The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley has criticised the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell in his Christmas sermon. The Archbishop will soon take over as the leader of the Church of England. Hartley described Cottrell’s sermon as “empty words” and has previously urged him to resign as Archbishop. Cottrell’s remarks come after a report accused the Church of England of covering up sexual abuse, causing the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Cottrell’s sermon was watched closely, especially since Welby broke with years of tradition, deciding to miss this year’s Christmas services at Canterbury Cathedral. At York Minster on Christmas morning, Cottrell appeared to address criticism of the church directly. He spoke of the need to “walk the talk” of justice and love.
Other bishops, such as the Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft, who has himself faced calls to resign, have confronted the Church crisis head-on in their Christmas messages. Croft spoke about “a crisis in confidence in many of our institutions, including in our own Church”. He stated that Christmas was a time to pause and take stock.
Cottrell is set to take over many of the Church’s leadership duties when Welby leaves his position on 6 January. However, there have been calls for him to step down due to his handling of the priest, David Tudor. Tudor had been barred by the Church from being alone with children, but for years remained in his post under Cottrell’s watch. The Archbishop of York did not respond to the Bishop of Newcastle’s comments when contacted by the BBC.
The Church of England has been rocked by accusations of covering up child abuse, with the recent publication of a report on Peter Ball, the former Bishop of Gloucester. Ball was jailed in 2015 for sexually abusing 18 young men. The report details how Ball was protected and promoted by the Church of England despite repeated warnings over decades
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