Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has apologised “wholeheartedly” for remarks he made to the House of Lords regarding his resignation over accusations that he covered up allegations of sex abuse by one of the Church of England’s leading figures. Welby told the Lords, “there comes a time if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility where the shame of what has gone wrong – whether one is personally responsible or not – must require a head to roll”. He added: “And there is only, in this case, one head that rolls well enough” – a reference to a predecessor beheaded in the 14th century. Abuse victims criticised Welby’s remarks, saying they were insensitive and frivolous.
The Makin report revealed last week that abuse committed by John Smyth – believed to have abused more than 100 boys and young men at Christian summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s, and later South Africa and Zimbabwe – had been covered up by the Church of England. The review found Church officials, including Welby, “could and should” have reported Smyth to police and South African authorities. Welby, a barrister, had been told that police had been notified in 2013, he said, and that he “believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow”.
Welby apologised for causing “further distress” through his remarks. Julie Conalty, Joanne Grenfell and Robert Springett, the Church of England’s lead bishops for safeguarding, wrote to some abuse survivors calling the speech “mistaken and wrong”. They added that it “lacked any focus on victims and survivors of abuse, especially those affected by John Smyth”. The letter said the Church had “seriously failed” to meet its safeguarding obligations “over many years”.
Welby’s resignation will not take effect until 6 January, at which point the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will assume control until a permanent replacement is found, a process expected to take six months
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.