Holy Smoke
Best of the Spectator
Holy Smoke: wandering bishops, rival popes & schismatic churches
- Published
- August 18, 2026
- Duration
- 29:49
- Summary source
- description
- Last updated
- Sep 13, 2026
Discusses daily, society, culture.
Summary
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 h…
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Show notes
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.
Themes
- daily
- society
- culture