The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has come underneath hearth for a speech within the Home of Lords in his first public deal with since asserting his resignation amid a storm of controversy final month.
Welby has been accused of downplaying critical safety failings within the Church of England which allowed former camp organizer John Smyth to abuse boys and younger males for many years.
The scandal was revealed in a Makin evaluate printed final month, which mentioned Welby may and will have reported the abuse to the police after studying about it in 2013. He resigned days after the report was printed.
Chatting with the Lords on Thursday, Welby mentioned: “The truth is that for those who technically lead an establishment or an space of accountability, there comes a time when the disgrace of what has gone incorrect – whether or not one is personally accountable or not – has to take head, and on this case there is just one head that rolls effectively sufficient.”
He added: “I hope not actually,” referring to the 14th century archbishop who was beheaded.
The speech was met with anger from Smyth's victims. Mark Stibbe accused Welby of a “frivolous tone” over “such a critical matter – a matter which for some was and continues to be a matter of life and dying”.
He additionally rejected the suggestion that the scandal ought to be dominated by just one head.
“The survivors of Smyth need everybody accountable to step down,” he mentioned. “If Justin Welby is as critical about safety as he says he’s, then it has to occur.
One other sufferer, utilizing the pseudonym Graham Jones, informed the BBC that the tone of the speech “doesn't look like one among disappointment, which is what was requested”.
“It might have been a chance for him to look on digital camera and apologize, however as an alternative he spoke frivolously a few matter that led to victims making an attempt suicide,” he mentioned.
“I used to be disgusted by the speech.
The Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, who led requires Welby's resignation over the John Smyth scandal, informed Channel 4 Information' Cathy Newman that the tone of the speech “appears to shift consideration away from private accountability to a way of the company. accountability' and that she was 'very ashamed' of it.
She known as Welby's speech “astounding, truly and extremely poorly worded and timed” and confirmed that she had reached out to the survivor to apologize.
“Cathy, for as soon as it's onerous for me to search out the best phrases aside from to say I used to be very upset,” she mentioned.
Dr Hartley mentioned the “drawback” with Welby's phrases was that “there may be some ambivalence between whether or not that is actually private or is it extra of a company sense in his function as archbishop?”
She added: “And humor clearly has its time and place, however that is actually not the time or place for humor and definitely not speech that doesn’t present due respect, care and compassion for victims and survivors of abuse.”
Gavin Ashenden, a former chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth II, informed TalkTV he was shocked by the “degree of tone-deafness” and mentioned the speech “lacked any ethical sensitivity”.
“He appears to assume he wasn't personally accountable, however he was personally accountable,” he mentioned.
