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Sunday: St Peter's bones; Father Alec Reid; Slavery

24/11/2013

St Peter's bones; Father Alec Reid; Slavery

BBC Radio 4 - Sunday, St Peter's bones; Father Alec Reid; Slavery

The role of tea and toast in saving the Church of England from extinction.

The bones of St Peter are said to be going on display in the Vatican today, and Sunday reflects on Fr Alec Reid's role in the Northern Ireland peace process.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey warned the Church of England that its failure to attract young people means that it's one generation away from extinction. Bob Walker reports from Nottingham on the efforts made by churches there to appeal to young people; providing tea and toast at 4am is just one of their strategies.

But if the Church does survive, it now looks certain that it will contain women bishops. While the Archbishop of York John Sentamu warns supporters of the move that it's not yet time to crack open the champagne, those who oppose the idea are wondering how bitter the pill is that they will have to swallow. We hear from both the Anglo Catholic and Evangelical dissenters about how far they are prepared to compromise.

On Tuesday night, a psalter printed in 1640, is likely to set a new world record price for a book sold at auction, in New York. The "Bay Psalm Book" as it's known, is one of two copies owned by the historic Old South Church in central Boston, and Sotheby's are estimating that it could fetch up to 30 million dollars. But a small number of church members still believe it's a betrayal of the past.

In one of the starkest pictures of the Northern Ireland conflict, the Catholic priest Alec Reid looks up from administering the last rites to two British corporals lynched at an IRA funeral. Fr Reid died on Friday. We consider the role he played in the peace process.

And the bones of St Peter are due to go on display at the Vatican today.

Producers: Rosie Dawson
Carmel Lonergan.

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