Colosseum

The Colosseum is to be restored by the founder of Tod's luxury shoe brand Diego della Valle. Good news then as this businessman is set to rescue a monument that represents Italy in the world. A restoration which will certainly no longer use Roman numerals in the calculation process but presumably take into account the iron pins that hold it together. Join the famed papal Latinist and connoisseur of all things Roman, Carmelite Father Reginald Foster, on a very windy day as you'll hear in a moment.

Unitatis Redintegratio and all that

Recordings of Latin from the Second Vatican Council. The date is the 21st of November 1964 when with the Latin words "finem imponimus" Pope Paul VI puts an end to the penultimate sesssion of that landmark Ecumenical Council. On this occasion a number of documents were up for approval, among them one on ecumenism.

Extra orbem

Leo the Great, considered to be the most glorious Latinist among the Church Fathers who lived 1600 years ago may now be buried in St Peter's but he has left us a great written legacy. Our "Latin Lover" reads to us from a big fat tome containing some of these writings and upon request reads extracts concernign the magi: "the children of the light... throw off the works of darkness... cast off lies... throw out avarice... love generosity..." (Repeat of 1/4/07)