The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is set to call for actions rather than words in his Christmas sermon as the Church of England faces abuse scandals. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned last month after he was criticised for not doing enough to stop a prolific abuser. Mr Cottrell is expected to take over many of the Church’s leadership duties when Mr Welby leaves his position on 6 January. However, he has himself faced calls to step down.
At York Minster on Christmas morning, Mr Cottrell will talk of the need to “walk the talk” and not just to talk about justice and love. He will discuss helping the most vulnerable, saying the Church needs to come to the manger and kneel in penitence and adoration. He will talk about how the Church needs to look at the emptying out of power to demonstrate the power of love that can be found in a vulnerable child.
Other bishops have confronted the Church crisis head-on in their Christmas messages. The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, who has faced calls to resign, spoke of “a crisis in confidence in many of our institutions, including in our own Church”. Rev Matt Woodcock, a vicar at St Stephen’s Church in York, feels “people feel really confused and disappointed” with what’s going on and are longing for leadership.
One woman has told of her profound disappointment at the response of the national Church leadership to the abuse she says she faced. The woman, who does not want to be identified, says she was sexually abused as a girl in the 1980s by the priest David Tudor. Tudor had been allowed back into the Church after suspension and served as a priest for nine years under Mr Cottrell. The Archbishop was told about abuse allegations against Tudor and was later told he had paid an alleged victim, and the Church also settled a six-figure sum with another woman who said she had been abused by Tudor. However, Tudor was only suspended in 2019 when a police investigation was launched. The Archbishop said that had been his first opportunity to act.
This Christmas the Church faces abuse scandals, and Mr Cottrell will focus on putting the needs of others, including those who are cold, hungry and homeless, and victims of abuse and exploitation, first. He will talk about walking the talk, the inadequacies of those who talk a good game but whose words are never embodied in action, and how the Church needs to strip off her finery and kneel in penitence and adoration
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
