A CALL to “resist the temptation to weaponise people and their circumstances for other purposes or campaigns” was issued by the Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Revd Bev Mason, on Monday, as members of the General Synod gathered in London.
In a second pastoral letter, issued 11 days after she revealed that she was the second complainant against the Bishop of Liverpool, Dr John Perambalath (News, 30 January), Bishop Mason distanced herself from calls for the resignation of the Archbishop of York.
“I would love to openly and publicly state that I don’t support such calls and would ask that, in our pursuit of fine and transparent processes and structures that [are] fit for purpose, we don’t weaponise or personalise this endeavour to the detriment of people,” she wrote.
“Although there are still unanswered questions and my very own situation stays unresolved, it’s unfaithful that the Archbishop has not provided support.
“In August 2023 once my formal disclosure had been made against the Bishop of Liverpool, the Archbishop of York recognised the very sensitive and difficult situation I discovered myself in and, for pastoral reasons, encouraged me to take prolonged leave pending a resolution. The Archbishop ensured there was pastoral support in place for me throughout, which continues to today. Claims asserting the Archbishop of York did nothing are usually not true.”
Bishop Mason warned that “quick-fix solutions that apportion blame, calls for resignations which suggest something is being seen to be done are tempting. But do these really resolve anything and produce a few cultural, skilled, and holy shift that we now need? A company and individual self-examen is probably a more theological approach to the type of scrutiny that each a part of the Church should now be open to.”
The letter, addressed to members of the General Synod, followed a comment posted on the Psephizo blog on Saturday. The writer of the blog, Canon Andrew Goddard, an honorary curate at St James the Less, Pimlico, wrote that he had been asked by Bishop Mason to post the comment, through which she sought so as to add “clarification”.
In this comment, she said that the Archbishop of York’s Office had suggested that she take prolonged study leave on three occasions “as a pastoral response to my formal safeguarding disclosure against the Bishop of Liverpool”. At the third suggestion — in August 2023 — she had agreed.
The comment continued: “With regard to the protected recruitment of the Bishop of Liverpool, I used to be made aware in February 2023 that the Bishop of Liverpool had ‘bombed’ on safeguarding questions at interview. I used to be advised to retain safeguarding responsibility for Liverpool no less than until the Bishop of Liverpool did some training. This was unsolicited. As the Acting Diocesan Bishop (answerable for safeguarding within the diocese) and in line with proper process, I reported this to the Archbishop’s Secretary for Appointments; Liverpool’s Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor reported this to the NST.”
Archbishop Cottrell has previously defended the assessment of Dr Perumbalath’s safeguarding competence before his appointment (News, 31 January).
And last Friday, he told The Times: “Nobody asked or required the Bishop of Warrington, [and] actually not me . . . to take some prolonged sabbatical leave.”
Among those that have called for the resignation of Archbishop Cottrell is the Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley. Speaking to the Radio 4 Today programme on Monday, she said: “I don’t think that it’s appropriate for the Archbishop of York to be in post, and definitely to be leading the change that the Church needs right now.” Allowing David Tudor to stay in post within the diocese of Chelmsford had been “abhorrent”, she said (News, 16 December 2024).
On Tuesday, Synod members are because of vote on a motion proposing the transfer of diocesan and cathedral safeguarding staff to an external national body (News, 24 January). There was a must “send out a transparent message about independence in safeguarding within the Church”, the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, told the Today programme.
“It is true that we have now made attempts to try to do this up to now; they haven’t worked. So I believe now we have now to hearken to those that are calling for the utmost possible degree of independence.”
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, also gave indications that she was more likely to vote in favour of the motion, which is to be brought by the lead bishop for safeguarding, the Bishop of Stepney, Dr Joanne Grenfell.
People were “disgusted and horrified” by stories of abuse and its handling by the Church, Bishop Mullally said. “We must take that very seriously, and I believe that their response has to shape the best way through which we reply to it. . .
“Safeguarding procedures, culture, and practise has improved, but it surely does need a step change, and I believe that’s what we want to do to revive trust within the Church. . . I’ll play my part within the Synod . . . to make certain that we do pass the motions that relate to independence and the Clergy Conduct Measure.”
In the wake of calls by each Archbishop Cottrell and the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Philip North, to think about whether clergy should grow to be employees (News, 10 January), Bishop Mullally drew on comments that she makes within the Church Times, through which she warns that “common tenure is an insufficient framework to make sure the well-being of the Church as an entire or the individuals in it, lay and ordained” (Comment, 10 February).
