Compass — Season 28

Aired 12 August 2014 • 30 min

Follows the twin journeys of a fervently Orthodox Jewish father and his now-secular son, after the son breaks the code of silence in Melbourne's Orthodox community and goes public with his story of being sexually abused as a student.

Aired 9 March 2014 • 30 min

Who was Noah? When did the flood happen? Is the story really true? From Tissington Church in Britain to Mount Ararat in Turkey, the mountains of Oman and beyond, Joanna goes on a quest to unravel the truth behind the myths and legends surrounding one of the Bible’s greatest stories.

Aired 16 March 2014 • 30 min

Who was Noah? When did the flood happen? Is the story really true? From Tissington Church in Britain to Mount Ararat in Turkey, the mountains of Oman and beyond, Joanna goes on a quest to unravel the truth behind the myths and legends surrounding one of the Bible’s greatest stories.

Aired 23 March 2014 • 30 min

Three Australian families go on a pilgrimage to the oldest and largest religious festival on Earth, India’s Maha Kumbh Mela, to take a holy dip in the sacred Ganges...

Aired 30 March 2014 • 30 min

A group of elderly European Jews reunite to tell their story of how their lives were transformed by living in an Irish castle for a year after the horrors of WW2...

Aired 6 April 2014 • 30 min

The extraordinary 100 year old story of the relationship between the Catholic Church and Tiwi Islanders...

Aired 13 April 2014 • 30 min

Melvyn Bragg uncovers the real story behind one of the Bible's most enigmatic and controversial figures: Mary Magdalene...

Aired 20 April 2014 • 30 min

Melvyn Bragg uncovers the real story behind one of the Bible's most enigmatic and controversial figures: Mary Magdalene...

Aired 27 April 2014 • 30 min

In our premiere program Geraldine and her guests grapple with thorny questions about Anzac Day: Are we glorifying war rather than honouring individual soldiers? Surrender — a seldom discussed matter. And, the highly emotional issue of the repatriation of soldiers' remains from past conflicts in faraway battlefields. She is joined by Dr Leslie Cannold, ethicist; former Army Captain James Brown, Professor Peter Stanley, a military historian and Ken Doolan, National President of the RSL.

Aired 4 May 2014 • 30 min

God in the Lodge examines the religious beliefs of Australia’s Prime Ministers from Federation to now. In recent years our Prime Ministers’ religious beliefs have become more public but in our increasingly secular age, it’s an aspect of political life rarely explored. Part 1 (1901 – 1966) tells how our first Prime Minister’s meeting with the Pope outraged Australia’s majority Protestant population back home, how Billy Hughes fanned the flames of religious sectarianism in WW1’s conscription debates and reveals the fallout for Ben Chifley when he married outside the Catholic Church.

Aired 11 May 2014 • 30 min

The faith, beliefs and values of Australia's prime ministers from Federation to present day. This week looks at our PMs from 1966-2014, including John Gorton, Gough Whitlam, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.

Aired 18 May 2014 • 30 min

A deeply moving story that shows how music can rekindle emotions and re-awaken memories for elderly people lost to dementia...

Aired 25 May 2014 • 30 min

My Big Fat Bar Mitzvah steps inside the world of Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties, uncovering a spectacular new aspect of contemporary Australian Jewish life...

Aired 1 June 2014 • 30 min

Geraldine Doogue meets veteran actor, elder and activist Jack Charles who at 72 is enjoying newfound fame and purpose, after putting his life of crime and drugs behind him...

Aired 8 June 2014 • 30 min

An Australian entrepreneur sets out to empower low-caste Indian orphans by teaching them to become Wall Street traders...

Aired 15 June 2015 • 30 min

In our latest program Geraldine and her guests grapple with issues raised by the Rolf Harris trial, whether religious leaders should take part in illegal protests and overweight Australians - are they getting a fair go? She is joined by Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of The Australian; Sister Susan Connelly, nun and refugee advocate; Kate Carnell, CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner for the Human Rights Commission.

Aired 22 June 2014 • 30 min

How a corrupt, paedophile Catholic priest founded The Legionaries of Christ which he ran for 60 years with the Vatican's seal of approval.

Aired 29 June 2014 • 30 min

Irish investigative reporter Mick Peelo reveals how five successive popes publicly endorsed Fr Marcial Maciel, despite repeated warnings. Former Legion recruits believe it is a cult within the Catholic Church that cannot be fixed. But the Vatican and the Legion believe there is hope for its future.

Aired 6 July 2014 • 30 min

Ramadan, the world-wide Muslim month of fasting and feasting, has begun and Compass follows two families through the most important event on the Islamic calendar.

Aired 13 July 2014 • 30 min

In our latest program Geraldine and her guests grapple with the thorny topic of children’s vaccination: Is it wrong for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children? Reality TV: What responsibilities do broadcasters, producers and viewers have to those who take part? And we also return to the Rolf Harris case: Should his creative legacy be expunged now from public view altogether? She is joined by Leslie Cannold, ethicist and writer; Tim Bowden, Anglican minister and school principal; Melinda Houston, TV critic and author and Matthew Beard, ethicist at the University of Notre Dame.

