8 With no Church direction to lead, he met his maker before death (5)
9 Root’s stemming him – zero and out! (7)
10 State in the OT: it’s taking donkey’s years almost to get road’s backing (7)
11 Bring down American camp (5)
12 Essence of devilry? (4)
13 Rocking Vincent’s little girl by the book (7)
17 Exist in an alternative way among Africans, bearing with the tribal leader (7)
19 Lot came here at a stroke, zinging the first to the front (4)
22 Hello – holding a pair of jacks – one’s been to Mecca (5)
24 Conservative snapped in show of gratuitous violence (3,4)
25 Bohemian’s met an alternative select composer (7)
26 Philistine city has two kings during this period (5)
Cryptic down
1 Tabernacle he designed out of misplaced zeal, being devoured by the Babylonian god (7)
2 Salty piece of 13? (4,4)
3 Somerset town burned, they say (5)
4 Secret name dropping from a Catholic saint (6)
5 Raiment tailored for the position of muezzin (7)
6 He wrote about old, liberal, evacuated Zambia (4)
7 Cockney chap, ‘e missed out a Canaanite town (5)
14 Pledge to top the French effort leads to hero-worship (8)
15 Austere brown bread of Hindus gets a step up (7)
16 Fork found in camping gear clear out (7)
18 Zombies made extinct, submitting to an international force (6)
20 Cross with OT book’s lack of East African language (5)
21 Apostle, the first of Paul’s envoys to enter Rome (5)
23 Thruppenny bit’s taking a diminutive OT character close to prosperity (4)
Quick across
8 Courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in a duel with Laertes (5)
9 Name the military government gave to Burma (7)
10 Part of the Book of Daniel, commonly called, in the Jerusalem Bible (7)
11 See 12
12/11 Home to Douglas? (4,2,3)
13 Book of Psalms when printed separately from the Bible (7)
17 Athenian woman converted by Paul (7)
19 North-west Sinai region where Hagar fled (4)
22 Greek outport for ancient Thebes where Agamemnon’s fleet assembled before heading for Troy (5)
24 Commonly, the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles after the Crucifixion (7)
25 Addition to someone’s title, often due to some event; nickname (7)
26 Roman goddess of the hunt, following the Greek Artemis (5)
Quick down
1 Show devotion to (a deity) (7)
2 Daughter of Herod Agrippa I (8)
3 Ancient British tribe led by Queen Boudicca (5)
4 Village near where Jesus made an appearance to two followers on his resurrection (6)
5 Complete and impressive array (7)
6 Muslim holy man (4)
7 Large long-necked wading bird of marshes and plains (5)
14 A recipient of one of St Paul’s letters (8)
15 Arthur ——-, English children’s author (1884-1967) (7)
16 ——- Fraser, male star of Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001) (7)
18 Natives of Des Moines (6)
20 Son of Lamech and Adah (5)
21 Biopic (1997) which won a Golden Globe acting nomination for Stephen Fry (5)
23 Same word for a type of heather and a kind of fish (4)
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.