I'm the Bishop. It's what I do.

JuniorJunior 4,853 Posts
edited December 2006 in Strut Central
Some Xmas cheer for you:
It would be out of character if I was drunk, says bishopThe Bishop of Southwark today said he was having tests for amnesia following his infamous evening out at a Christmas drinks reception two weeks ago.The Right Rev Tom Butler, one of the Church of England's most senior bishops, said it would have been "entirely out of character" if he had been drunk after attending a party at the Irish embassy in London.Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme prior to delivering his regular Thought for the Day, he described a witness account of him throwing toys around the back of a stranger's parked and unlocked Mercedes as "very strange".The bishop, who suffered a black eye during the evening and lost some of his belongings, told his congregation on the following morning that he had been mugged - a claim police are no longer investigating.Today, he said he could remember nothing of the journey home after leaving the party, where he drank Portuguese wine. He said his Oyster travelcard records showed he used public transport from central London to his home in Streatham."I've had extensive medical tests, and they are going on. I remember nothing from the early time of the party until I got home ... it's very worrying, I still have amnesia," he said.Asked about how much he had to drink, he told the programme: "It would be entirely out of character if I was drunk ... I really do defy anyone who's had too much to drink to make that journey."Police were informed that the bishop's briefcase and mobile phone were missing, and he had suffered head wounds.According to a report, Paul Sumpter, the car's owner, saw a man who looked like the bishop getting into the back of the Mercedes near London Bridge, close to his cathedral. The man was alleged to have been throwing children's toys around and to have announced: "I'm the Bishop of Southwark. It's what I do."[/b] The bishop said his briefcase had been returned to him days later, not by the police but by a national newspaper."I'm suggesting there are elements in that story I find extremely difficult ... how I could have broken into a locked car and set off the alarm," he said.Bishop Butler denied misleading his congregation when he told them he had been mugged. "The injuries were compatible with being mugged, and we all thought that's what had happened," he told the programme.He said he had been attending similar receptions for 20 years and that he was always "very careful". "Normally at a reception I will have a glass of wine or two and I enjoy talking with people," he said.Asked whether he often got drunk, he added: "No I don't get drunk frequently. I wouldn't be able to do my job if I did."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,1975379,00.html

  Comments


  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,390 Posts
    I love that story. Original gangster bishop in the house.

  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,889 Posts
    The bishop came to speak about Christmas at our church.
    I reckon he was an imposter.
    Never once moved diagonally.


  • The Bishop of Southwark today said he was having tests for amnesia following his infamous evening out at a Christmas drinks reception two weeks ago.
    The Right Rev Tom Butler, said it would have been "entirely out of character" if he had been drunk after attending a party at the Irish embassy[/b] in London.
Sign In or Register to comment.