A three-year ‘synodal’ process is taking place in the Catholic Church that culminates in two Synodal gatherings in Rome in October 2023 and a year later in 2024. The overall theme is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission”.  Christopher Lamb hosts this live webinar where he reflects on where the synodal discussions are leading the Catholic Church with guests Dr Elissa Roper, a theologian specialising in synodality in the Catholic Church based on Australia;   Vimal Tirimanna CSsR, Professor of Moral Theology at the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka, Kandy, Sri Lanka and the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy, Rome and Christina Kheng, A lay person from Singapore, who teaches pastoral leadership at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila.  She was called by the pope to be part of the Commission on Methodology that is accompanying the Synod’s work.

Leadership in uncertain times

Credible leadership is a critical feature of the synodal journey with Catholics across the globe calling for lay women and men to be more involved in decision-making. The synod is pointing to a renewed model, away from the top-down, command and-control style of the past to one which includes diverse voices and charisms in forging the future mission of the Church.

In this episode, Christopher Lamb talks to Lord McDonald, who was in charge of the British Diplomatic Service from 2015-2022, about his new book Leadership: Lessons from a Life in Diplomacy. Lord McDonald looks at what makes for a successful leader today and how to navigate the unprecedented scrutiny and pressures experienced by those in senior roles.

Pope Francis has emphasised that the synod listening process must “pass beyond the 3 or 4 per cent that are closest to us” and “broaden” its range. The interview with Lord McDonald took place in that spirit, with the former ambassador talking about how he grew up as a Catholic, although he is no longer an active member of the Church. 

Nevertheless, he offers some fascinating insights into the reform process that Francis has begun, reflecting on the complexities of reforming a historic institution and his experiences in seeking a fairer representation of women in the Foreign Office. When it comes to leading, however, some things remain the same. Lord McDondald points out that good leaders have the courage to make bold decisions, stay humble, operate with a clear authority structure and have a strong team around them. 

This podcast series is sponsored by the Centre for Catholic Studies at the University of Durham.

Executive Producer: Silvia Sacco 

Editor: Jamie Weston 

How can we decide a fair allocation of healthcare resources during a pandemic?

Hosted by Dr Sarah Walsh of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, this event features contributions from Dr David Kirchhoffer, Director of the Queensland Bioethics Centre at Australian Catholic University; Dr Bernadette Tobin, Acting Director of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, and Reader in Philosophy at Australian Catholic University and Prof. David Albert Jones MA (Cantab) MA MSt DPhil (Oxon) FHEA, Director, Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Professor of Bioethics, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, Research Fellow, Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, Vice-Chair, Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee.

This podcast was sponsored by Australian Catholic University.

Timothy Costelloe is the Archbishop of Perth, the President of the Australian Bishops’ Conference and part of the team preparing the global synod summit. As a senior figure in the Australian Catholic Church, he has been deeply involved in synodality, and what it means for the Church. An expert listener, he is an example of a bishop who adopts and lives the synod style of the Church.

In this episode, Archbishop Tim explains to The Tablet’s Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb how the synod process can revitalise the Church globally and in Australia, but that it is not something that is going to happen overnight. In the face of a decline in religious practice in the West, Archbishop Tim wants a Church that can re-connect with a younger generation and consider adopting a “preferential option of the young.” But he also addresses the claim from the late Australian Cardinal George Pell that the synod is a “nightmare” and reflects on ten years of the Francis papacy. Archbishop Tim says that this Pope is reminding the Church that Jesus wasn’t someone who just taught the truth; he also showed the way in his interactions with the people. He pointed out that the only people Jesus strongly criticised were the religious authorities of the day — and it's the same group of people trying to undermine Francis.

This podcast is part of a series in partnership with The Tablet, sponsored by the Centre for Catholic Studies at the University of Durham.

Executive Producer: Silvia Saccco Producer: Jamie Weston

Bill Wilson was, with Dr Bob Smith, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. He wrote the Big Book and the Twelve Steps and Traditions, used by millions of recovering alcoholics to stay sober, one day at a time, and now adapted for use by many hundreds of self-help groups around the world. While AA is not allied to any sect, denomination or organisation, a belief in a ‘higher power’ is a core part of the programme. However the steps and Big Book are written in such a way that makes it clear that atheists and agnostics can happily remain as such while working the programme successfully. A key individual who helped Bill W while he worked with other recovering alcoholics to shape AA and the steps was Fr Ed Dowling, a Jesuit who had an active ministry to alcoholics and others living on the edges of society. Now the well-known writer and Catholic, Dawn Eden Goldstein, has written the first in-depth biography of this extraordinary priest. In this podcast, Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Dawn about Fr Ed, why she wrote this book, and the wider impact of AA. Subscribe to The Tablet. Sign up to our twice-weekly free newsletter. Read Ruth Gledhill’s review of Dawn’s biography in The Tablet here.

The Tablet’s Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb talks to Ruth Gledhill about the Pope Francis, the reforms he has undertaken and what he still hopes to do.

Read Chris's article on the tenth anniversary of his election in The Tablet. 

Pope Francis’ visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and his ecumenical pilgrimage to South Sudan are powerful examples of the role faith can play in peace building. In an historic first, Francis will be joined in South Sudan by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Christopher Lamb, The Tablet’s Rome Correspondent, spoke to Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States (foreign minister), Bishop Precious Omuku, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Special Representative on Conflict in sub Saharan Africa at Lambeth Palace and Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, about the trip before himself joining Pope Francis on the plane to Kinshasa.

The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the age of 95 was not unexpected. Pope Francis had indicated he was gravely ill from advancing age during his General Audience last Wednesday when he asked for prayers. He was the first pope to resign while in office in six centuries. Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor of The Tablet, talks to Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb about the death of Benedict, his legacy and what happens now.