A Church of England bishop has accused a jocular Justin Welby of making light of serious matters as one woman bishop could barely look at the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury as he delivered his final speech in the House of Lords today.
Mr Welby addressed the House on Thursday after announcing his resignation over failures in the handling of allegations against QC John Smyth - the most prolific serial abuser ever to be associated with the Church.
Speaking in his valedictory speech in the House, he said a head had to roll, following the Makin Review into the abuse scandal, prompting Dame Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London, to put a hand up to her face.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby added there was only one head that rolls well enough, before telling peers: I hope not literally. One of my predecessors in 1381, Simon of Sudbury, had his head cut off and it was then the peasants - the revolting peasants at the time - who played football with it at the Tower of London.
I dont know who won. It certainly wasnt Simon of Sudbury.
As other bishops behind him appeared to scoff at his comments, he continued with another tactless joke in which he explained he would be causing God more hilarity than anyone else for many years.
Mr Welby said: My Lords, it is often said and it is a cliche to say it - but hey, I am the Archbishop still - that if you want to make God laugh, make plans.
Well, on that basis, next year I will be causing God more hilarity than anyone else for many years because the plans for next year were very detailed and extensive.
Justin Welby has been accused of making light of serious matters as other bishops laughed with him as he delivered his final speech in the House of Lords today
As he delivered his speech, Dame Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London, could be seen visibly holding her hand to her face
Bishop of Newcastle Dr Helen-Ann Hartley said she was dismayed by the speech and took aim at the other bishops who laughed at his light-hearted comments
And if you pity anyone, pity my poor diary secretary who has seen weeks and months of work disappear in a puff of a resignation announcement.
But not all were amused by Mr Welbys comments and said he was making light of serious matters.
As he delivered his speech, the Bishop of London could be seen visibly holding her hand to her face.
Bishop of Newcastle Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the only bishop to call publicly for Mr Welbys resignation in the days following the Makin Reviews publication last month, said she was also deeply disturbed by parts of the speech.
She said: I am deeply disturbed by the language of a head had to roll used by the Archbishop of Canterbury in his speech in the House of Lords this afternoon.
It was, in my view unwise to say at the very least. To make light of serious matters of safeguarding failures in this way yet again treats victims and survivors of church abuse without proper respect or regard.
I was disappointed too to see other Lords Spiritual laughing at the jokes that were being made.
I have this afternoon had several messages from across my diocese expressing dismay at the Archbishops speech and the response of the other Lords Spiritual (with the exception of the Bishop of Londons response).
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said it is clear that I had to stand down over the Church of England failings
I repeat my call for transparency, accountability and independence when it comes to safeguarding in the Church.
Earlier this month, Dr Hartley said she has been ‘frozen out’ by the Church and has been ‘isolated’ by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York since speaking out.
She also criticised other senior clergy for staying silent over the Church’s safeguarding failures due to ‘careerism’ and a desire to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
And she called for the CofE to be placed in ‘special measures’ over its safeguarding provision, with an independent review of failures taken out of the Church’s hands.
Mr Welby is the first Archbishop of Canterbury to be forced out of the role after failures meant an abuser was never brought to justice.
It came after a long-awaited review concluded that barrister Smyths abhorrent serial abuse of more than 100 boys and young men was covered up within the Church.
The Makin review also criticised the Archbishop for showing a distinct lack of curiosity after learning of Smyths abuse in 2013, which meant the abuser was never brought to justice before his death in 2018.
Mr Welby had initially declined to resign when the report was published, saying he had no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2013, but acknowledging the review had found that after its wider exposure that year he had personally failed to ensure it was energetically investigated.
Speaking in his valedictory speech in the House of Lords today, he said a head had to roll
Mr Welby delivered his final speech in the House of Lords as Archbishop of Canterbury, ahead of quitting over failures in the handling of allegations against serial abuser John Smyth (above)
Across five decades in three different countries and involving as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa, Smyth is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.
He died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and was never brought to justice for the abuse, the review said.
Mr Welby said today: The reality is that there comes a time if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility where the shame of what has gone wrong, whether one is personally responsible or not, must require a head to roll.
And there is only, in this case, one head that rolls well enough.
Mr Welbys words in the House of Lords are the first time he has spoken publicly since announcing his resignation almost a month ago.
He continued to say that safeguarding in the Church of England is a completely different picture to the past, but that it was clear he had to quit following the Makin Review.
He told the House of Lords: The reality is that the safeguarding and care of children and vulnerable adults in the Church of England today is - thanks to thousands and tens of thousands of people across the Church, particularly in parishes, in parish safeguarding officers - is a completely different picture to the past.
