Sunday Folgen

This weekend Hindu's are celebrating Holi - the colour filled festival that celebrates the coming of spring and victory of good over evil. Rajeev Gupta reports.Film Critic Richard Fitzwilliams reviews the new Mary Magdalene film staring Rooney Mara as Mary and Joaquin Phoenix in the role of Jesus.Ahead of International Women's Day Yassmin Abdel-Magied named Queensland Young Australian of the Year in 2015 talks to Edward about empowering women. A high court judge has granted an application for a judicial review of a senior coroner's "cab rank" policy in dealing with unexpected deaths, saying it raises issues of importance to Jewish and Muslim communities. Joshua Rosenberg explains.This week the Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards are given to business leaders for their promotion of peace through interfaith knowledge and action. Edward speaks to Brian Grim, President of the Religious freedom & Business Foundation from Seoul.How to dispose of old or damaged copies of the Koran is a sensitive issue and people have been accused of blasphemy for disrespecting the holy book. Secunder Kermani has been to Quetta in Pakistan to look at a project devoted to solving the problem.This week the church of the Holy Sepulchre closed as a sign of protest and has since re-opened, journalist Jordana Miller explains why. Last month the Vatican withheld permission for three key female speakers to address the Voices of Faith conference. Edward discusses why with Father Luke Hansen SJ (who will be taking part in Voices of Faith) and by Catholic journalist Caroline Farrow who agrees with the Vatican's decision.Producers: Carmel Lonergan; Louise Clarke-RowbothamEditor: Amanda HancoxPhoto Credit: Holi Festival of Colours.

US evangelist Billy Graham, who counselled presidents and preached to millions across the world died this week aged 99. Matt Wells and Sarah Posner look back at his life and legacy.As the violence continues in Syria Sister Annie Demerjian describes life in Damascus and what it's like to live in the current situation. We also hear from Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics.On Wednesday Jews will be celebrating the festival of Purim. It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman's plot to kill all the Jews as recorded in the book of Esther. It's a time when Jews raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for causes important to them by performing dances and entertaining one another. Reporter Rajeev Gupta has been to meet a group preparing for the festival.Recent figures show that there is a severe shortfall in the number of people training to become RE teachers. Trevor Barnes has been finding out why.Church of England churches might have to host non-Anglican wedding ceremonies if a Private Member's Bill introduced by Lord Deben in the House of Lords becomes law. The Church of England is opposed to the Bill. Lord Griffiths and Rev Martin Kettle discuss the implications with Edward.Justin Trudeau, the Canadian PM, is bringing to end a turbulent week long visit to India this weekend. Some Indian ministers have accused the Canadian government of a lack of action on tackling campaigns for a Sikh separatist state based and funded in Canada. The BBC's Pratiksha Ghildial joins Edward from Delhi to explain what's been happening.Producer: Rajeev Gupta Editor: Amanda Hancox.

The Mandaean religion predates Christianity. Now two universities are documenting some of its most important rituals online for generations to come. Fiona Clampin reports. The Very Rev Andrew Tremlett, Dean of Durham Cathedral, tells Martin about the Open Treasure exhibition "Tudors: the family and faith" which highlights the impact of the dynasty on the Cathedral.In the aftermath of the events that have put Oxfam in the news this week we ask "should we stop giving money to overseas-aid charities?" Veteran field-worker Paul Hardcastle says yes and Paul Vallely, a religious-affairs journalist and academic expert on aid and development says no.Bishop Bertin Mwale Subi, the bishop of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, tells Martin why he's calling on President Kabilla to hold elections in December and says there will be indescribable chaos if they don't take place. Zayid Marar is a writer who's about to publish a book called Judgement - the Value of Being Misunderstood. Martin talks to him about how a society can't function without judgement and how that relates to religion.Christopher Lamb explains why the Pope's informal, non-clerical, accessible style of management is fine when things are going well but not so helpful when things go wrong.Austin Eubanks, who survived the Columbine shooting in 1999, and Patrick Carolan, Executive Director of the Franciscan Action Network, respond to the mass-shooting at a high school in Florida.Producers: Carmel Lonergan and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Editor: Amanda HancoxPhoto: courtesy of the University of Exeter.