Former Archbishop of Canterbury resigns as priest after BBC safeguarding investigation

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, has resigned as a priest after a BBC investigation claimed that he didn’t properly handle a sexual misconduct case.

Lord Carey was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1991 and 2002, during which era former Canvey Island rector David Tudor was allowed to return to ministry despite being barred by the Church of England from being alone with children. 

His return followed a five-year suspension over allegations of sexual assault against teenage girls. 

He was barred from ministry for all times in October after a tribunal upheld two complaints of misconduct involving teenage girls within the Nineteen Eighties. Tudor admitted to sexual misconduct. 

The BBC reported that while he was Archbishop, Carey allowed Tudor to return to ministry under supervision and that minutes from a gathering spoke of him “advocating for” the disgraced priest. It further reported that Carey had agreed to remove Tudor’s name from an official Church list of clergy who’ve received disciplinary motion.

In his resignation letter, Carey wrote that he wished to give up his Permission to Officiate (PTO). 

“I’m in my ninetieth 12 months now and have been in energetic ministry since 1962 once I was made Deacon after which Priested in 1963,” he said.

“It has been an honour to serve within the dioceses of London, Southwell, Durham, Bristol, Bath and Wells, Canterbury and eventually Oxford.”

Carey’s decision to present up his PTO comes amid pressure on the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, to resign over his handling of the Tudor case while he was Bishop of Cheltenham. 

Cottrell has denied claims of inaction within the Tudor case and is resisting calls to go.

“When I joined the Chelmsford diocese in 2010, I worked closely with its very skilled safeguarding team to make sure the chance was managed,” he said.

“But it was impossible to remove David Tudor from office until such time as fresh complaints were made, which happened when a victim bravely spoke to the police.

“Once this happened in 2019, I acted immediately. I suspended David Tudor from all ministry pending the investigation and subsequent tribunal hearing during which he was faraway from office and prohibited from ministry for all times.

“I’m deeply sorry that we weren’t in a position to take motion earlier, but that was the situation I inherited. It is incredibly disappointing that this story is being reported as if it was an abuser being ignored and even protected.”

The Church of England said in a press release on the BBC investigation, “Safeguarding decisions and all appointments today are subject to very clear guidance issued by the House of Bishops, which was not in place on the Nineties. It is currently being strengthened further.

“This involves a transparent process, each around safer recruitment and in assessing risk, even when no further motion is taken by statutory services, to make sure the Church is a secure place for all.”