LONDON — A former high-ranking figure in the Church of England has stepped down from his role as a priest amidst serious allegations regarding his handling of a case involving a clergyman accused of sexual misconduct.
George Carey, who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, made his resignation public following a BBC investigation that revealed he permitted a priest, who had previously been banned due to sexual abuse accusations, to return to his clerical duties.
In a resignation letter dated December 4, Carey noted that he has been part of the active ministry since 1962 and is nearing his 90th birthday. However, the letter did not reference the ongoing investigation into his actions.
The BBC’s report indicated that Carey had sanctioned the reinstatement of priest David Tudor in 1994 after Tudor had faced a five-year suspension resulting from allegations of assault against underage girls.
Documents revealed that Carey had actively supported Tudor in securing a position within a diocese, according to the BBC’s reporting.
Carey’s resignation occurred at a time when another senior church official, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, was under scrutiny for his own management of Tudor’s situation. Reports suggested that Cottrell allowed Tudor to continue his role despite being aware of restrictions that prohibited him from being alone with minors and the fact that Tudor had compensated one of his victims.
In October, Tudor was permanently barred from ministry after admitting to having sexual relationships with two teenage girls, who were then aged 15 and 16, during the 1980s.
Cottrell is scheduled to take over as the new spiritual leader of the Church of England next month, succeeding Justin Welby, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, who resigned in November amid controversies surrounding his own management of separate sexual abuse allegations.
The Archbishop of Canterbury holds a prominent role as the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, which boasts a following of 85 million individuals across 165 nations. The church continues to grapple with contentious disagreements over varying topics, including LGBTQ+ rights and the inclusion of women in its leadership.