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Religion & Ethics

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week

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Sunday: French election; Ukrainian refugees; Abuse within the church

24/04/2022

French election; Ukrainian refugees; Abuse within the church

BBC Radio 4 - Sunday, French election; Ukrainian refugees; Abuse within the church

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week, with Edward Stourton.

The importance of religion in today's French presidential election. A faith-inspired welcome to a Ukrainian refugee. Child abuse within the Church of England: what has changed?

Today voters in France go to the polls in the final round of the country's presidential election.  The incumbent Emmanuel Macron is being challenged by Marine Le Pen.  As in previous elections, immigration and religion have been among the campaign issues.  We consider how important public attitudes to Islam have been in the campaign and how the candidates have negotiated the issue.   

After many weeks of war in Ukraine and people flooding over the borders into neighbouring European countries, Ukrainian refugees are now arriving in the UK.  We hear from a trainee Anglican cleric about how her faith inspired her to provide a home to a young man who fled from Ukraine.   She has hosted refugees before and finds it really rewarding.  For her, opening her home to a stranger is an expression of her Christian faith.

It's 18 months since the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its highly critical investigation into the Church of England.   It described the church as a place where abusers could hide and described an environment in which alleged perpetrators received more support than victims.  Now, Andrew Graystone, an advocate for survivors of abuse, has written an essay in which he suggests the church is still failing survivors of abuse.  We hear his views and a response from Bishop Julie Conalty, who has recently been appointed as the deputy lead Bishop on safeguarding issues. 

Presenter:   Edward Stourton
Producers:  Jonathan Hallewell and Julia Paul.

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