May 28, 2025

How a Pope's words in 1891 could influence the push for a fair wage in 2025, Melbourne has a new Archbishop, plus burying the dead of the Third Reich

31 minutes

The election of Pope Leo XIV is having an immediate and concrete effect in Australia – but in a way you might not have imagined. In the Fair Work Commission, the country’s Catholic bishops are pushing for a major pay increase for the lowest paid workers. And they’re using a famous statement from one of Pope Leo’s predecessors – Leo XIII – way back in 1891. Professor Tom Barnes is an economist with the Australian Catholic University. He helped write and present the submission.

Everyone deserves a proper and decent burial. Even those who have lived a life of crime or scandal can surely expect some dignity in death. But what if the deceased is a war criminal -- specifically a Nazi? In Germany, an organisation established after World War I to help locate and re-bury the remains of some of the millions who died has found itself in an ethical dilemma. Nicholas Casey is a staff writer for The New York Times magazine. He explored this question in a recent cover story.

GUESTS:

Nicholas Casey, writer and journalist - author of Unburying the Remains of the Third Reich

Tom Barnes, Economist with the Australian Catholic University and contributor to the Catholic Church's Wage Submission

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