After a massive abuse scandal, Rev. Justin Welby was forced to step down from his role and is now facing disciplinary actions from the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team. Ten clergy were named in the hearing, all of whom were named in the groundbreaking Makin review. It’s unknown if there will be any criminal charges and the situation is still developing.
“This has been a rigorous and independent process to look at whether those named present any immediate risk and consider whether there is a case for disciplinary proceedings for clergy, under the Clergy Discipline Measure [CDM],” said Team. “In reaching its conclusions, the Stage 3 panel has considered the safeguarding policies and guidance which were in force at the relevant time, the facts of the particular case, the relevant legal considerations and whether there is sufficient evidence to justify proceedings.
“The conclusions at Stage 3 were validated by the independent barrister at Stage 4 in the external scrutiny process,” they added. “Today we have announced next steps in the process looking at both risk and disciplinary processes. We know this will never undo the harm caused but the Church [of England] is committed to taking very seriously its response to the findings of the review as well as responding to its recommendations.”
After a prolonged scandal, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rev. Justin Welby ended his tenure after quitting amid an abuse cover-up scandal. However, his interim successor is facing scrutiny in a similar case. Welby announced his intention to resign after a report found he had taken insufficient action to bring to justice one of the institution’s worst abusers.
We reported earlier that The Makin Review, an independent investigation into the Church of England, dramatically tarnished Welby’s public perception. The report centered on John Smyth, a layman who organized summer camps in England and Zimbabwe. After the report came out, it was confirmed that the Archbishop had neglected to isolate Smyth after he had been accused of abuse.
The Arch Bishop himself issued a statement, where he expressed his regrets. “I understand that my words – the things that I said, and those I omitted to say – have caused further distress for those who were traumatized, and continue to be harmed, by John Smyth’s heinous abuse and by the far-reaching effects of other perpetrators of abuse,” he wrote.
He added “I did not intend to overlook the experience of survivors or to make light of the situation – and I am very sorry for having done so. It remains the case that I take both personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period after 2013, and the harm that this has caused survivors.” Welby also insisted that “I continue to feel a profound sense of shame at the Church of England’s historic safeguarding failures.”
Welby, who served as the head of the Church of England and leader of the 85 million Anglicans worldwide, said he must take “personal and institutional responsibility” for a lack of action on the “heinous abuses“. Welby was replaced by Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the Church’s second most senior cleric. Cottrell is also mired in controversy.
The COE’s Christmas celebrations were marked by more scandal. Cottrell said in a Christmas Day address that the Church must “strip off her finery and kneel in penitence and adoration“. Cottrell said, “The Church of England – the Church of England I love and serve – needs to look at this vulnerable child, at this emptying out of power to demonstrate the power of love, for in this vulnerable child we see God.”
Linda Woodhead, head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King’s College London, said “The current situation creates a worrying vulnerability for the Church. The Church could soon find itself with no archbishop at the helm.” She concluded that “This would create significant problems, even in the safeguarding realm, let alone other aspects of Church governance.”