Often struggling
Justin Welby spent his 11 years as Archbishop of Canterbury trying to prevent the global Anglican communion from fracturing, often struggling to please liberals or conservatives as they fought over homosexual rights and women clergy.
But in the end he was brought down by an issue from the church’s past rather than its future: the failure to investigate an abuse scandal that dated back decades…Welby said he had had “no idea or suspicion” of the allegations before 2013, the year he became archbishop. But the independent Makin Report, published on Nov. 7, concluded it was unlikely he would have had no knowledge of the concerns regarding Smyth’s behaviour in the 1980s.
That’s unclear. Is it unlikely that Welby, in the 1980s, had no knowledge? Or is it unlikely that Welby now had no knowledge of Smyth’s “behaviour” aka violent child abuse in the 1980s?
Educated at Britain’s most prestigious private school, Eton, Welby worked in the oil industry for more than a decade before being ordained in 1992. He was made the senior prelate of the Church of England in 2013, becoming the spiritual head of 85 million Anglicans in 165 countries.
Interesting career-life move – oil industry to priesthood. Each somewhat demonic, but in different ways.
His time at the head of the Anglican communion was turbulent as he was forced to navigate a schism that erupted as he enabled women to become bishops and allowed churches to bless same-sex couples. He said he had decided not to carry out such blessings himself, out of responsibility for the wider church, adding: “This is where you have to be a politician.”
But the move angered the conservative branch of the global communion, most notably African churches where homosexuality is taboo, and a conservative group of Anglican church leaders said last year it had no confidence in him.
Too liberal one minute, not liberal enough the next.
“Liberal” may not be the right word for opposing and exposing child abuse, but it is a conservative impulse to side with the institution rather than its victims, and to conceal the harms perpetrated by the institution on its vastly less powerful victims.
This reminds me of the Arch Bishop of MPLS-St. Paul, John Nienstedt, who vigorously defended the Church against charges of priestly abuse (including moving notorious priests around without warning the new parishes.) He had sent a sermon around the state for priests to read on the Sunday before the vote on a state amendment banning same-sex marriage that reminded Catholic voters about the canonical position on the issue (gays must remain celibate to avoid sinning.) I heard him defend the position on a radio call-in on Minnesota Public Radio, about how the law can be painful to follow sometimes but there you go.
Shortly after, there were photos showing him in compromising positions with young men, and he was forced to resign. The church declared bankruptcy in order to avoid paying claims.
There’s something about granting heavenly authority over humans that encourages them to commit heinous acts, isn’t there?
Yes there sure is.
[…] a comment by Mike Haubrich on Often […]
Welby was warned about Smyth in 1981, albeit in somewhat vague terms. From the independent review of the whole affair:
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