Pope Leo and President Trump; Buddhist extremism; Gulf Christians

After a week of headlines that portrayed Pope Leo and President Trump pitted against each other, the pontiff says he regrets his remarks being interpreted as a debate. We hear from a journalist on the papal visit to Africa and Anna Rowlands, Professor at Durham University and a member of the Vatican department concerned with social teaching. Buddhism with its tradition of meditation and compassion, is not a religion you might associate with violence. However, from Rohingya expulsions by Buddhist mobs in Myanmar, to Sri Lankan riots fuelled by Buddhist militants, religious nationalism can turn monks into political players. Sonia Faleiro has investigated this phenomenon for a book called The Robe and the Sword - how Buddhist Extremism is shaping modern Asia. The peace deal between the US, Israel and Iran is holding for now but it is not clear when there will be a new round of face to face talks. With up to five million Christians living in the Gulf, we wanted to find out how they were coping with the war. We hear from Bishop Sean Semple, the Anglican Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf and Davide Axtell who chairs the council of Bahrain Cathedral. Presenter: Emily Buchanan Producers: Katy Booth and Rosie Dawson Studio Managers: Helen Williams, Chris Mather and Ben Cuthbertson Editor: Catherine Murray

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Pope Leo and President Trump; Buddhist extremism; Gulf Christians is an episode from Sunday by BBC.

This episode is 43:11 long.

This episode was published on Apr 19, 2026.

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