Everyday Ethics

This week marks Donald Trump’s first year as the 47th President of the United States.

At least 2,400 protesters are reported to have been killed in Iran during more than two weeks of nationwide unrest which has threatened the rule of the Islamic regime.

Worship leader Andy Flannagan joins Audrey to talk contemporary songwriting and Christian nationalism ahead of a workshop he is running in a local brewery taproom.

Seán Farrell has travelled the world, from Romania to Uganda and to the Phillippines. As the new CEO of the aid agency Trócaire, he is drawing his experiences as a volunteer and a witness to some of the world's most brutal conflicts, famines and poverty. But who would want to be the boss of an aid and development agency in 2026?

Chris Bennett, Dr Naomi Green, Michele Marken and Professor Duncan Morrow join Audrey Carville to reflect on some of the major ethical and faith themes of 2025, and offer their hopes for 2026. The panel discuss the alienation and dehumanisation of young men; changes and challenges in leadership of faith communities; as well as global conflict and politics.

We revisit interviews with Niobe Way (professor of behavioural psychology), Father Carlos Ferrero (parish priest of Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City), Andrey Kurkov (Ukrainian satirist and diarist), Bishop Mariann Budde (National Cathedral in Washington DC), and dip into Sunday Sequence's live broadcast from St Peter's Square after the election of Pope Leo XIV.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland held a special meeting of its general assembly on Thursday- five weeks after its moderator and clerk, the Reverend Dr Trevor Gribben, resigned over what he called serious and significant failings in its safeguarding process. Alan Meban reports from the Assembly and then Audrey talks to former PCI Moderator Norman Hamilton and Belfast Telegraph journalist Angela Davison about what it achieved.

Its 75 years since The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was published. We step into Narnia with writers Tony Macaulay and Shirley Ann McMillan and Theologian Elaine Storkey. And we also hear about the enduring popularity of the book with some kids from a local school putting on a stage version of the book this Christmas.

We are approaching the shortest day of the year- it's next Sunday when the Winter Solstice will happen at three minutes past three on December 21st.

We also talk to Father Carlos Ferrero from the Holy Family Church in Gaza City about how they are planning to celebrate Christmas this year and also whether things have improved since the Ceasefire.

And finally we talk to Paul Davies, a renowned physicist and professor at Arizona State University. His new book Quantum 2.0 finishes with the words 'to be aware of the quantum world is to glimpse something of the majesty and elegance of the physical universe and our place within it.'

As more cases emerge, safeguarding expert Ian Elliot calls for a public enquiry into PCI. Audrey talks to journalist Angela Davison about the latest developments and also to retired Presbyterian minister Rev Tony Davidson about what needs to happen at the special general assembly.

Pope Leo’s first overseas trip takes him to Lebanon where he met some of the victims of the Beirut port explosion and celebrated a mass for 150,000 Christians. Audrey speaks to Najat Aoun Saliba, a Maronite Christian and an MP in Lebanon.

Homelessness figures in Northern Ireland have increased exponentially over the last decade. Mark Baillie from Homelessness Connect tells Audrey why.

And could a row over military service for Ultra-Orthodox Jews bring down Benjamin Netanyahu’s government?

As we digest this week’s budget, we discuss the ethics of what and who governments choose to spend our money on. Audrey talks to journalist Anne McElvoy, Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick from Ulster University and Agnes Lunny the CEO of Positive Futures.

The uncertainty around what the Supreme Court decision on Religious Education will mean continues. Audrey talks to Naomi Green and Edwin Graham about their perspectives as Muslim and Bahai parents of children in the NI education system.

And we talk to Brother Guy Consalmagno about his ten years as Director of the Vatican Observatory.

Christian religious education (RE) taught in schools in Northern Ireland is unlawful, the UK Supreme Court has ruled.

As the Presbyterian Church safeguarding scandal continues, we talk to church members about their reaction to the news and what they want to see happen.

And as the COP 30 meeting in Brazil ends, we look at steps we can all take locally towards sustainability.

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has stepped down after "serious and significant failings" in safeguarding.

The COP 30 meetings in Brazil are at the end of the first week. Sinead Loughran from Trocaire updates us on how things are going.

Closer to home what can we do to encourage sustainability in our food system. Audrey talks to Beth Bell from Belfast Sustainability Partnership and Louise Ferguson from The Larder Community Foodbank about small changes we can all make.

And this Sunday is German Remembrance Day but commemoration of the war dead is much more complex because of its 20th Century history. Audrey talks to Hamburg based journalist Jenny Witt.

Zohran Mamadani made history this week when he was elected Mayor of New York City. The 34 year old is the first mayor born outside the US and the first Muslim.

So how central was faith in the campaign and how important is it to him personally? Audrey talks to Professor Najam Haider from Columbia University.

On Remembrance Sunday we look at the religious practice of silence with Jim Deeds, Rabbi Nicole Auerbach and Buddhist Prajnaketu.

At a Mass in Rome last week Pope Leo XIV proclaimed Saint John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church. Andrew Meszaros from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome tells us about his life and legacy. And the Book of Kells has traditionally been thought to have been written on the Island of Iona but new research suggests it was on the East Coast of Scotland or as it was known then Pictland. Author Victoria Whitworth is challenging the accepted wisdom.