Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Visit www.pbs.org/religionandethics for additional information. Show #1928 will be fed over PBS at 5:00 p.m. EST on March 11, 2016 (check local listings). Program Note: Due to pledge be sure to check local listings.
The Aga Khan – Around the world there are approximately 15 million Ismaili Muslims, a sub-group of the Shia branch of Islam, which is distinct from the much larger Sunni branch. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Sunnis said the Prophet’s successors should be outstanding religious leaders. Shias, on the other hand, said their leader should be a direct descendant of the Prophet, and that split has fractured Islam ever since, often violently. The leaders of the Ismailis is the Aga Khan, an enormously wealthy, little-known philanthropist who has made it his mission to fight poverty and encourage peace around the world with schools and hospitals, the arts and hope. Recently, the Aga Khan was in Canada, where he granted a rare interview to Lucky Severson. Originally broadcast: July 31, 2015 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2015/07/31/aga-khan-ismaili-muslims/26534/
Pope Francis and Family Issues — Next weekend, Pope Francis is expected to release his response to a key bishops’ meeting on family issues that took place last fall. At that meeting, bishops discussed the church’s response to a host of issues, including some that are very controversial. The bishops were especially divided over whether the church should change its rules against communion for divorced Catholics who have remarried. Many American Catholics have been pushing for that change. Deborah Potter reported on the controversy. Originally broadcast September 25, 2015 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2015/09/25/september-25-2015-pope-francis-family-issues/27311/
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