Former Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations

 

George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has resigned from his position as a priest following revelations that he mishandled the case of a priest accused of sexual misconduct. The resignation came after a BBC investigation uncovered that Carey had allowed David Tudor, a priest previously suspended over allegations of sexual abuse, to return to ministry in 1994.

Carey, who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, issued his resignation letter on December 4. While the letter did not specifically reference the investigation, it revealed that at nearly 90 years old, Carey has been in active ministry since 1962. In his resignation, he expressed it had been an honor to serve in various dioceses across the Church of England.

The BBC’s investigation reported that Carey had advocated for Tudor to return to the ministry despite Tudor’s suspension following allegations of sexual assault against teenage girls. Tudor, who was banned from being alone with children, had paid compensation to one of his accusers, and documents suggest Carey helped him find a position in the church.

Carey’s resignation came at a turbulent time for the Church of England, as further scrutiny was placed on other senior clergy members’ handling of the Tudor case. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, who is set to take over as the Church’s spiritual leader next month, has also faced calls to resign after it was revealed that he allowed Tudor to remain in his position despite knowledge of the restrictions placed on him. Cottrell, who will succeed Justin Welby as the Archbishop of Canterbury, admitted to "deeply sorry" actions but said he had inherited the situation and there were no legal grounds for further action.

Tudor, who was barred from ministry in October after admitting to sexual relationships with two teenage girls in the 1980s, was recently banned from ministry for life. The Church of England has since acknowledged that its procedures were insufficient and not survivor-focused, vowing that different decisions would have been made today.

The Church of England, which is home to millions of adherents globally, continues to face internal divisions over how to address abuse cases and broader issues such as the role of women and LGBTQ rights within the church.