Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
All Things Considered this week comes from the Archbishop's House behind Westminster Cathedral in central London. We're guests of the leader of the four million Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.
It's seven years since he succeeded the much-revered monk, Cardinal Basil Hume - not an enviable task, and it's been a rough ride.
Mass attendance has continued to fall, along with the number of priests. The church has been rocked by child abuse scandals which left its authority discredited, and its cardinal archbishop reeling.
He's clashed with the government over the war in Iraq, its attitude to poverty and to family life, and most recently over the refusal of Catholic adoption agencies to place children with gay couples.
Rugby-loving, musical, approachable, and once described as 'everyone's favourite bishop', he'll be 75 in August and is required to submit his resignation to the Pope - though he's expected to be asked to stay on for a bit longer.
He talks to Roy Jenkins about his family background, the formation of his faith and the issues that have shaped his life as priest, bishop and cardinal over the last 50 years.
Related website:All Things Considered is on Â鶹Éç Radio Wales on Sunday 27 May at 8.31am, repeated Wednesday 30 May at 6.32pm.
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Mal Pope replays highlights from this week's programmes on Radio Wales, and delves into the archive.
