LONDON (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Telegraph [London, England]
February 12, 2025
By Fiona Parker
Anglican synod revives practice of stripping holy orders from clergy for life – similar to Catholic Church system
Vicars who are found guilty of sex abuse will be defrocked under new Church of England rules.
The General Synod, the Church’s governing body, voted to revive the stripping of holy orders following a string of abuse scandals. The practice was abolished more than 20 years ago.
Those who are defrocked are banned from the clergy for life. The move is likely to cover offences including child abuse or sexual assault.
Previously, the harshest punishment available to Church authorities was to impose a lifetime ban on a priest being able to officiate ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, but they remained priests.
The Synod overwhelmingly backed reintroducing the measure on Wednesday.
The new tiered system, known as the clergy conduct measure (CCM) will replace the current clergy discipline measure – a system that has been in place since 2003.
The vote comes after the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse recommended that the Church of England should reintroduce defrocking in 2020, on the grounds that it would have symbolic importance, particularly for abuse victims.
Rev Canon Kate Wharton, from the diocese of Liverpool, told the General Synod on Wednesday: “Central to the system is the allocation of complaints as grievances, misconduct or serious misconduct.
“These routes provide different and proportionate avenues for the disposal of complaints.”
Ms Wharton added: “Deposition from Holy Orders has been reintroduced for cases of the utmost seriousness.”
Details of how the CCM will work will be finalised in a vote in July and the system will also bring in restraint orders to be handed to people who repeatedly make “vexatious” complaints.
Defrocking was never abolished by the Roman Catholic Church.
Former archbishop and cardinal Theodore McCarrick became one of the most senior figures to be defrocked in 2019, after the Vatican found him guilty of sexual abuse.
‘Terrible suffering’
Speaking in support of the motion ahead of the vote, the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell told the Synod: “It is good that appropriate action will be able to be taken against vexatious complainants.
“And I do know from my years of being a bishop, I think of the terrible suffering that some clergy I have served have been through because of vexatious complainants, as well as the constraints and frustrations of not being able to deal with real and serious allegations properly.”
For allegations of serious misconduct, a one-year limitation to make a complaint will also be abolished under the new process.
Investigations into serious misconduct cases will be overseen by a professional team of investigators and lawyers, while bishops will have statutory duties to ensure support for all those affected by a complaint.
Ms Wharton said: “For those who have been harmed, and especially for victims and survivors of abuse, we must have a system that centres on their care, ensures that their voice is heard and delivers justice.”
All members of the Synod voted in favour of the new system, aside from three members who abstained.