on the last day of the month. Profound apologies, but, hopefully, it’s well worth the wait. Canon Christopher Thomas, General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference joins...

  
• 11.18.2022

  Four Bishops discuss their autumn plenary meeting

  Audio taken from a virtual press conference in which four Catholic bishops from England and Wales discussed their autumn plenary meeting. Bishop Paul Mason, who chaired the press conference, spoke about the Church’s safeguarding work, Bishop John Arnold discussed four...

  
• 11.01.2022

  Caritas Salford Director on the Cost of Living Crisis

  Patrick O’Dowd, the director of Caritas Salford, spoke to us recently to give an overview of what the charity is doing to ease the burdens of struggling families in the north west of England. Patrick relayed some shocking statistics about...

  
• 10.27.2022

  Vatican II Constitutions | Episode 7

  We have two interesting years ahead of us in the life of the Catholic Church. 2025 is a Jubilee Year where the theme is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. In the lead-up, not only do we have a two-part Synod of Bishops...

  
• 10.19.2022

  The Message of Saint Bernadette

  Every year, millions of pilgrims from around the world visit the foothills of the French Pyrenees to walk in the footsteps of Saint Bernadette at Lourdes. It’s one of the world’s busiest Catholic pilgrimage sites with around five million pilgrims...

  
• 10.04.2022

  Little changes make a difference when caring for the environment, says Bishop

  As the Social Justice department of the Bishops’ Conference launches a new revised edition of the Bishops’ teaching document on the environment The Call of Creation, Bishop John Arnold, our episcopal lead for environmental matters, has been speaking to us...