
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


The head of the Roman Catholic Church has been accused of aiding the spread of heresy. A petition criticising the ambiguity of Pope Francis' statements on the treatment of people who have divorced and remarried is the latest twist in a fierce debate which is dividing Roman Catholics. The argument centres on whether divorcees on their second marriages should be able to receive Holy Communion, a ceremony that is central to the Christian faith. However, the dispute goes much deeper than that. At its heart, it is an argument over what it means to be a Roman Catholic and what the role of the Pope, and the Church, should be.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
(Photo: Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers in Manila, Philippines. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
By BBC World Service4.6
695695 ratings
The head of the Roman Catholic Church has been accused of aiding the spread of heresy. A petition criticising the ambiguity of Pope Francis' statements on the treatment of people who have divorced and remarried is the latest twist in a fierce debate which is dividing Roman Catholics. The argument centres on whether divorcees on their second marriages should be able to receive Holy Communion, a ceremony that is central to the Christian faith. However, the dispute goes much deeper than that. At its heart, it is an argument over what it means to be a Roman Catholic and what the role of the Pope, and the Church, should be.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
(Photo: Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers in Manila, Philippines. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

7,941 Listeners

378 Listeners

524 Listeners

863 Listeners

1,065 Listeners

297 Listeners

5,586 Listeners

1,809 Listeners

973 Listeners

587 Listeners

2,117 Listeners

356 Listeners

966 Listeners

408 Listeners

427 Listeners

228 Listeners

839 Listeners

364 Listeners

74 Listeners

473 Listeners

240 Listeners

348 Listeners

236 Listeners

328 Listeners

3,243 Listeners

76 Listeners

669 Listeners

535 Listeners

629 Listeners

393 Listeners

240 Listeners

54 Listeners

81 Listeners

94 Listeners