UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Michael White and Rajeev Syal
The Guardian, Monday 27 October 2014
The Church of England is examining the personnel files of thousands of clergymen and women dating back to the 1950s as part of a wide-ranging investigation into historical allegations of child abuse, the archbishop of Canterbury has confirmed.
The Most Rev Justin Welby, the principal leader of the Church of England, said that the move is part of a renewed effort to ensure that there are no allegations of abuse which have been ignored, overlooked or covered up.
Following recent disclosures of evidence of child abuse within the church, Welby conceded that the investigations would show that “there is more that has not been revealed”.
He also spoke for the first time about plans by the church to launch a study which will examine the confidentiality of the confessional – a move which could overturn 1,800 years of tradition.
Last week, the archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said he was deeply ashamed of the church’s failure to protect vulnerable children after an independent inquiry found “systematic failures” in its attempts to stop the Very Rev Robert Waddington, the former dean of Manchester, who died seven years ago.
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