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Oliver Plunkett, Relics, Sudan, Digital Resurrection

Archbishop Eamon Martin reflects on his predecessor, Oliver Plunkett, the economy of church relics, keeping the dead alive, and violence in Sudan causing a humanitarian crisis.

Archbishop Eamon Martin reflects on the life and death of his predecessor Oliver Plunkett. Born 400 years ago this weekend, the saint's head is preserved in St Peter’s Church in Drogheda. Mark Devenport is joined by Dr Niamh Wycherley and John Thavis to discuss the role of relics in the 21st century.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Africa correspondent Declan Walsh explains the background to violence and killings in south west Sudan.

And on All Souls Day, grief bots and avatars promise to preserve our loved ones from beyond the grave. Dr Elaine Storkey, Dr Nathan Mladin and Professor Victoria Haneman discuss the ethical concerns to what some see as compassionate technology and others dismiss as a sinister intrusion into the painful process of bereavement.

55 minutes

Broadcast

  • Sun 2 Nov 202508:05