The Bishop of Newcastle has voiced strong criticism of Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, stating he is "the wrong person" to be leading the Church of England in the wake of ongoing safeguarding scandals.
Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley, who has previously called for Archbishop Cottrell to resign, reiterated her position ahead of this week’s General Synod, where he is set to address key issues, including safeguarding failures.
She argued that it is inappropriate for him to lead reforms, given his handling of past abuse cases.
The criticism stems largely from Cottrell’s role as the former Bishop of Chelmsford, where he was accused of failing to act quickly enough against priest David Tudor, The Independent reports.
Tudor had been barred from being alone with children and had previously paid compensation to a sexual abuse victim, yet he remained in post under Cottrell’s oversight.
Bishop Hartley condemned a reported remark by Cottrell, in which he allegedly described Tudor as “the Rolls Royce of priests,” calling it "abhorrent".
Cottrell, who assumed interim leadership of the Church of England following the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, has denied any wrongdoing and stated his commitment to strengthening safeguarding measures.
However, he has also faced separate criticisms regarding the appointment of John Perumbalath as Bishop of Liverpool, a position Perumbalath resigned from last month amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies.
Today's General Synod marks a critical moment for the Church of England, with discussions expected on the handling of past abuse cases, including the Makin Review, which exposed serious failures in addressing the abuses of former Christian camp leader John Smyth.
The review suggested that Smyth could have been brought to justice sooner had Archbishop Welby formally reported him to police years earlier.
Rev Ian Paul, a long-serving Synod member, described the situation as "an unprecedented crisis", while abuse survivor advocate Andrew Graystone called for immediate and concrete action from Anglican leaders rather than another "hand-wringing apology".
He urged Cottrell and senior figures to demonstrate "radical humility" and take "costly action" to repair the harm caused by past failures.
In response to ongoing concerns, Synod members will debate proposals for an independent safeguarding system.
Two potential models are under consideration: one that would transfer all safeguarding staff to a fully independent body, and another that would maintain diocesan and cathedral safeguarding officers under Church oversight while transferring national staff to an external organisation.