When I approach certain subjects, I keep thinking about the ship’s surgeon on the Bounty in the 1935 film, who had a different story to relate to each person about how he lost his leg, and that he would gladly perform an amputation whilst sozzled on rum. We come to the subject of someone who is hardly reputed for any love of truth and who is constantly drunk and disorderly. A new article has appeared on the Anglicanorum Coetibus blog.
There it is. I have nothing to add since I never met this character. I met others like Jean-Gérard Roux and various Gallican prelates here in France. I got bitten by the former back in 1998, and now I stay right away from this whole bunch of imitations, shenanigans and perhaps a few sincere though misguided clergy. I have been a Continuing Anglican since 2005 and a priest in the ACC since 2013. I don’t claim to be any better, but there again, I don’t “claim” to be anything.
I have made comments before on this underworld of bishops of bugger-all in The Wooden Leg and one or two earlier pieces. As with most people I have met with personality disorders, these “larger than life” people leave me with a feeling of nausea. They feed on emotional and spiritual energy, and they live half in our world and half in the “lower realms” where hell touches our world. It is best to keep away. Like with trolls on the internet, don’t feed them!
We do tend to get over curious like the Victorians who went to freak shows or public executions. We might take it as a warning pour encourager les autres, or something to bolster our feeling of self-righteousness. It’s all rather unhealthy.
The Blue Flower 
Whew! So, having been ordained sub conditione and then “withdrawn […] membership”, are he – and his office – beyond the reach of anything but warnings and admonitions? There’s no possibility of, say, Degradation in absentia?
This business sickened my Bishop to the core when he had to make decisions and deal with it. He’s not in good health, and I take my hat off to him for his restraint, moderation and patience. It was French or the integrity of our Diocese.
I can well imagine! (The man who baptized me as a baby turned out to be up to all sorts of vile stuff, and my heart-broken grandfather had to act against him on behalf of the Council.) One of my Oxford friend’s law course in Germany before he studied further in England included Canon Law – about which I wish I knew more, but have the impression is very, and variously, complicated. I have fond memories of Bishop Damien, and wish him well, and will pray for his health.