27 January 2009

Barmiest Bishop Quest

I think I may run this as an occasional but frequent column, in the spirit of Dix, who took the name Gregory in religion 'because Gregory VII deposed more bishops than any other man in history'; reminded a whingeing Anglo-Catholic that one should expect the worst of the episcopate because 'after all, the heraldic symbol of a bishop is a crook; of an archbishop, the double cross'. Today's candidates:

(1) I can't remember his name: which one was it? One of the English 'Roman Catholic' bishops; who warmly welcomed the election, as president of our revolting colonies, of the abortionist Obama.

(2) Williamson; I thought of him yesterday as Pam and I did some research in the archives of S Anne's (her college and that of senior daughter and junior son) on an aspect of the university education of women in the late Victorian period. We were surprised by the large numbers of religious, some Anglican but vast numbers RC, who were sent by their orders to take advantage of the possibility of an Oxford education for women. They certainly went places; at least one became Mother General of her Order in Rome. I wonder what makes Williamson so hysterically opposed to the university education of women. How is that in accordance with tradition? Not that it needs me to attack the silly fellow; and I wouldn't want you to think I'm doing so out of prejudice. Some of my best friends are Wykehamists. It's not fair to blame people for their parents' mistakes.

(3) Finally, our own home-grown candidate, the barmy bishop of bux. Finding himself in a bit of a hole after his nutty attack on Anglo-Catholics, he demonstrated his resolve by continuing to dig. When last seen he was still shovelling furiously and had nearly reached the magma. He'll soon be up to his ears in it. {Massinformation; but you'll have to scroll quite a long way down to find it.}

7 comments:

Gregory of Langres said...

...or just click here: http://www.massinformation.org/2009/01/buckinghams-thoughts-on-traditionalists.html

J Athelstan Riley said...

The BBB's original post (plus 44 comments, and counting) is at:

http://bishopalan.blogspot.com/2009/01/one-traditionalist-road-to-ruin.html

Conchúr said...

Fr Hunwicke,

The Obamaphile is Crispian Hollis.

William Tighe said...

Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta reportedly said much the same thing.

A former employee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, himself orthodox and conservative, reckoned that "probably almost half" of the US Catholic bishops voted for Obama.

motuproprio said...

Bishop Fellay has now inhibited Bishop Williams from speaking on any political or historical matter. It is a pity that the Bishop of Oxford is unlikely to inhibit the Bishop of Buckingham!

Independent said...

Since barminess seems not to be confined by any limit of position, I wonder who has been the barmiest Pope? Alexander Borgia was probably the most sexually immoral, and Julius II the most warlike, but who has been the barmiest? With ordinary priests it is too difficult to decide as there has always been so much competition. Church history is so much more entertaining than secular history.

William Tighe said...

"I wonder who has been the barmiest Pope? Alexander Borgia was probably the most sexually immoral, and Julius II the most warlike, but who has been the barmiest?"

Only if you confine your investigations to the second milennium -- but look into some of the popes between ca. 895 and 965 and ca. 1010 and 1045.