Jim puts it thusly:

There was a story on the BBC on Friday (it’s still there) about the Bishop of Southwark apparently being mugged. Terribly sad, I thought. But this morning, the Torygraph reports the event rather differently –

…later, after witnesses told an entirely different story of apparently drink-related behaviour, the 66-year-old prelate admitted that he could not remember the details of the incident.

They say he ended up in Crucifix Lane, a largely deserted street next to railway arches near his cathedral, at 9.30pm where he clambered into a stranger’s Mercedes and started throwing toys on to the road.

Paul Sumpter, the car’s owner, was playing pool in Suchard Bar when he heard his vehicle alarm go off.

He ran outside and saw Mr Butler, dressed in his robes and a smart black over coat, sitting in the back seat throwing out the toys.

Mr Sumpter said to him: “What are doing in my car?”
Mr Butler replied: “I’m the Bishop of Southwark, it’s what I do.”
Mr Sumpter and a friend then dragged him out of the car and, in the fracas, the bishop accidentally fell to the pavement. Mr Butler, a father of two, sat on the kerb while onlookers offered to call an ambulance. The bishop was then said to have stood up and staggered into a railway arch.

…and I love the later quotations in the Telegraph article:

One 29-year-old worshipper, who would only give her first name as Helen, said: “Anyone can make a mistake and who are we to stand in judgment?

“I think he still has the respect of the congregation and will continue to lead us. Even if he was drunk, that does not undo all the good things he has done for us. He is still a very righteous man.”

Another worshipper said: “He should not be vilified for this. Having a couple of drinks is not a sin, maybe he did not realise how strong the wine was.”

Did not realise how strong the wine was? Ha!

The man’s supposed to be a pillar of the community, gets tanked, does something dumb, and people are treating him like a stray lamb. Given the faith in quesiton I suppose this is apt, but I’ll bet lacking in orthogonality from their opinions were it anyone else to get drunk.

Perhaps the CoE should arrange ecumenical rotations with Catholic orders – now there’s a faith that knows how to hold its alcohol. In return the CoE vicars can explain sex… wait, that’s probably not strictly necessary, either.