‘Losing complete credibility!’ Bishop calls on Archbishop of Canterbury to quit as ‘egregious’ sex abuse scandal makes position ‘untenable’
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GB NEWS
The Bishop of Newcastle has called for the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign over his handling of a child sex abuse scandal after warning Justin Welby's position is now "untenable".
The Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley spoke out about the scandal engulfing Lambeth Palace just one week after a damning report into the John Smyth abuse case was released.
Speaking to the BBC, Bishop Hartley said: "It's very hard to find the words to respond adequately to what the report tells us.
"I think rightly people are asking the question: Can we really trust the Church of England to keep us safe? And I think the answer at the moment is no."
The independent Makin Review, released last week, found that Welby's failure to act on concerns about Smyth meant the Church's most prolific serial child abuser was never brought to justice.
The report, authored by former social services director Keith Makin, concluded that Smyth's abuse could have been exposed earlier if the archbishop had contacted authorities.
Justin Welby is facing calls to quit
PA
The review stated: "On the balance of probabilities, it is the opinion of the reviewers that it was unlikely that Justin Welby would have had no knowledge of the concerns regarding John Smyth in the 1980s in the UK."
While Welby may not have known the "extreme seriousness" of the abuse, the report found it "most probable" he had "at least a level of knowledge" about concerns regarding Smyth.
The intervention by Bishop Hartley marks the first time a bishop has publicly called for Welby's resignation, amid mounting pressure on the archbishop to step down.
Keir Starmer
PA
A petition demanding the archbishop's resignation, initiated by three members of the Church of England's General Synod, has gained support from numerous high-profile priests.
Political leaders have remained cautious on the matter, with Sir Keir Starmer not offering support for the archbishop.
When questioned about the archbishop's position, the Prime Minister said: "Thats a matter really for the church rather than for me."
Most Rev Justin Welby
PADespite mounting pressure, Archbishop Welby has rejected calls to resign over his handling of the scandal.
A Lambeth Palace spokesman said Welby "had no awareness or suspicion of the allegations before he was told in 2013 - and therefore having reflected, he does not intend to resign."
The spokesman added: "The archbishop reiterates his horror at the scale of John Smyth's egregious abuse, as reflected in his public apology.
"He has apologised profoundly both for his own failures and omissions, and for the wickedness, concealment, and abuse by the Church more widely."
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