Across

1 Hieratic novelist and playwright losing a little energy (8)

5 What secretly watches Young Conservative packing luncheon meat (6)

9 Chap hugging Ingres uncovered dramatist (8)

10 Sound of person lapping strong drink (6)

12 Muscle belonging to Roman Catholic (5)

13 Take in mountain-top? (9)

14 Pharisaic Moll nearly lost narrow outlook (12)

18 Bishop let paramour rock bassinet (12)

21 Girl with fruity pud and occasional turkey (5,4)

23 Onan’s widow, the flower of the West Country (5)

24 Prophet lives with nursemaid close to Gath (6)

25 Cardinal will be initially scarlet emerging from hot spot? (4-4)

26 Israelite camp in Numbers exposing couple of bad hats (6)

27 Excellent innings then dismissed (8)

Down

1 Preserving material dilemma (6)

2 One good night light (6)

3 What Samson deployed using physical force? (9)

4 Psalm 121, verse four stripped: fifty vocalise con brio (6,6)

6 Tidy priest meets mischievous child (5)

7 Christian image, vintage Catholic, I repair (8)

8 In Cannes Mary catches fellow living on the shore (8)

11 Moses’ gift to Reuben’s children, both amenable when treated (4-4-4)

15 Possibly Pauline love letters previously received by Alice mostly (9)

16 A lively active spirit, St Gobnait perhaps (8)

17 Aramaic brother in hotel somewhere near Dundee (8)

19 Beginning of anything ordered by Rome (6)

20 Belief in sacred items (6)

22 Smallest meadow starts to sprout turnips (5)

Last week's solution