Church of England must repent, chief minister says on Christmas By Reuters

Posted by Muvija M

LONDON (Reuters) – The Church of England’s second-highest minister, Stephen Cottrell, will call in a Christmas sermon on Wednesday for repentance and change at an institution beset by a cover-up child abuse scandal.

This year’s celebrations have been overshadowed by the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over a cover-up and accusations that he had to defend his position as number two Cottrell, who is the Archbishop of York.

In addition to its 16,000 churches in England, the Church, which traces its roots to the Roman Empire, is also the main church for 85 million Anglicans in more than 165 countries.

“Now, this Christmas, the Church of God itself should come to the manger and take off its splendor and kneel in worship and adoration. And be changed,” Cottrell will say at York Minster in the north of England, according to citations by his office. .

Welby, who resigned in November following a report that he failed to do enough to stop sex offender John Smyth, will not deliver the main Christmas sermon at the historic Canterbury Cathedral.

“At the center of the Christmas story is a vulnerable child; a vulnerable child that Herod’s furious anger will try to destroy, because like any tyrant he will not tolerate an opponent,” Cottrell will say.

“The Anglican Church – the Anglican Church that I love and serve – needs to look at this vulnerable child, with this removal of power to show the power of love, because in this vulnerable child we see God.”

Welby is due to complete his official duties on January 6, with the process of appointing his successor expected to take six months.

Cottrell, who will lead the Church until then, is also facing calls to resign following a BBC report that he let priest David Tudor keep his job despite knowing the Church was banned him from having children and that he paid the victim of sexual abuse.

Cottrell has apologized for not being able to act sooner when he was bishop of Chelmsford, saying the situation he inherited was “horrendous and intolerable” and that he stood down Tudor at the first opportunity.

The British people, increasingly less religious and unchurched, have been strongly critical.

David Greenwood, a lawyer dealing with abuse allegations, said in a statement that the revelations had “raised confidence that the Church is able to protect its members and uphold its duty of care”.