Jonathan Fletcher presents the Church of England with a crisis of integrity
On Boxing Day the nation was entertained on a bi-partisan basis by the tragi-comic story of Jolyon Maugham QC and his vulpine intruder. It will take some of us a…
Sexual abuse
Safeguarding: the Church of England’s house is slowly being rebuilt
On 25th November 2015 the newly elected General Synod of the Church of England gathered to worship together with HM The Queen before she inaugurated the first sitting of its new quinquennial. It was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation,…
Clergy sexual abuse: why can’t the Church cleanse its own temple?
"The gross evil of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy would have gone unexposed had it not been for three principal agencies, all secular." That's the damning opening sentence of…
“Shabby and shambolic” – the CofE still conspires against truth and justice in historic sexual abuse
Anyone wishing the Church of England well might have hoped that the end of the IICSA hearing last month represented the nadir of its unhappy handling of victims complaints. Despite…
CofE insurers Ecclesiastical attempt to impede pastoral care
It has been known for some time that Ecclesiastical Insurance (EIG), the favoured insurance company of the Church of England, has a tendency toward callousness, obstruction and indifference in their…
There is no such thing as ‘spiritual abuse’
Another abuse scandal has broken out in the the Church of England, and it is once again facing the responsibility as to how best to respond. Most sexual abuse is…
Rev’d Jonathan Fletcher: CofE and GAFCON co-operate to manage risk to the vulnerable
The weeks leading up to General Synod were never going to be a happy time for the Church of England. Anyone in touch with the survivors of Anglican abuse across…
Child sexual abuse: the Blackburn Pastoral Letter is game-changer for the Church of England
When St Paul began writing his letters I doubt he expected them to become as copied, shared, dissected and analysed as they are today. He wrote to help and support…
Is a diocesan bishop about to break ranks over historic child abuse in the Church of England?
The past few weeks have seen a huge escalation in the accumulation of evidence and opinion on the tragic story of the Church’s safeguarding failures. I write in the context…
Holy Week: dealing with deep sin is horrible, messy, prolonged, humiliating and painful
As we enter Holy Week, the most sombre time of the Church calendar, I am sure I'm not the only one left reflecting that my Lenten observance has not been…
Emotional abuse in the Church: Bishops need psychological help
There is a Jewish proverb that a good name is worth more than precious stones. In this reflective and penitential season of Lent, members of the Church of England House…
Faith, sexuality and conversion therapy: how not to do research
This is a guest post by Dr Judith Sture. _______ We can only applaud those who wish to carry out research to help improve the lives of others. But the…
Church in Wonderland: the Clergy Discipline Measure shoves victims down a rabbit hole
On 22nd November 2017 the Rt Rev'd Peter Burrows, Bishop of Doncaster, was having lunch in a cafe when his chaplain began a discussion about the case of Fr Matt…
Lord Carey challenges Bishops to break their silence on the ‘significant cloud’ hanging over the name of Bishop George Bell
Lord Carey spoke at the 'Rebuilding Bridges Conference' at Church House today, which aims to restore the name and reputation of Bishop George Bell. This is his speech, reproduced in…
Bishop blocked by Twitter – for telling the truth about sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church
That notorious purveyor of hate and guile, the Rt Rev'd Dr Gavin Ashenden, has been blocked by Twitter. Actually, the tense is wrong: he was blocked by Twitter, but recanted…
There will be sex offenders in heaven (and they may be greater in the kingdom than you)
You really don't want to commit a sex crime in the United States. Unlike other crimes, a sex crime creates certain civil liabilities for the offender that can quite literally…
CofE clergyman tells suicidal sex-abuse victim to “crawl back under a stone”, and that he “probably enjoyed” it
Surprising as it may seem, the wave of comment following the death of former Iwerne Chairman and serial abuser John Smyth very nearly wasn't the worse news for the Church…
John Smyth dies – just as the CPS gives police go-ahead for his extradition and prosecution
John Smyth, who was accused of the sadistic beatings of young men under the guise of Christian discipleship, has died at his home in Cape Town. This brings to an…
John Smyth tortured Christian boys at Iwerne – where’s the CofE inquiry?
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) hearings into the crimes and cover-up relating to Peter Ball have rightly shocked many in the Church of England, yet what may…
Synod – Reasons to be Cheerful (Pt 1): the secret to a contented flock
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that the glass is half full, and I offer these thoughts on General Synod in the irrepressible spirit of the late Ian Dury, which…