Holy Smoke

Is the Church of England slowly abolishing the parish priest? A new model of ‘oversight ministry’ promises team-based leadership and a greater role for lay volunteers – but critics fear it will leave priests increasingly invisible in the communities they serve. Meanwhile, those volunteers face an expanding regime of training, safeguarding requirements and diocesan bureaucracy.

This week on Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson is joined by Daily Mail sketchwriter Quentin Letts, who has written a provocative piece for The Spectator on what he calls the rise of ‘plastic parsons’. They discuss the Church’s shortage of priests, whether safeguarding has become a vehicle for bureaucratic overreach, the money spent on central initiatives rather than struggling parishes – and whether the sight of a vicar in a dog collar could soon become as unusual as an old-fashioned policeman on the beat.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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What happens when a bishop breaks with Rome but still claims apostolic succession? Damian Thompson is joined by historian Magnus Lundberg, Professor of Church and Mission History at Uppsala University in Sweden, to explore the strange world of ‘wandering bishops’, rival popes and tiny schismatic churches.

They trace the tangled web of consecrations that have produced thousands of bishops outside the authority of Rome, and explore the grandiose titles and ceremonies of these independent bishops. They also examine the roots of sedevacantism, the legacy of Archbishop Lefebvre and the Society of St Pius X, and ask whether the latest breakaway bishops could create yet another schism. Plus, where exactly does the Catholic Church draw a line between a bishop whose orders are illicit and one whose orders are invalid?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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In this week’s episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson is joined by Madeline Grant to dive into the contentious topic of Project Spire, the Church of England's ambitious plan to allocate £100 million in reparations for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. They will shed light on the Church's insistence on proceeding with this plan despite significant opposition from both the public and its own parishioners.

Produced by Henry Lloyd and Patrick Gibbons.
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Is Andy Burnham the country's first catholic Prime Minister, and how might it influence his leadership? Despite his faith drawing him to Labour, he doesn’t attend mass and rarely emphasises his religion publicly. To unpack his faith and where it might take him, Lara Brown, The Spectator's commissioning editor, is joined by the chief political commentator at The Times, Patrick Maguire, and The Spectator's religion editor, Damian Thompson.

Produced by Henry Lloyd, Ed Parker and Patrick Gibbons.
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For many Christians, devotion to the Virgin Mary is deeply moving. For others, it raises uncomfortable theological questions. Is the veneration of Mary a vital part of Christian faith or does it risk elevating her to something resembling a goddess? And why are growing numbers of Protestants, as well as Catholics and Orthodox Christians, rediscovering Marian devotion today?

Damian Thompson is joined by theologian and author Margarita Mooney Clayton to discuss her new book When Mary Calls: Surprising Encounters with the Mother of God. They explore modern claims of Marian apparitions, why stories of Mary continue to resonate across Christian traditions and what devotion to the Mother of God reveals about the search for spiritual renewal in the modern world.
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