Bishop says Welby made 'light' of victims in speech

A leading Church of England bishop has criticised the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury over his valedictory speech, accusing him of making light of the Church's failure to protect victims and survivors of abuse.

- ANGUS THOMPSON

Justin Welby appeared to distance himself from the Church's failings, which were highlighted in the damning Makin review, when he said a head had to roll “whether one is personally responsible or not”.

His resignation last month followed days of pressure to step down after the review concluded John Smyth, a serial abuser associated with the Church, might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally alerted authorities in 2013. During his speech in the Lords yesterday, Mr Welby made a joke comparing his situation to that of a 14th-century predecessor, Simon Sudbury, whose severed head was used in a football match. “I don’t know who won, but it certainly wasn’t Simon of Sudbury,” he said, to laughs from fellow clergymen in the house.