Can the Church of England recover?
The Guardian Weekly|November 22, 2024
Shock waves triggered by the archbishop of Canterbury's resignation are the culmination of years of simmering rage among churchgoers and survivors of abuse
Harriet Sherwood
Can the Church of England recover?

AS THE FAITHFUL GAVE THANKS to God in England's 16,500 parish churches last Sunday, beneath the comforting ritual of prayers and hymns ran an undercurrent of shame, anger and dread.

The Church of England is facing its biggest crisis in modern times, with no clear pathway to recovery. The archbishop of Canterbury has been forced to resign, other senior figures are facing calls to quit and the church is reeling from its shameful failures over a prolific and sadistic child abuser.

A 253-page report detailing the brutality of the late barrister John Smyth, repeated cover-ups and omissions by church figures, and the trauma suffered by victims has triggered an "existential crisis" for the C of E, according to Linda Woodhead, a professor of moral and social theology at King's College London. "It's been a very, very long time coming, like lots of crises, but this is a critical moment," she said.

"It's seismic," said Tim Wyatt, who writes The Critical Friend, a weekly newsletter about the C of E. "It's unprecedented for an archbishop to resign over a crisis of their own making. It's causing massive ructions up and down the institution. Now the sword is hanging over other senior leaders and bishops." Of the context of the report on Smyth, Wyatt said: "[There were] more than 10 years of damning investigations into C of E abuse failures.

Bishops, clergy, and senior lay volunteers have been exposed as abusers, and church figures knew about the abuse in some instances and failed to stop it or report it to the police." He added: "There's been a simmering anger among churchgoers and survivors of abuse that no one has been held accountable. What's happening now is a culmination of many years of resentment building up, and finally, it's erupted.

"We're now hearing talk of sweeping the stables clean and starting afresh.

Bu hikaye The Guardian Weekly dergisinin November 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye The Guardian Weekly dergisinin November 22, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
The Saudi football World Cup is an act of violence and disdain
The Guardian Weekly

The Saudi football World Cup is an act of violence and disdain

Well, that's that then. In the event there were only two notes of jeopardy around Fifa's extraordinary virtual congress last week to announce the winning mono-bids, the vote without a vote, for the right to host the 2030 and 2034 football World Cups.

time-read
3 dak  |
December 20, 2024
AI has made the move into video and it's worryingly plausible
The Guardian Weekly

AI has made the move into video and it's worryingly plausible

I recently had the opportunity to see a demo of Sora, OpenAI's video generation tool, which was released in the US last Monday, and it was so impressive it made me worried for the future.

time-read
3 dak  |
December 20, 2024
With tyrant Assad ousted, Syrians deserve support and hope
The Guardian Weekly

With tyrant Assad ousted, Syrians deserve support and hope

Last week, time collapsed. Bashar al-Assad's fall recalled scenes across the region from the start of the Arab spring almost 14 years ago. Suddenly history felt vivid, its memories sharpened. In fact it no longer felt like history.

time-read
4 dak  |
December 20, 2024
TV
The Guardian Weekly

TV

The Guardian Weekly team reveals our small-screen picks of the year, from the underground vaults of post-apocalyptic Fallout to the mile-high escapism of Rivals

time-read
4 dak  |
December 20, 2024
Albums
The Guardian Weekly

Albums

Murky love stories, nostalgic pop and an in-your-face masterpiece captured our critics' ears in 2024

time-read
10+ dak  |
December 20, 2024
Film
The Guardian Weekly

Film

Visual language, sound, light and rhythm are to the fore in the best movies of the year

time-read
10 dak  |
December 20, 2024
Hidden delights Our 24 travel finds of 2024
The Guardian Weekly

Hidden delights Our 24 travel finds of 2024

Guardian travel writers share their discoveries of the year, from Læsø to Lazio

time-read
10+ dak  |
December 20, 2024
'It's really a disaster' The fight to save lives as gang war consumes capital
The Guardian Weekly

'It's really a disaster' The fight to save lives as gang war consumes capital

Dr James Gana stepped out on to the balcony of his hospital overlooking a city under siege. \"There's a sensation of 'What's next?'. Desperation is definitely present,\" the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medic said, as he stared down at one of scores of camps for displaced Haitians in their country's violence-plagued capital.

time-read
2 dak  |
December 20, 2024
Trailblazers The inspiring people we met around the world this year
The Guardian Weekly

Trailblazers The inspiring people we met around the world this year

From an exuberant mountaineer to a woman defiantly facing the guns of war, here are some of the brave individuals who gave us hope in a tumultuous 2024

time-read
10 dak  |
December 20, 2024
Votes of confidence
The Guardian Weekly

Votes of confidence

From India to Venezuela and Senegal to the US, more people voted this year than ever before, with over 80 elections across the world. With rising authoritarianism and citizen-led resistance revealing its vulnerabilities and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges, has democracy reached its breaking or turning point?

time-read
8 dak  |
December 20, 2024