Following on from the resignation of Justin Welby [and now also George Carey] ex-Archbishop of Canterbury over his shameful inaction over several years to safeguard the victims of abuse by disgraced ex-priest David Tudor, the current Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is set to become the temporary head of the Church of England on 6th January 2025.

As Bishop of Chelmsford, Mr Cottrell let priest David Tudor remain in post in the diocese despite knowing he had been barred by the Church from being alone with children and had paid compensation to a sexual abuse victim

In response, Mr Cottrell states that he is "deeply sorry" that "action could not be taken earlier, but that was the situation he inherited. Both assertions are evidently untrue. He has no credibility, and consequently has no moral or ethical authority to lead the institution which perversely claims to be the leading authority in all three attributes.

The victims state Mr Cottrell has spat in their face. Neither wonder. He and Justin Welby closed down the Independent Safeguarding Board - an independent panel of experts - which had been reluctantly set up in 2021 by the Church which then perversely and continually obstructed and interfered with its work (refused to share data and denied them computers). In 2023, Welby and Cottrell issued a joint statement saying there was "no prospect of resolving the disagreement and that it is getting in the way of the vital work of serving victims and survivors".

So the two most senior Church figures who obstructed and then closed down an independent enquiry, claimed they did so because it was preventing them from serving the very victims and survivors of the abuse they evidently knew about but turned their blind eyes to.

On 12th November 2024, ex-Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was finally forced to resign after having disgracefully participated in covering up abuse in the church for over 30 years. On 4th December 2024, the other ex-Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey was also finally forced to resign as a priest after a scandalous history involving multiple instances of protecting sex abusers in the church including a Bishop who was subsequently jailed.

Stephen Cottrell however remains in power and now has been offered the ultimate prize of elevation to Archbishop of Canterbury, an appointment which includes even greater personal status, power, influence and renown - the very antithesis of what the Church promotes as its ideals and certainly the diametrical opposite of the what the abuse victims continue to suffer. And still he denies his responsibility for choosing to conceal the vile abuse of which he admits he was well aware.

We therefore call for the immediate resignation of the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell. 

Please sign and share this petition by using the link https://www.change.org/church_abuse_resignation or by using the QR Code below. Thank you.
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Footnote 22/12/2024

The Bishop of Newcastle Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley alone speaks truth to power and calls for Archbishop of York Cottrell to resign as she did successfully with Welby. She represents millions of us by calling out the endemic power grab by the most senior churchmen whilst they turn away from the abused victims. She says it all. Thank you Dr Hartley for your integrity and courage. Watch her Sky News interview:

https://youtu.be/VtwmBzz3saw?si=t-g3Z4-nyqWdIFcP