Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor edits "Today"

This morning, the guest editor on BBC Radio 4's flagship current affairs programme, Today, was Cardinal Murphy O'Connor. This page on the Today programme site, summarises the programme, and includes audio clips of the Cardinal's contributions.

I heard part of the programme, and rather enjoyed it. A visit to the English College in Rome, with the story of the seminarians gathering in the chapel before the Martyrs' Picture to sing the Te Deum ... As I listened to this, it occurred to me that, for many people in England and Wales, this would be an almost unknown part of our history.

The programme included a very useful interview, conducted by the Cardinal, with Gordon Brown.

And I was rather amused by the thought of a Cardinal setting off to learn how to cook for himself - at an Italian restaurant, of course - as he approached retirement. I suspect this is a generational thing, as I expect that the younger clergy now have such hectic lives that a fixed meal time in a day, with a meal prepared by a housekeeper, is rare.

I got the impression that Cardinal Murphy O' Connor had enjoyed the experience of conducting the interviews and producing the packages for the programme. I thought the programme was an excellent example of bringing Catholic life to the attention of a wider public, of the encounter between faith and culture. And, as the Cardinal said in his short review video, there was something about it being radio rather than television. What people hear (and so have to give just that bit more attention and engagement to) is a bit special ...

Not that I (not owning a television) am at all biased ...

Do look at the page on the Today programme site!