Holy Smoke: Wandering bishops, rival popes & schismatic churches

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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