The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast

So what’s in a name. When it comes to the papacy, almost everything.The name a new pope chooses can reveal a lot about his thinking and plans for the Catholic church.Cardinal Robert Prevost chose Leo XIV – a pope whose teachings on social and economic justice are felt today.DAN HITCHENS is a senior editor at First Things and a columnist at Compact magazines. He recognised the significance of the name as soon as he heard it announced from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Leo XIV will be inaugurated this weekend with a special Mass, but he’s already noticed a huge in-tray on his desk at the Vatican.Pope Francis was a beloved figure in much of the church, and the world, but his papacy was divisive among some Catholics and he left many issues unresolved. So what are the priorities for Leo? Dr MILES PATTENDEN is a papal historian and commentator at Oxford University. 

American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the next Supreme Pontiff and spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.The 267th pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is a member of the Augustinian religious order and the first American-Peruvian pope.Andrew West hosts this special edition of Radio National's Religion and Ethics Report and he is joined by papal experts, both in Rome and in Australia to discuss the historic election of Pope Leo XIV and what this appointment means for the future of the Catholic Church.GUESTS:Claire Giangravé, Vatican Correspondent for the Religion News Service (currently in Rome)Dr Maeve Heaney, Director of the Xavier Centre for Theological Formation at the Australian Catholic UniversityDr Miles Pattenden, historian of the Catholic Church at Oxford University (currently in Rome)Professor Massimo Faggioli, author, historian and Professor of Theology at Villanova University, US Noel Debien, Religion Specialist, Radio National/Compass (currently in Rome)

As the cardinals enter the conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis, CLAIRE GIANGRAVE of the Religion News Service profiles the front-runners.

Why did the Coalition perform so poorly among multicultural voters, even though many communities are highly religious, socially conservative and committed to a small business ethic that aligns well with Liberal Party values? The Liberals’ most successful leader with ethnic voters, former NSW Premier BARRY O’FARRELL, who notched a stunning victory winning 65 percent of the vote in 2011, has some lessons for his party.

Andrew West speaks to Deacon George Peich Meat, the Permanent Deacon of St Mary's Dandenong,  and St Mary of the Cross, Mordialloc. He shares the story of his chance encounter with Pope Francis in South Sudan and reflects on the legacy of the late Pope on himself and his congregation.

From St Peters Square, across from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican,  NOEL DEBIEN speaks to Austen Ivereigh,  a UK-based writer and journalist who has written extensively on and with Pope Francis, and is a well known commentator on the convictions of the Catholic Church.He shares his insights into the secrecy, intrigue and drama of the conclave and the world of the Vatican

Back in Rome, ABC Religion specialist NOEL DEBIEN discusses the factors that will influence the cardinals as they choose a new pope. 

As the cardinals enter the conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis, CLAIRE GIANGRAVE of the Religion News Service profiles the front-runners.Why did the Coalition perform so poorly among multicultural voters, even though many communities are highly religious, socially conservative and committed to a small business ethic that aligns well with Liberal Party values? The Liberals’ most successful leader with ethnic voters, former NSW Premier BARRY O’FARRELL, who notched a stunning victory winning 65 percent of the vote in 2011, has some lessons for his party.Back in Rome, ABC Religion specialist NOEL DEBIEN discusses the factors that will influence the cardinals as they choose a new pope. 

In another election, where only 135 votes are cast, what is the politicking behind the choice of the next pope? Jesuit priest and political scientist Thomas Reese, author of the classic book Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church, discusses the factors that will influence the cardinals.