Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey Steps Down as Priest After BBC Probe

George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has relinquished his role as a priest within the Church of England. This decision follows a BBC investigation that brought to light his support for an individual accused of child abuse to resume priestly duties. David Tudor had been prohibited by the Church from ministry for a period of five years during the 1980s, stemming from accusations of assault involving teenage girls. However, Lord Carey subsequently permitted Tudor to resume his duties, subject to supervision. Tudor’s dismissal as a priest occurred only in October of this year, subsequent to his admission of sexual misconduct. Within his resignation letter, where he surrendered his “permission to officiate”, Lord Carey stated that it had been an “honour to serve” for over 60 years. The 89-year-old was identified in the inquiry concerning the disgraced priest Tudor, who was determined, among other findings, to have been prohibited by the Church from solitary contact with children. The Church informed the BBC that in 1993, Lord Carey, then serving as Archbishop of Canterbury, consented to Tudor’s return from suspension under supervision, adding that this decision was made with “some trepidation”. However, the investigation uncovered evidence indicating that Lord Carey assisted Tudor in securing employment. Meeting minutes record him “advocating for” Tudor, noting that a diocese had been “made to take” the disgraced priest. Furthermore, leaked documents reveal his agreement to expunge Tudor’s name from the primary register of clergy who had faced disciplinary measures. “We recognise these procedures were neither sufficient nor survivor-focussed, and that very different decisions would have been made today,” the Church communicated to the BBC, admitting that Tudor ought to have been subjected to a lifetime ban. Lord Carey, who held the position of Archbishop of Canterbury between 1991 and 2002, informed the inquiry that he had no recollection of Tudor’s name. In his resignation letter, dispatched on 4 December, he penned: “I wish to surrender my Permission to Officiate.” Lord Carey stated: “It has been an honour to serve in the dioceses of London, Southwell, Durham, Bristol, Bath and Wells, Canterbury and finally Oxford.” He further added: “I am in my ninetieth year now and have been in active ministry since 1962 when I was made Deacon and then Priested in 1963.” Stephen Cottrell, the current Archbishop of York, is currently resisting demands for his resignation concerning the same investigation. The BBC’s findings indicate that beginning in 2010, upon his appointment as Bishop of Chelmsford, Mr. Cottrell was apprised of the abuse allegations against Tudor. Mr. Cottrell was also aware that Tudor was functioning as a priest under a stipulation preventing him from being unsupervised with children, and that Tudor had disbursed a substantial payment to an alleged victim. Nevertheless, while Bishop Cottrell was in office, Tudor retained his position and was appointed Honorary Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral. Tudor’s suspension did not occur until 2019, when law enforcement initiated a fresh investigation into his conduct. Mr. Cottrell expressed that he was “deeply sorry” for the delay in taking action, but stated that he had “inherited” the situation. He further asserted that no legal basis existed for pursuing alternative measures. However, certain individuals impacted by the case, including victims of Tudor, have voiced criticism regarding Archbishop Cottrell’s handling of the investigation. Rachel Ford, one such individual, informed the BBC that Tudor had been “very touchy-feely” with her at school and that Mr. Cottrell’s statement demonstrated “a complete lack of empathy for his victims”. Mr. Cottrell is scheduled to assume leadership of the Church of England within weeks, following the resignation of Justin Welby, another Archbishop of Canterbury. Mr. Welby resigned last month due to his management of an unrelated sex abuse case. Additional reporting was provided by Harry Farley. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.