This year has seen significant change for the Roman Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo in May. In this conversation, Anna Rowlands and Paula Gooder reflect on a year of continuity and change for the Roman Catholic Church, looking back at the legacy of Pope Francis and exploring the shape of Pope Leo’s papacy so far.

Join us as they explore the legacies, priorities, and distinctive styles of these remarkable figures. They discuss the formative years which shaped them, the theological and pastoral themes which marked Francis’ pontificate, and the early signs of continuity and change in the era of Pope Leo.

Professor Anna Rowlands is the St Hilda Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at Durham University, and the author of 'Towards a Politics of Communion: Catholic Social Teaching for Dark Times'. She has interests in everyday ethics and the way that academic research and teaching can engage in wider forms of public benefit and the common good.

Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral.

In this episode, we take a closer look at the life and legacy of Josefina de Vasconcellos, the remarkable sculptor responsible for 'Mary and Child' which can be found in the Crypt. 'Mary and Child' was the first freestanding sculpture by a woman to be installed at the Cathedral.

Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.

In this reflective evening, Paula Gooder offers a range of reflections for the Advent season around the theme of waiting.

For rights reasons, the music performed at the live event is not included in this recording. You can watch the pieces of music as they were performed elsewhere as follows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI1TrxsrTsA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxXbcjiZLec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIyJpkuX9Fo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZZADVYZoIU

Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar and teacher. She is the author of many books including 'The Meaning is in the Waiting' and 'Journey to the Manger'.

Did you know the current St Paul's Cathedral is the fifth Cathedral on the site? Before today's building, there was Old St Paul's, a magnificent medieval cathedral with an enormous spire. Take a trip into St Paul's past and present with today's podcast episode all about the medieval Cathedral's birth, life and dramatic end.

Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.

Acts 16:16-18 tells the story of a slave girl who is said to have a ‘Pythian spirit’ which enables her to tell oracles, and we are told that the apostle Paul cast out the spirit from her.

Drawing on her Yorùbá heritage and her personal autobiographical experience of having a great-grandmother who was a powerful Oracle in Nigeria, Olabisi Obamakin will look at that this story in a new light and will ask whether we should see the Pythian slave girl as possessed or powerful.

Drawing also on 'Butterfly Fish', a novel by Irenosen Okojie that explores Nigerian worldviews and beliefs, Olabisi will show how the New Testament can be read in a new and powerful way through the lens of a Nigerian/British woman.

Dr Olabisi Obamakin is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Theological Education at Durham University. As a Nigerian/British woman, she has a special interest in widening participation into Theology and has spoken about her work to multiple academic and public audiences including at Exeter Cathedral and on BBC Radio Devon.

Dr Braxton is a Christian, whereas Dr Pinn is a Secular Humanist. While their respective traditions have often stood in bitter opposition, in a deeply divided world, Braxton and Pinn demonstrate that constructive dialogue is essential.

This “master class” offers a compelling model for engaging across religious, ethical, and cultural differences. Through frank, personal, and deeply informed discussion, Braxton and Pinn tackle urgent topics such as ongoing violence against historically minoritised communities, the rise of religiously unaffiliated groups, and the Black Lives Matter movement. They also delve into profound philosophical questions of religion, moral evil, and hope.

Discover how open exchange, respecting rather than masking differences, fosters the common good. This unique event invites us to learn how to be better people who can, in turn, transform our world into a more inclusive and loving place.

Brad R. Braxton is President of and Professor of Public Theology at Chicago Theological Seminary. He is the Founding Senior Pastor of The Open Church and formerly served as the Director of the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. His most recent book is 'Open: Unorthodox Thoughts on God and Community'.

Anthony Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of Humanities and professor of religion at Rice University, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa and a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School. He received his BA from Columbia University, Master of Divinity and PhD in the study of religion from Harvard University.

Today’s podcast episode is all about the Great Model hiding up in our Triforium. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren to demonstrate his plans for the new Cathedral to King Charles II, the Great Model is a fascinating insight into what St Paul’s might have looked like. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.

[This talk makes reference to a handout which you can find at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/Ludlow%20Nicaea%20handout.pdf]

2025 marks 1,700 years since the formation of the Creed of Nicaea, and around the world many Christian churches from many different denominations are marking the anniversary. But what is so important about it and why do we still say it so many years on?

Morwenna Ludlow gives a very brief history of how the Creed of Nicaea came to be, what it sought to address, and how it relates to other creeds and early statements of faith.

Morwenna Ludlow is Professor of Christian History and Theology at the University of Exeter, and holds an honorary position as Canon Theologian at Exeter Cathedral. Her particular interest is on the early church and the reception of early theology by modern thinkers, alongside implications for the world today.

Like Churchill himself, St Paul’s Cathedral defied the Blitz and stood as a beacon of hope in the darkest days of the Second World War. Allen Packwood revisits some of the key moments when their paths crossed and considers how they influenced one another.

A sermon by Ray Pentland CB from the Service of Evensong prior to this event is referenced several times in the talk. To read the sermon please visit

https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-09/Evensong%20sermon%20Anniversary%20of%20the%20Battle%20of%20Britain%20Ray%20Pentland%20CB.pdf

Some of the psalms were written as much as 3,000 years ago in a world very different to our own. So how do we read them? And what does a psalm read like when we read it today?

Martin Wroe reflects on what makes a psalm a psalm. Is there a distinction between psalms and prayer, or psalms and poetry?

One of the challenges of reading the Psalms is that they are populated so densely with shepherds and royalty, characters that most of us do not encounter in our everyday lives. So what are the characters that walk through the psalms of our lives? And how is the divine presence disclosed to us today?

Martin Wroe makes his living as a writer and volunteers as associate vicar of St Luke’s, Holloway, in north London. He contributes to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, is a former chair of the Greenbelt Arts Festival and his most recent book of poems is 'This Heart: Poems from the universe inside'.