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The Inquiry: Is the Pope Catholic?

Is The Pope Catholic?

19/10/2017 GMT

Is the Pope Catholic?

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, Is the Pope Catholic?

Inside the fierce debate dividing the Roman Catholic Church

The fierce debate dividing the Roman Catholic Church about the role of the Pope and what it means to be a Roman Catholic.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church has been accused of aiding the spread of heresy. A petition criticising the ambiguity of Pope Francis' statements on the treatment of people who have divorced and remarried is the latest twist in a fierce debate which is dividing Roman Catholics. The argument centres on whether divorcees on their second marriages should be able to receive Holy Communion, a ceremony that is central to the Christian faith. However, the dispute goes much deeper than that. At its heart, it is an argument over what it means to be a Roman Catholic and what the role of the Pope, and the Church, should be.

Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: James Fletcher and Helen Grady

(Photo: Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers in Manila, Philippines. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

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