Outrage Over Archbishop’s Comments on Church Abuse Scandal
(Photo: Parliament Live)
The recent speech by Justin Welby, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, has sparked significant controversy. Delivered to the House of Lords, this address marks his first public appearance following his resignation amid allegations surrounding safeguarding failures within the Church of England.
Welby faced criticism for seemingly downplaying the severe failures that allowed John Smyth, a former camp organizer, to abuse numerous boys and young men over a span of decades. The Makin review, released last month, highlighted that Welby should have reported the abuse to authorities after learning about it in 2013. His resignation came shortly after the report’s release.
During his speech, Welby remarked, “The reality is that 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. And there is only, in this case, one head that rolls well enough.” He added with a hint of humor, “I hope not literally,” alluding to a 14th-century archbishop who was beheaded.
These comments were met with anger from Smyth’s victims. Mark Stibbe accused Welby of adopting a “frivolous tone” over a matter described as “a matter of life and death to some.” Stibbe also dismissed the notion that only one person should be held accountable for the scandal, insisting, “Smyth survivors want all those responsible to stand down.”
Another victim, under the pseudonym Graham Jones, expressed disappointment to the BBC, stating that Welby’s tone lacked the necessary “sorrow” and instead appeared trivial. “This would have been an opportunity to look into the camera and say sorry, but instead, he talked frivolously about a matter that has led to suicide attempts by victims,” Jones conveyed, adding he was “disgusted” by the speech.
The Bishop of Newcastle, Dr. Helen-Ann Hartley, who had advocated for Welby’s resignation, shared her disapproval with Channel 4 News’s Cathy Newman. She criticized the speech for shifting focus away from personal to corporate responsibility and described it as “astonishing” and “incredibly poorly worded and timed.” Dr. Hartley further commented on the inappropriateness of humor in such a context, emphasizing the need for “care and compassion for victims and survivors of abuse.”
Adding to the voices of dissent, Gavin Ashenden, a former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II, expressed his shock on TalkTV, criticizing the “level of tone deafness” in Welby’s remarks. He stated, “He appears to think he wasn’t personally responsible, but he was personally responsible,” highlighting the perceived lack of moral sensitivity in the speech.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
