logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
34m 49s

Inside the Vatican’s secret saint-making...

The Guardian
About this episode
Canonisation has long been a way for the Catholic church to shape its image. The Vatican is preparing to anoint its first millennial saint, but how does it decide who is worthy? By Linda Kinstler. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Up next
Yesterday
From the archive: The death of the department store
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: the closure of John Lewis’s store in Sheffield after almost 60 years was a bitter blow. As debate rages over what to do ... Show More
33m 54s
Jul 7
‘Do you have a family?’: midlife with no kids, ageing parents – and no crisis
In my 40s, I found myself with a life that didn’t look like it was ‘supposed’ to. What was I doing? On trips to South Korea with my mother, an answer began to emerge By E Tammy Kim. Read by Jennifer J Kim. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod 
30m 48s
Jul 2
From the archive: ‘You can’t be the player’s friend’: inside the secret world of tennis umpires
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: new technology was supposed to make umpiring easy. It hasn’t worked out that way By William Ralston. Read by Simon Vance ... Show More
45m 59s
Recommended Episodes
May 28
The Vatican and Papa Americano
What do you get when a former Catholic schoolgirl and a business-school-educated atheist chat religion? A deep dive into the Vatican—how it works as a business, country, and moral guidepost.Topics covered:A quick overview of Christianity and the history of how Protestantism split ... Show More
51m 12s
Feb 2023
Popes
It has been 10 years since Pope Benedict XVI announced his shock resignation. It was the first time in almost 600 years that a pope had stepped down. In this programme, we hear stories about the history of the papacy, including how a pope is chosen, the inception of Vatican II an ... Show More
51m 22s
May 7
The Financial Mess Facing the Vatican
Just days before his death, Pope Francis wrestled with an enormous problem: the Vatican’s dire finances. The world’s smallest country is now facing a budget deficit of millions, and a looming crisis in its pension fund. As the Papal conclave meets this week to vote for a new lead ... Show More
20m 46s
May 21
Old Pope, New Pope
‘The Church​ needs to change; the Church cannot afford to change,’ Colm Tóibín wrote recently in the LRB. In this episode of the podcast, he joins Tom to discuss how the new pope will have to navigate this paradox. He also looks back at the Francis papacy, and the way that Franci ... Show More
42m 52s
Jan 2019
Deliver Us - Coming Soon
Will the Catholic Church's sex abuse crisis ever end? That's a question everyone has been asking since the latest wave of news in 2018. In Deliver Us, host Maggi Van Dorn is a Catholic committed to healing the church from the inside. She wants to know: How did this happen? And wh ... Show More
1m 36s
Dec 2024
The Catholic women bringing veiling back to Mass
On this week’s episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac are joined by Madeleine Kearns, an associate editor at The Free Press, and the author of a recently reported article, “The Young Catholic Women Bringing Back Veils.” Maddy shares how the veil boom evokes a “lost type of Catho ... Show More
53m 39s
Apr 22
How Pope Francis changed the Catholic church, and what happens next
Just hours after wishing the world a happy Easter, the 267th head of the Roman Catholic church passed away. What was his legacy and who will take his place? Catherine Pepinster reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 
33m 1s
Nov 2024
The epic mystery of a female pope and the birth that was her undoing
Writer Emily Maguire on losing her own faith, but finding awe and inspiration in a controversial myth about a female pontiff who some people believe sat disguised on the papal throne for two years in the ninth century.Writer Emily Maguire grew up in a very Christian home, where l ... Show More
52m 42s
Apr 26
How will the next Pope wield the power of the Church?
With Pope Francis' funeral, the world's 1.4 billion Catholics are turning the page on an era of reform and liberalism. Now, the Vatican faces the questions - what will its next chapter look like - and how will the next Pope wield the power of the Church? In this episode:  Kayode ... Show More
24m 31s
May 15
Comment le Vatican est-il devenu un pays ?
Le Vatican est devenu un pays en 1929 grâce aux Accords du Latran, signés entre l'État italien et le Saint-Siège. Voici une explication claire, étape par étape. 1. Avant 1870 : le pape dirige un territoirePendant des siècles, les papes ne sont pas seulement des chefs religieux. I ... Show More
2m 7s