However, when I look back at the last 50 or 60 years, not only through the eyes of the Makin report, however one takes ones view of personal responsibility, it is clear that I had to stand down, and it is for that reason that I do so.
He offered his thanks to people in the House of Lords, saying: This 12 years, I cannot think of a single moment where Ive come in here where the hair on the back of my neck has not stood up at the privilege of being allowed to sit on these benches.
In a statement,Welby resigned following the Makin Reviews findings
In an unprecedented step, Welby said he had sought permission from the King to step down
It has been an extraordinary period and Ive listened to so many debates of great wisdom, so many amendments of Bills that have improved them, so much hard work.
And Ive also found that despite the fact I still cant find my way around this building that the staff here are endlessly patient, as I look panic-struck when I suddenly find Im standing on a green carpet and not a red one and have guided me to the right place.
Mr Welby added: Im hugely grateful to noble lords who have been kind enough to send supportive and encouraging notes over the last few weeks. It has been a great privilege and strength to have that.
In an unprecedented step, Mr Welby said last month he had sought permission from the King to step down in the best interests of the Church.
His resignation was tended in sorrow after days of pressure from senior clergy and came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer twice failed to back him, saying the victims had been failed very, very badly.
In a pointed statement, the Prime Minister previously said Smyths abuse was clearly horrific and his victims have obviously been failed very, very badly.
In a statement from Lambeth Palace, Mr Welby previously admitted it was clear he must take personal and institutional responsibility.
Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty the King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury, he said. The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.
When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow. It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
It is likely to be some time before a successor is announced. The statement added that Archbishop Welby will continue to carry out constitutional and Church responsibilities until exact dates for a hand-over are confirmed.
Survivors of Smyths abuse welcomed Mr Welbys resignation and said he has done the right thing. But they said they want to see other resignations as the list of clergy in the circles of awareness is staggering.
There were calls for the resignation of Rt Rev Stephen Conway, the Bishop of Lincoln, who was implicated in the scandal when he was the Bishop of Ely.
The House of Survivors, set up by two victims of abuse, said the Archbishop must not be the only scapegoat. A spokesman said Mr Welbys resignation needed to be a sea change moment for the CofE in its approach to safeguarding and called for mandatory reporting of concerns.
Yesterday, it was reported that the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury will not take part in any public Christmas services this year, despite still being in the post until January.
Keir Starmer said that findings in the review by Keith Makin that Smyth abused more than 100 boys and young men are clearly horrific and that his victims have obviously been failed very, very badly
The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury will not take part in any public Christmas services this year, despite still being in the post until January, Lambeth Palace confirmed
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the second-most senior bishop in the Church of England, is expected to take on the Archbishops official functions temporarily from January 6
Lambeth Palace confirmed Justin Welby will spend the festive period privately with family, following his announcement in November that he was quitting over failures in the Churchs handling of an abuse scandal.
Mr Welby intends to complete official duties as archbishop by January 6.
While Lambeth Palace had said he was likely to have very little public-facing activity between now and that date, it has been confirmed he will not participate in any public Advent and Christmas services.
It had been tradition for the Archbishop of Canterbury to deliver a sermon on Christmas Day from Canterbury Cathedral.
It is likely Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrells sermon will instead be the focus on December 25.
The BBC had already confirmed Mr Welby will not deliver the traditional televised new year message on New Years Day.
Mr Cottrell, the second-most senior bishop in the Church of England, is expected to take on the Archbishop of Canterburys official functions temporarily from January 6.
A Church of England bishop has accused Mr Welby of having made light of serious matters of safeguarding failures in the language and tone of his speech.
Bishop of Newcastle Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the only bishop to call publicly for Mr Welbys resignation in the days following the Makin Reviews publication last month, said she was deeply disturbed by parts of the speech.
She said: I am deeply disturbed by the language of a head had to roll used by the Archbishop of Canterbury in his speech in the House of Lords this afternoon.
It was, in my view unwise to say at the very least. To make light of serious matters of safeguarding failures in this way yet again treats victims and survivors of church abuse without proper respect or regard.
I was disappointed too to see other Lords Spiritual laughing at the jokes that were being made. I have this afternoon had several messages from across my diocese expressing dismay at the Archbishops speech and the response of the other Lords Spiritual (with the exception of the Bishop of Londons response).
I repeat my call for transparency, accountability and independence when it comes to safeguarding in the Church of England and that the publication of the Makin Review must be a watershed for the Church of England and how it deals with safeguarding and how it attends to unhealthy cultures in its midst.