YORK (UNITED KINGDOM)
La Croix International [Montrouge Cedex, France]
December 17, 2024
By La Croix (with AFP)
The Anglican Church was once again shaken, following revelations concerning Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, who is set to lead the institution temporarily. He is accused of having previously allowed a priest accused of sexual abuse to remain in his position.
The Church of England was once again embroiled in scandal December 16 following revelations about the man set to take temporary leadership—Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York.
The events, uncovered by a BBC investigation, date back to 2010, when Archbishop Cottrell—currently the second-highest figure in the Anglican Church—was Bishop of Chelmsford in southeastern England. He is accused of keeping a priest, David Tudor, in his role despite church-imposed restrictions forbidding him from being alone with children after multiple cases of sexual assault.
A priest accused of abuse by at least seven women
Responding to the BBC, a spokesperson for the bishop stated that Cottrell did not have the legal authority to dismiss the priest. According to the BBC, Tudor was barred from ministry two months ago after admitting to sexual relationships with two young girls, one of whom was 15 years old.
Further reading: After Archbishop Welby’s resignation, many challenges face the Church of England
Altogether, at least seven women claim they were sexually assaulted by the priest when they were children. The BBC reported that one of the victims received a “six-figure” compensation payment from the church in 2019, while others have filed civil lawsuits.
Tudor served the Church of England for over 46 years in London and the eastern parts of the country, climbing the institution’s ranks thanks to his charismatic preaching. “The failure to act in this case completely undermines (the) credibility” of the Archbishop of York, Anglican Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley of Newcastle told the BBC. “How can one have the moral and ethical authority to lead an institution under such circumstances?” she questioned.
Calls for Archbishop Cottrell’s resignation marked another blow to the Church of England, which has already faced scrutiny for its handling of decades of physical and sexual abuse against more than a hundred children by a lawyer connected to the institution. That case led to the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, the church’s highest-ranking official, in mid-November.