The Thrift-Shop Pope

At the dawn of La Belle Epoch in Paris, a trans woman who became known as "The Countess" would journey from ballrooms to prison and back, a key figure in queer history who wrote her own autobiography to tell readers exactly how strange and dazzling the experiences of her life wer ...  Show more

In 1968, a woman wrote a romantic story about Kirk and Spock, passed it quietly among friends, and hoped it would never see the light of day. But before vanishing entirely, The Ring of Soshern had become the stuff of legend. The quest to recover it would lead to a community of wo ...  Show more

It has been 10 years since Pope Benedict XVI announced his shock resignation. It was the first time in almost 600 years that a pope had stepped down.

In this programme, we hear stories about the history of the papacy, including how a pope is chosen, the inception of Vati ...

What do you get when a former Catholic schoolgirl and a business-school-educated atheist chat religion? A deep dive into the Vatican—how it works as a business, country, and moral guidepost.Topics covered:A quick overview of Christianity and the history of how Protestantism split ...  Show more

All eyes have been on the Vatican in recent days, as the conclave have decided who will be the next pope. But how does the process today compare to that of past centuries? What have been some of the most dramatic papal elections down the centuries? And was there ever really a fem ...  Show more

Long before Benedict XVI's resignation, Benedict IX resigned. Benedict IX was one of the youngest (and most notorious) men ever to become pope, and his abuse of power was legendary. He became pope three times and sold the title at one point.