logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
38m 57s

How to choose a pope

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
All eyes have been on the Vatican in recent days, as the conclave have decided who will be the next pope. But how does the process today compare to that of past centuries? What have been some of the most dramatic papal elections down the centuries? And was there ever really a female pope? Matt Elton caught up with expert in papal history Rebecca Rist to find ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
The forgotten slave traders who shaped Britain
Who were the people who financed Britain’s transatlantic slave trade – and how did their money transform the nation? Elinor Evans speaks to historian William A Pettigrew, who has led a landmark project identifying some 13,000 investors connected to the trafficking of 3.2 million ... Show More
36m 2s
Sep 14
What is ‘Europe’, anyway?
What defines Europe – is it geography, politics, a shared culture, or perhaps a mix of all three? In this episode, historian Roderick Beaton tells Emily Briffett about the ways in which it has been defined, and redefined, as an idea by its people over the centuries. ----- GO BEYO ... Show More
36m 59s
Sep 13
Christianity, conflict and catastrophe: the life of CS Lewis
He's well-known for creating children's classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but what else can history teach us about CS Lewis? Michael Ward explores the life of the author with Isabel King – from a tragic childhood to his turbulent relationship with faith. ----- GO BEYO ... Show More
40m 38s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
Conclave: How a new pope is chosen
In April 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI following the death of Pope John Paul II.The new leader of the Catholic Church was elected after four ballots of the papal conclave. The late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was one of 115 cardinals who took part.H ... Show More
10m 40s
Sep 2025
Who Was The Naughtiest Pope In History?
Sex, scandal and ... the Sacraments? Renaissance Rome wasn't for the faint hearted. And the Vatican? For some that was the source of the drama.In this episode, Kate is joined by Catherine Fletcher to meet one of the Vatican's randiest residents - Pope Alexander VI. From saucy par ... Show More
49m 24s
Feb 2023
Popes
<p>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.</p><p>In this programme, we hear stories about the history of the papacy, including how a pope is chosen, the inception of Vati ... Show More
51m 22s
Feb 2023
How a Pope is chosen
Following the death of Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005. He was elected after four ballots of the papal conclave. The late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor took part and told Rebecca Kesby the story of how the new leader of the Ca ... Show More
8m 39s
Apr 2025
Cardinals in: choosing the next pope
<p>As the cardinals of the coming conclave prepare, our correspondent considers what will guide them. <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2025/04/21/the-coming-struggle-to-choose-the-next-pope?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&u ... Show More
20m 36s
Apr 2025
Cardinals in: choosing the next pope
As the cardinals of the coming conclave prepare, our correspondent considers what will guide them. Which of the church’s challenges will the next pope be elected to address? In Mexico the discovery of a ranch littered with clothing adds disturbing evidence to a torrent of mysteri ... Show More
20m 36s
Sep 2023
The Origins of the Popes
<p>The popes of Rome emerged from the humblest of beginnings. The first was a fisherman, charged with spreading the word of God under the watchful eye of a pagan Roman Empire. But just a few centuries later, the papacy had flourished into one of the wealthiest, most powerful inst ... Show More
40m 23s
Dec 2023
403. The Mystery of the Pregnant Pope
A Pope of great renown once reigned during chaotic years for the medieval Church: she was an extraordinary figure, from a time when women were forbidden from even becoming priests - indeed she is History’s only female Pope. But did this “Popess" really exist, and if so, who was t ... Show More
47m 33s