"The Loose Canon"

Further to my package last week, which included Damian Thompson's book "The Loose Canon", I thought you might like to check out Damian's brilliant religious blog "Holy Smoke" which chronicles religious follies in Britain.

His latest postings include the implications of the vote on women bishops in the Anglican Communion.

[And today's posting, Bill, reads this headline: "Church of England Bishop Will Lead Anglicans to Rome" -- SW]

He declares that the Anglican Church is now plainly, nakedly, indisputably Protestant and there is no room for the likes of the late (super-Catholic) Brian Brindley anywhere in it. Also any hopes of corporate reunion with the Catholics or Orthodox are as dead as Brian, so ARCIC is now RIP. But no doubt it will carry on twitching for many years to come, as the theologians involved don't want to look utter fools and they might otherwise be up to even worse mischief.

Damian is highly unpopular with the British bishops as he is an independent voice on a secular newspaper which they cannot control. So when he explains that Anglican clergy, concerned about the latest change and exploring conversion to Rome, very wisely bypassed the English bishops and went straight to the Vatican, it will make him even less welcome at Westminster Cathedral.

I can't remember if Damian's book makes its title clear, but in the Royal Navy a "loose cannon", in the days of wooden sailing warships, was a cannon which was not properly tied down to the deck. So in bad weather, or if it was fired, it might roll all over the place and cause all manner of havoc and destruction. Much as Brian loved to do........