Hundreds of thousands welcome Pope Leo in France
700,000 people thronged the streets of Paris this weekend to welcome Pope Leo XIV, the first visit of a Pope to the capital since 2008. The numbers surprised commentators because regular church attendance in France has fallen to around five per cent, while the church’s reputation has been profoundly damaged by revelations of sexual abuse. The French Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church estimated that 330,000 children were sexually abused in a church context between 1950 and 2020. However, in recent years there have been signs of growth with the number of adult baptisms more than doubling in five years to 10,000 in 2025. 80,000 young people filled the Stade de France for a Mass on Friday, and he encouraged them saying that they brought “enthusiasm, energy, commitment and joy” to the church. In Lourdes, a place of healing, he spoke to a congregation of 150,000, calling on the church to heal deep wounds and painful errors. Then he held a private meeting with church leaders where he urged the bishops to root out the “scourge” of sexual abuse. Finally he had a meeting with seven survivors, listening to their stories and reaffirming his commitment to preventing further harm.
BBC cuts local radio Sunday morning religious shows from 15 to six
The BBC is reducing the number of local radio Sunday morning religious programmes to six, down from 15 at present. There are 39 BBC local radio stations and each had its own religious programme until 2023 when the number was reduced to 15. Now they are to be cut again as the BBC seeks to make £500 million cuts over three years. The news was delivered in an internal email to staff, following a Teams call which itemised the cuts. It means the new regional Sunday morning programmes will span the North West and North East of England; the South and South East; and the East and West Midlands. Some of the presenters are household names who have broadcast for decades. The local producers have been supported by a small team providing features and interviews from all faith perspectives. The Rev Peter Crumpler, former Director of Communications for the Church of England, said: “Regional coverage tends to favour ‘the unusual’ or controversial, rather than the grassroots activities of faith groups in their local areas. So dilution of the local is a significant negative in the BBC’s coverage of faith issues”. The cuts are a scythe through local programming, with the late night show replaced by 5Live, and six regional programmes currently broadcast on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings coming to an end. Radio Today reports that the proposals “form part of plans to save £9m and close 90 roles across BBC Local”.
BBC Religion on TV and Radio 4
Songs of Praise celebrated its 65th anniversary on BBC1, with presenters Pam Rhodes and Aled Jones looking back at highlights from 1961 when TV was in black and white. The first edition was from the Tabernacle Chapel in Cardiff , and started nine months after the Welsh hymns programme “Dechrau Canu, Dechrau Canmol” – “Start Singing, Start Praising” – which started on 1 January 1961. Both are still going strong. Read Catherine Pepinster’s report in The Telegraph here. This is one of the highlights of BBC Religion and Ethics programming this autumn including “Beyond Belief”, a Radio 4 programme on passages from sacred texts that can challenge and shock; On BBC2, the documentary “Amritsar” on the 1984 military assault on the Golden Temple; On BBC1 “Young, British and Tradwife”, on the re-emergence of stay at home housewives; and “My Religion”, 25 child-led films for primary schools on religion in daily life for the BBC website. Full details here.
Archbishops call for peace as Drumcree protesters block march
The Orange Order Drumcree March along the mainly Catholic Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Northern Ireland, has been blocked by protesters who gathered throughout the day to prevent the march from going ahead. Meetings will take place today with the chief constable and the Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to disucss the community tension. The Protestant Orange Order holds marches to celebrate its Protestant and British identity, with many routes dating back generations and several scheduled for later this year. The Drumcree parade became a flashpoint in the 1990s when the dispute between two communities led to serious violence. The route was banned in 1998 and has not been used since, but in July, the Orange Order challenged the ban and the case went to the Appeals Court which allowed it, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Breandán MacCionnaith, spokesman for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition, said they would not put the clock back, to the flashpoints of decades ago. The Catholic Archbishop, Eamon Martin, and Church of Ireland Archbishop, John McDowell, issued a statement calling for peace: “We call for the urgent creation of a constructive, inclusive and reconciling initiative to patiently find a way through this current crisis. Too much is at stake.”
Mosque security costs reach record levels
The Guardian reports that it has obtained exclusive figures showing £66m was given to mosques and community buildings to provide extra security after the Southport attacks in 2024, and a record £41 million was given in 2025-26. The chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, Akeela Ahmed, said the figures revealed “an incredibly sombre story about the rise in anti-Muslim hostility”. The Guardian quotes her saying: “If we want to bring down the costs for protecting British Muslims in the UK then we need to reduce the need for protection and address the root causes of hate against Muslim communities.”
Equi report says migration history should be in national curriculum
A report from the British Muslim-led think tank Equi says migration history should be included in the national curriculum to counter misinformation and improve community cohesion. “Stronger Together: How Migration has Shaped Britain” says public perceptions of migration are increasingly disconnected from the evidence. It highlights a sharp fall in net migration while 67 per cent of people believe it is rising. Small boat arrivals accounted for only a small proportion of immigration between 2018 and 2024 but dominate public debate. The report also says migrants make a significant contribution to the NHS and economy. It calls for better migration data and action against anti-migrant misinformation.
Thousands fill Old Trafford for prayer and worship with stories of healing
74,000 people filled Old Trafford stadium in Manchester on Saturday, for a New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations prayer conference, fronted by its NSPPD founder, Jerry Eze. NSPDD is an online prayer meeting famous for “incredibly notable creative miracles and strange acts of God .. the blind seeing, the lame walking, cancer, sickle cell and other terminal diseases being kicked out and even the dead rising”. He is also the leader of Streams of Joy International, a global movement based in Nigeria, which offers worship, music, prophecies and testimonies of life changing miracles. NSPDD held a similar event at Twickenham Stadium in 2024, attended by 80,000 people.
The viral moment in France when the Pope sang Salve Regina
The massive reception Pope Leo found in Paris has astounded Catholic journalist Fraser Nelson. He republished a clip showing the Pope seemingly moved to tears as he stood in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary at the restored Notre Dame, joining with the crowd singing Salve Regina, a chant devoted to Our Lady. The clip is on many social media platforms and has gone viral, along with a clip of priests hearing confessions form young people in the street. He has seen young people embrace prayer in Latin and sing the Salve Regina, seeming to “love the old ways”. And he reflects: “For all of its Christian architecture, France is by some measures the most secular country in Europe so you might have expected Leo’s visit to fall flat. Instead, it has been a phenomenon”.
