My blessed boy: The millennial saint

My blessed boy: The millennial saint

How does a seemingly ordinary boy prove to be so extraordinary that he’s given a halo by the Catholic Church? Saint Carlo Acutis was just 15 years old when he died in 2006. William Crawley travels through Italy to the places most associated with the young Carlo to discover for himself what set this teenager apart from the rest.

In Assisi, William meets Carlo’s mother Antonia Salzano Acutis who reveals how her son showed an unusual generosity for a teenager. He visits Carlo’s tomb, where Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi, explains the connection between St. Francis and Carlo, as a bridge from the past to the present. At Carlo’s old school in Milan, Istituto Leone XIII, his former professor, Fabrizio Zaggia, recalls his curious mind. And contemporary students talk of how they can relate to the Saint who designed websites.

But is it all too convenient for the Catholic Church in this Jubilee Year to find a saint that appeals to this younger generation? William ponders this in Rome with John Allen, editor of Crux, the online Catholic newspaper, before heading off to St Peter’s Square and the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints where Monsignor Alberto Royo explains the investigation into Carlo’s life to see if it was one of ‘heroic virtue’.

Presenter: William Crawley Producer: Jill Collins Editor: Tara McDermott Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Credit: Carlo Acutis Digital Memorial App: Artist Riccardo Benassi, Curator Milano Arte Pubblica, Commune di Milano (Photo: Antonia Salzano, mother of blessed Carlo Acutis, who spent his life spreading his faith online, poses in front of a portrait of her son, 4 April, 2025. Credit: Tiziana Fabi/AFP)

Episoder(2000)

The Watermelons: Myanmar's military moles

The Watermelons: Myanmar's military moles

***This program contains distressing content. The voices of all active Watermelons have been changed for security reasons*** The Myanmar military is now riddled with soldiers betraying their colleagues. Military green on the outside, rebel red within. They are known as the Watermelons. BBC Eye goes inside the Watermelons unit to reveal how these spies are helping the armed pro-democracy resistance achieve the unthinkable. Nearly four years since seizing power in a coup the Myanmar military now only has full control of less than a quarter of the country.

19 Des 202430min

Footprints: How did human feet get washed up on the west coast of Canada and the US?

Footprints: How did human feet get washed up on the west coast of Canada and the US?

In August 2007, on an island off Canada’s west coast, the remains of a human foot were found washed up on a beach.Six days later, on another beach 50 miles away, a second foot was found. But, strangely, it does not match the first - they are from different people.The BBC’s Celia Hatton travels to Vancouver to hear how more than 20 feet have been found in the area since then, and to speak to the investigators and scientists who have worked to unravel the mystery of why they started appearing.

18 Des 202426min

Assignment: Argentina - Milei's Chainsaw

Assignment: Argentina - Milei's Chainsaw

It has been a year since chainsaw-wielding Javier Milei won the Presidency in Argentina. During his campaign, his chainsaw became a symbol of how quickly and drastically he wanted to cut the Argentine state. And he has slashed government budgets and sliced subsidies on power, food and transport. He stopped printing money to try and halt inflation which was running at 211.4% annually when he was sworn in.How have his actions changed life for ordinary Argentines? Buenos Aires based reporter, Charlotte Pritchard, talks to Argentines about how they're feeling now. From the gauchos at the annual event to show off their herds of horses, to those taking advantage of a scheme to 'whiten' black-market money they have hidden under their mattress - is there hope or despair?

17 Des 202426min

In the Studio: Creating Selfridges’ Christmas windows

In the Studio: Creating Selfridges’ Christmas windows

One of the many traditions in London at Christmas is to visit the capital’s festive lights. People travel from across the world to enjoy the colourful and eye-catching Christmas window displays along Oxford Street, one of London’s main shopping roads. Andrea Kidd goes behind the glitter and tinsel with the teams at the flagship department store Selfridges, as they prepare to reveal their Christmas windows to the public for the first time. The concept is More the Merrier this year and senior lead of the windows team, Bobbie Tree, along with the production, styling and design teams, work with renowned artists Andrew Logan and Charles Jeffreys, to create vibrant and flamboyant window displays for the millions of people who walk past.

16 Des 202426min

The Fifth Floor: Fleeing Chechnya

The Fifth Floor: Fleeing Chechnya

Why would a young woman flee her family and leave everything behind? BBC Russian's Zlata Onufrieva has been following the journeys of three women who've decided to run away from their homes in the Russian republic of Chechnya. Her documentary, Don't look for me, is part of the BBC 100 Women series. To find out more about the other inspiring and influential women on this year's list go to bbc.co.uk/100women. You can also follow BBC 100 Women on Facebook and Instagram. Plus, a social and cultural history of South Asian cornershops, with Ahsan Yunus from BBC Urdu. Produced by Alice Gioia, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

14 Des 202426min

BBC OS Conversations: Syrians after the fall of Assad

BBC OS Conversations: Syrians after the fall of Assad

Syrians have finally got their voices back. After 50 years of living under the cruelty of their President, Bashar al-Assad, they can now speak freely without fear, although some are still cautious. We talk to Syrians across the country, including Ibraheem from Aleppo. He tells host Mark Lowen: “I couldn’t ever think of this moment… this is years and years of fear and hate that has ended. Mark also speaks to three women, relieved to see the end of Assad but uncertain about what the future holds for their country. And we bring together Syrians in Germany, Italy and Turkey to discuss their reaction to the downfall of Assad and ask whether they plan to return to their homeland.

14 Des 202423min

Heart and Soul: Black Madonnas

Heart and Soul: Black Madonnas

Author and broadcaster Chine McDonald has never seen a black representation of the Virgin Mary. Black Madonnas are statues or paintings of the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. They can be found both in Catholic and Orthodox countries. There are thought to be at least 450 of them in the world and there are more Vierges Noires documented in France than any other country in the world. Chine visits the Queen of Peace in the convent church of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Paris, accompanied by expert guide Dr Christena Cleveland. She travels to Orleans to see the Black Madonna statue: Our Lady of Miracles in the Chapel Notre Dame des Miracles. And cultural historian and University of Oxford based author Prof Janina Ramirez explains current thinking about the origins and cultural significance of the Black Madonna.

13 Des 202430min

Srebrenica’s forgotten refugees

Srebrenica’s forgotten refugees

Thirty years after the war in Bosnia, survivors and their descendants find themselves permanently displaced in their own country. BBC reporter Lauren Tavriger visits the Tuzla region where families fleeing atrocities, including the Srebrenica massacre, have been living for decades in makeshift settlements originally designed as temporary. She talks to families about their experience, discovering why traumatised people are still living in a state of internal exile and reports on controversial efforts by the Bosnian authorities to clear camps and rehouse their inhabitants.

12 Des 202426min

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