Aired 20 July 2014 • 30 min

A country town Anglican farewell for a much loved local and a no-frills Muslim funeral for an asylum seeker.

Aired 27 July 2014 • 30 min

Leather meets brass in a motorcycle send-off for a Vietnam Vet and a traditional Chinese-Buddhist funeral - Australian style.

Aired 3 August 2014 • 30 min

An Italian-Catholic funeral draws 1500 mourners and a son farewells his father in a humble Hindu funeral a long way from home.

Aired 10 August 2014 • 30 min

A Sydney group of Pentecostal Ghanaians celebrate and dance for the deceased and a do-it-yourself secular funeral: no God or grief allowed.

Aired 17 August 2014 • 30 min

A Facebook memorial for a young man, a wife's ashes scattered in the sea, a tribal Tiwi ceremony, grieving for those lost without trace and a loved one's remains gifted to science.

Aired 24 August 2014 • 30 min

Compass explores religion, morals and values underpinning video games in Australia.

Aired 31 August 2014 • 30 min

In our latest program Geraldine and her guests grapple with the following thorny topics: Surrogacy - is it ever ethical to pay for a baby? What can families do about young Australians drawn to conflict zones overseas? And the cult of the Selfie - are there any boundaries? She is joined by Dr Anne Aly, counter-terrorism research fellow at Curtin University; Matthew Beard, ethicist at the University of Notre Dame; Venerable Robina Courtin, Buddhist Nun and James Arvanitakis, Professor of Humanities at University of Western Sydney.

Aired 7 September 2014 • 30 min

In this two-part special, Compass examines the Salvation Army in Australia, a trusted church-charity engulfed by allegations of sexual abuse in its former children’s homes.

Aired 14 September 2014 • 30 min

Compass examines the Salvation Army, trying to reconcile its dual role, and redeem itself in the face of shocking revelations of child sexual abuse in its former children’s homes.

Aired 21 September 2014 • 30 min

In this Australian TV exclusive Geraldine Doogue talks to Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury about what he hopes to achieve as leader of the world’s 80-million Anglicans.

Aired 28 September 2014 • 30 min

Compass explores the biggest and most widely celebrated Hindu festival in Australia which celebrates a goddess with ten arms who fights for good over evil...

Aired 5 October 2014 • 30 min

In a special program for Mental As, the ABC's initiative for Mental Health Week, Geraldine and her guests grapple with: Does religious belief help or hinder mental well-being? The challenging issue of whether or not to disclose a mental health condition. And - stories of resilience and recovery. She is joined by Janet Meagher, consumer advocate and former National Mental Health Commissioner; Ian Hickie, Head of the Brain Mind Research Institute and National Mental Health Commissioner; Kate Richards, award winning writer and medical researcher; and Tim Costello, Baptist Minister and CEO of World Vision Australia.

Aired 12 October 2014 • 30 min

Follows an ambitious scheme empowering people with mental health issues to build confidence, self-esteem and trust, and turn their lives around.

Aired 26 October 2014 • 30 min

Anglican Minister David Smith is a man of many callings - a Parish priest, a professional boxer, a political activist and father of four, Father Dave is as comfortable in a boxing ring as he is in the pulpit.

Aired 2 November 2014 • 30 min

This two-part program tells the story of one of the most influential men in English history. William Tyndale was a scholar, a theologian and a genius often referred to as the ‘Architect of the English Language’ second only to William Shakespeare. Fluent in eight languages, his translation of the New Testament was the first ever to be printed in English. Yet his work was denounced as heresy by authorities of the Roman Catholic Church and he was burned at the stake. Presenter and writer Melvyn Bragg charts the extraordinary life of a great reformer whose ambition and determination changed history forever.

Aired 9 November 2014 • 30 min

Part two of the William Tyndale story, one of the most influential men in English history, historian Melvyn Bragg reveals how Tyndale translating the Bible into English unlocked the English language for ordinary people. This marked a turning point in the evolution of Christianity in England, giving people the liberty to think for themselves rather than the duty to simply believe what they were told. But in a poignant twist, Tyndale was never able to celebrate his success and his groundbreaking work was attributed to another while he was condemned to death for heresy.

Aired 16 November 2014 • 30 min

Mari Steed is on an emotional journey to piece together the missing links of her past, a life tainted by separation, loss and tragedy.

Aired 23 November 2014 • 30 min

This delightful two part special documents a year behind the scenes in Ireland's only women's Cistercian Monastery.

Aired 30 November 2014 • 30 min

The Cistercian nuns of St Mary's Abbey in Ireland have been leading a life of prayer and dedicated contemplation for over 800 years.

Aired 7 December 2014 • 30 min

The Exodus Foundation has been providing a free hot Christmas lunch to those who need it for over twenty years. This year founder Bill Crews is expecting meals to be served to 3000 people in two gigantic sittings.