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The new archbishop of Canterbury has pledged to rebuild trust and confidence in the way the Church of England deals with the abuse of children and vulnerable adults, saying that in the past it has “fallen tragically short”.
Sarah Mullally told a meeting of the C of E’s ruling body, the General Synod, that “proper independence” would be central to the way the church dealt with allegations of abuse on her watch as archbishop. The C of E has been criticised for dealing with allegations of abuse, and complaints about the handling of such allegations, internally.
Mullally, who took over as de facto leader of the church 14 months after her predecessor Justin Welby resigned over significant failings in dealing with a high-profile abuse case, was greeted by members of the synod in London on Tuesday with applause and cheers.
Welby quit after a damning report on the activities of John Smyth, a former barrister who sadistically beat boys and young men, found that Welby had failed to properly act after being told about allegations of abuse in 2013.
Mullally told the meeting that safeguarding was a “fundamental, non-negotiable responsibility, sharpened by our past failings and shaped by the work we still have to do”. She said she was committed to an “approach of grave seriousness and focused direction to all matters relating to safeguarding in all contexts in the church”. Victims and survivors would be at the “heart of all we do”.
She added: “We have too often failed to recognise or take seriously the abuse of power in all its forms. Robust and transparent processes are central to the health of any institution: proper processes around appointments, clear guidelines around conduct, and good process for the handling of concerns, complaints and whistleblowing.
“Progress has been made, yet we are anything but complacent. We must be wholly committed to listening to victims and survivors, and to delivering timely and robust trauma-informed processes. We must be willing, always, for light to be shone on our actions and decisions. We can only begin to rebuild trust and confidence through openness and integrity.”
After her elevation to archbishop was announced last year, it emerged that Mullally had been accused of improperly handling a complaint against a priest in London in 2020 and the allegation had not been adequately investigated. Last month, the C of E said it would take no further action on the matter.
Mullally said she was humbled to be called to serve as archbishop of Canterbury and aware of its “huge weight of responsibility”. She had been “overwhelmed by the encouragement, prayers and support … from countless people both here at home and across the [global] Anglican communion”.
With a significant proportion of Anglicans – in the UK and across the world – still opposed to women being ordained as priests, support for the first female leader of the global church could not be assumed.
Mullally, a former NHS chief nursing officer, told the synod: “As a shepherd, I will strive to be calm, consistent and compassionate to all.” Her Christian vocation had first led her to be a nurse, then a priest, then a bishop and now an archbishop, she said. “The theme that has run through all those chapters of my life has been washing feet, and serving and caring for others.”
She said the church “must flex the muscle of hope” in the “seemingly impossible situations we see in the world around us”. It should not “deny the challenges that are in front of us – the challenges of inequality and injustice, the volatility of global politics, climate crisis and more – but say with confidence that God is in the midst of us”.
