THE
P RTAL
January 2018
A tale of two
CofE Bishops
Page 11
Anglican
News
The Revd Paul Benfield keeps us up to date with events
I n October
2015, the Church of England released a statement to say that the Bishop of Chichester,
Dr Martin Warner, had apologised following a settlement regarding allegations of child sexual abuse by
George Bell in the 1940s and 1950s. George Bell was Bishop of Chichester for 29 years until shortly before
his death in 1958. Compensation of £16,800 was paid to the complainant who was known as ‘Carol’, together
with £15,000 legal costs.
In November 2016, Lord Carlile QC was asked by
the Church to conduct a review of how the complaint
had been handled. He was not asked to consider the
truth of the allegations. His report was published on
15 th December 2017.
entirely good or bad. Bishop Bell was in many ways
a hero. He is also accused of great wickedness. Good
acts do not diminish evil ones, nor do evil ones make it
right to forget the good. Whatever is thought about the
accusations, the whole person and whole life should
be kept in mind.”
He found that the process followed by the Church
was deficient in a number of respects. He concluded
Meanwhile, it was announced on December 18 th
that “the Church of England failed to institute or follow that the 133 rd Bishop of London is to be the Right
a procedure which respected the rights of both sides. Reverend Sarah Mullalley DBE. She worked as a
nurse, rising to become the government’s Chief
The Church, understandably concerned not to Nursing Officer for England.
repeat the mistakes of the past when it had been too
Ordained deacon in 2001 and priest in 2002, she has
slow to recognise that abuse had been perpetrated by
clergy and to recognise the pain and damage caused to worked in parishes in Battersea and Sutton, before
victims, has in effect oversteered in this case. In other becoming Canon Treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral
words, there was a rush to judgement: the Church, and now Bishop of Crediton.
feeling it should be both supportive of the complainant
She will be the third woman diocesan bishop
and transparent in its dealings, failed to engage in a
process which would also give proper consideration to (joining Gloucester and Newcastle) and the third
most senior bishop in the Church of England (after
the rights of the Bishop.”
Canterbury and York). In a message to the Diocese
Lord Carlile said that “the decision to settle the case of London she said, “I know that there are some who
in the form and manner followed was indefensibly will find the appointment of a bishop who is a woman
wrong”. He recommended that “whereas in this case difficult.
the settlement is without admission of liability, the
“I fully respect those who for theological reasons
settlement generally should be with a confidentiality
provision”. In other words the name of the alleged cannot accept my ministry as a priest or bishop. In
a diverse city like London, it is right that the Church
abuser should not have been published.
reflects the diversity of the tradition of the Church of
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop Peter England.
Hancock, the lead bishop on safeguarding, said that
“I would hope that everyone can find a spiritual
“respectfully, we differ from that judgement. The
Church is committed to transparency. We would home within this diversity and working in partnership
look at each case on its merits but generally would with the College of Bishops, I hope that this diversity
will flourish and we can be a model of unity to the rest
seek to avoid confidentiality clauses.”
of the Church of England.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “The complaint
“We speak about being a compassionate church and
about Bishop Bell does not diminish the importance
of his great achievement. We realise that a significant we need to show that compassion to one another, even
cloud is left over his name … No human being is when we may disagree”.