Is the Pope Catholic?
Inside the fierce debate dividing the Roman Catholic Church
The Inquiry · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
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)