Other people may need to resign, the Church of England’s deputy lead bishop for safeguarding has warned in the wake of Justin Welby’s decision to step down from his role.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned after a damning report found he failed to alert police about sexual abuse allegations made against a barrister associated with the Church of England.
He had been facing growing pressure to stand down over his “failures” to alert authorities about John Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse of children and young men.
Smyth is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men to traumatic physical, sexual and psychological abuse over five decades in the UK and Africa.
Julie Conalty, Bishop of Birkenhead, said “very possibly some of the people should go” and warned that the Church was in some ways “not a safe institution”.
Mr Welby was made aware of the allegations in 2013 – but did not report them to police after he was told authorities had already been notified.
The Makin review into Smyth’s abuse, published last week, concluded that he might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported it to police.
Church moving in right direction towards safeguarding, says bishop
The Church of England is making progress towards independent safeguarding, the Archbishop of York has said.
“I believe we are moving,” Stephen Cottrell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“We are doing what has to be done through our synodical processes. Many of our changes need to go through Parliament itself.”
Professor Alexis Jay made recommendations in the Future of Church Safeguarding report, published in February, that two new bodies independent of the Church be established, with one responsible for delivering all safeguarding activities and another responsible for providing scrutiny and oversight of said activities.
Mr Cottrell told Today: “I am frustrated, like Professor Jay, that that takes time, but those things are happening.”
Asked how long it is going to take to have independent safeguarding, he said: “I believe that, on the current plan, the response group to the Jay recommendations will come to the General Synod in 2025. That will bring about the changes.”
Holly Evans13 November 2024 09:53
I would have forgiven Welby instantly if he handled it differently, says survivor
A survivor of John Smyth’s abuse said that if Justin Welby had handled the allegations of abuse differently he would have “forgiven him there and then”.
The man, who is known as Graham, told Channel 4 News: “The stupidity of this is, if Justin have handled this differently back in 2017, if he put out a statement saying, ‘I’m sorry, I got to Lambeth (Palace), my eye was off the ball. Do you want to meet me tomorrow, victims? Are you all right? Have you got counselling? I am sorry’, then we would have ticked him off the list and forgiven him there and then.”
Holly Evans13 November 2024 09:31
Why has the Archbishop of Canterbury had to resign?
A petition to remove him from his post – though strictly, he probably had absolute security of tenure – attracted more than 10,000 signatures. For an Anglican primate to quit in such circumstances is unprecedented – but also, it seems, inevitable…
Read the full explainer from Sean O’Grady here:
Holly Evans13 November 2024 09:03
Wes Streeting says it was ‘absolutely the right decision’ for Welby to resign
The health secretary has suggested there are “deep and fundamental issues” to be addressed in the Church of England over the handling of abuse allegations.
Wes Streeting said it was “absolutely the right decision” for Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to resign, but church leaders should not think “one head rolling solves the problem”.
But Mr Streeting, who stressed he was speaking in a personal capacity rather than in his role as a cabinet minister, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he feels a “deep sense of shame about the failures of the Church of England” in its handling of abuse cases.
“This is happening time and time and time again,” he said.
“So it is right that the Archbishop of Canterbury has taken responsibility for his failures and the failures of the church overall.
“What I would say – and I’m speaking as an Anglican, not as a Government minister – to other leaders of my church is that don’t think that one head rolling solves the problem.
“There are deep and fundamental issues of not just practice, but culture on safeguarding that needs to be taken seriously.”
Mr Streeting praised Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley, who called for Mr Welby to quit, saying she had “the courage to speak up, because the conspiracy of silence has been part of the problem”.
“The culture of cover-up has been part of the problem on serious abuse allegations for far too long and I’m glad that the Archbishop of Canterbury has taken responsibility,” he said.
Holly Evans13 November 2024 08:47
Stephen Cottrell says he does not think any more bishops should resign
The second most senior figure in the Church of England has said he does not think any more bishops should resign in the wake of the report into John Smyth’s abuse.
Asked on BBC Radio 4 Today on the possibility of more resignations, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said: “Those who actively covered this up (should resign), which was not bishops.
“When people speak about the Church of England we need to remember we are speaking about literally thousands of branches, parishes, chaplaincies.”
Asked if more bishops should resign, he said: “The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned.”
Mr Cottrell added: “Yes (that is enough) because he has resigned for the institutional failings.”
Holly Evans13 November 2024 08:42
Welby ‘relied too much on others’, says Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of Canterbury “relied too much on others” when he did not formally alert authorities about the most prolific abuser associated with the Church of England in 2013, the second most senior Church of England Archbishop has said.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 Today, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said: “I admire the decision he (Mr Welby) has made to take personal responsibility for institutional failings.
“Well, I believe Archbishop Justin, you know this is the paradox of this, there have been great steps taken in safeguarding in the church under his watch.
“But in this case perhaps he relied too much on others, I simply don’t know, but I think what I am trying to focus on now is what we need to do to make the church a safer place.”
Holly Evans13 November 2024 08:24
Church is ‘not a safe institution’, says safeguarding bishop
The Church of England’s deputy lead bishop for safeguarding has said the church is “not a safe institution” in some ways.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 Today, Bishop of Birkenhead Julie Conalty said she could not guarantee there is no abuse still going on in the Church.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on Tuesday announced he will resign, following days of pressure after the publication of a report into the most prolific abuser associated with the Church of England.
Ms Conalty said: “It is frustrating for me because in many ways we have been working really hard at making churches safer places. No institution, nothing, can ever be totally safe but there has been loads of really good work going on.
“We still have this institutional problem where we are not putting victims and survivors at the centre.
“In some ways, we are not a safe institution.”
Holly Evans13 November 2024 08:07
Others may need to resign for ‘institutional change’, says bishop
A bishop and church safeguarding lead has said other people may need to resign in the wake of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation.
Speaking on the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, Julie Conalty, Bishop of Birkenhead and deputy lead bishop for safeguarding said: “What I am really clear on is that just the Archbishop of Canterbury resigning is not going to solve the problem. I think he has done the right thing.
“This is about institutional changes, our culture and a systemic failure so there must be more that we need to do.
“Very possibly some of the people should go. I’m not here to name names.”
Holly Evans13 November 2024 07:55
Who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury after Justin Welby resigned?
Now the Crown Nominations Commission must select a successor, which will be taken to the prime minister, Keir Starmer, who will then submit it to the King.
These are the senior figures who could become the next Archbishop of Canterbury:
Angus Thompson breaks down the leading figures in the run to take Welby’s position:
Holly Evans13 November 2024 07:34