UNITED KINGDOM
Christian Today
James Macintyre 12 August 2016
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, says that the Church must be a “safe place” where a “culture of silencing” must be overturned when it comes to abuse.
The Church must overturn a “culture of silencing” and be “compassionate and attentive to those who have been abused and sinned against,” the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.
In a foreword to the July 2016 edition of the social ethics journal Crucible, Justin Welby says that on becoming Archbishop, he knew that safeguarding would be a key issue, “but had mistakenly believed that the major changes needed in outlook had already been achieved”.
The whole of the Archbishop’s article is devoted to the issue of safeguarding in the Church, which he says must be a “safe place” in which a “culture of silencing” must be addressed.
“To address that whole culture of silencing in the Church is vital,” he writes. “It is vital because failure to do so is a form of abuse for the second time, as bad if not worse than the first betrayal.”
Archbishop Welby says the Church must be “far, far more attentive” to the pastoral care of those who have been abused. “We have to go back to first principles, which is to let Jesus be heard through us. That means being compassionate and attentive to those who have been abused and sinned against. It means being far, far more attentive to their pastoral care and the establishment of ways in which they can feel safe to tell their story and be listened to,” he writes. “Yes we have to be rigorous, and responsible in ensuring the Church is a place safe for all, but that is only half the story if we fail to take seriously and to listen to those who have been abused by those who minister in the Church or through Church organisations.”
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