LONDON — The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who is set to temporarily lead the Church of England, is facing pressure to resign amid controversy surrounding his management of a priest accused of sexual misconduct.
According to reports, Cottrell allowed the priest to continue in his role despite being aware that the church had prohibited him from being alone with minors and that he had previously compensated one of his victims.
This incident occurred during Cottrell’s tenure as the bishop of Chelmsford in eastern England, and he is about to step up as the church’s spiritual leader next month, succeeding Justin Welby, who resigned in November following mishandling of separate sexual abuse allegations.
In a statement, Cottrell described the situation involving the accused priest, David Tudor, as “horrible and intolerable.”
He explained, “I suspended David Tudor from office at the first opportunity when a new victim approached the police in 2019. Before that time, there were no legal grounds to take alternative action.”
Tudor was ultimately dismissed from the church and permanently banned from ministry in October after admitting to having sexual relationships with two minors, aged 15 and 16, in the 1980s.
“I deeply regret that we could not act sooner, but that was the situation I inherited,” Cottrell stated, adding, “It is extremely disappointing that this story is being portrayed as if we were ignoring or protecting an abuser. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.”
Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, one of the few bishops who has openly criticized the church’s handling of abuse allegations, expressed her disbelief regarding the recent claims.
She asserted that Cottrell lacks the “credibility or moral authority” to serve as the church’s leader.
“My personal view is that the evidence presented makes it untenable for Stephen Cottrell to be a figure in whom we can have confidence and trust to initiate the necessary changes,” she told the BBC.
The Archbishop of Canterbury serves as the spiritual head of the global Anglican Communion, which has a following of 85 million believers across 165 countries, and has faced divisions on topics such as LGBTQ+ rights and women’s roles within the church.
These latest allegations are expected to intensify the ongoing introspection and frustration regarding the lack of accountability at the highest levels of the church.
Welby resigned last month after inquiries revealed that he did not inform the police about a series of physical and sexual abuses by a volunteer involved in Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of the situation.
An independent investigation concluded that the abuse perpetrated by the late John Smyth could have been halted sooner had Welby reported it to the authorities without delay.
Welby plans to leave office by January 6 — the Feast of the Epiphany — while Cottrell is expected to fill the role until a permanent replacement is appointed, a process that may take several months.