A statement from the Bishop of Newcastle, the Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley:
In May this year, as a result of his public response to criticism of him contained within the Trevor Devamanikkam independent Learning Lessons Review, I required Lord Sentamu to step back from active ministry in Newcastle Diocese, until both the findings of the report and his response to it could be explored with him. Following this, our Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor and the National Safeguarding Team met with Lord Sentamu and concluded that he would respond appropriately today to any disclosures made to him in the Diocese of Newcastle and in his wider ministry.
However, following my meeting with Lord Sentamu on 25th July, my concern remains that his public statement, following the Learning Lessons Review, is inconsistent with the tone and culture I expect around safeguarding in Newcastle Diocese, and has had a significant impact on survivors and undermined public confidence. It is for these reasons that I have asked Lord Sentamu to reflect on his words, and in particular the impact of them, and to offer an apology.
I am extremely disappointed that Lord Sentamu feels unable to make an apology at this time, and it is with sadness that I do not feel able to grant him my Permission to Officiate within the Diocese of Newcastle, or delegate authority to him. My door remains open, and the matter is in his hands.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell has been kept fully informed through this process and remains supportive of my decision and continues himself to pray that a way forward may be found. The Diocese of Newcastle remains committed to the highest standards of safeguarding which seek always to place victims and survivors at the heart of this vital work.
Right Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley
Bishop of Newcastle
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For more about Trevor Devamanikkam Independent Learning Lessons Review review, click here.
If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk
Thank GOD someone in the Church of England is brave enough to take safeguarding seriously. I can’t help thinking that the gender of the Bishop is significant. Certainly in my small fight with the Church of England safeguarding bureaucracy, it took a woman bishop to end my pain and I am eternally grateful to her. The ministry of Bishop Cherry Vann has been a personal inspiration to me. The Church of England is a much healthier place now we have women bishops and I hope that in time the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches can learn from from our experience.… Read more »
I absolutely agree, David. In my personal experience of one diocese in the CofE, I would say that it was dominated by an almost toxic masculinity at the top. I have often reflected to myself that I don’t think that my case would have played out as it did if there hadn’t been such a culture of toxic masculinity, and if there had been more female voices in senior positions in that diocese who were able to offer different life experiences than men of [a] particular personality type(s) had empathy for.
Sentamu is a disgrace. Good for Bishop Helen! Thank goodness there is somebody in the church who gets it!
For some people in the Church of England, it might raise the question weather it is right now for John Sentamu to go on operating as active Peer in the House of Lords as a retired Church of England Bishop, that as well as withdrawing him from ministry, Bishop Helen might respectfully suggest to him he should withdraw for a time from public involvement in the House of Lords or even advise him to relinquish his Peerage altogether and keep a very low profile? Jonathan
Unfortunately a peerage can only be removed by means of legislation. However, a peer can retire or resign (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/24). What I do think is that the appointments committee (HOLAC) ought not to have permitted the peerage to have been created until the relevant safeguarding issues had been addressed satisfactorily. It is perhaps regrettable that they appeared to permit themselves to be swayed by a certain amount of lobbying. Frankly, I think that the relatively recent ‘tradition’ of awarding peerages to former archbishops should cease, and that other retired bishops not be considered for peerages. It isn’t just the Devamanikkam case,… Read more »
Thank You for this Froghole, this is very interesting and instructive. Jonathan
I wonder therefore how Sentamu might robe in the Chsmber? Bishops usually wear convocation robes. But I have been informed at least once that clergy must not robe unless they have a licence or PtO. Robing is a sign that the cleric is trustworthy.
Many thanks. Retired bishops do not robe in the chamber, so Lord Sentamu would not do so. The only bishops who put on convocation robes are the 26 lords spiritual, and the retirees are not amongst their number. Temporal peers who are in orders never robe as clergy (though they do wear their lay parliamentary robes at state openings). Retired bishops also usually sit on the cross-benches, away from the lords spiritual. Although the retirees are in bishops’ orders, they are temporal (lay) peers. Oddly, their rank as bishops (even if retired bishops) in the warrant and order of precedence… Read more »
More detail on this here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_precedence_in_England_and_Wales
Many thanks. The best work on the subject is a little book by the herald and silk, G. D. Squibb (https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780198253891/Precedence-England-Wales-Squibb-George-0198253893/plp), though there have been a few changes to the order of precedence since 1981. Squibb also wrote an interesting monograph on the High Court of Chivalry, which was revived for the Manchester Palace of Varieties case in 1954 (in which he played a part).
Surely only Lords Spiritual robe in the HL Chamber and they are the only people (other than the Lord Speaker) who do so at day to day sittings. They invariably wear Convocation robes, but always with a black chimere. They are Lords of Parliament, not peers, and on retirement Lord Sentamu ceased to have that status. He sits as a life peer and as such would wear a formal suit in the same way as all other peers, only robing according to their peerage rank on such occasions as the State Opening of Parliament.
The black chimere was, and should be, the default setting, not the red chimere, which was once only ussd on the most formal occasions.
Church of Ireland bishops are often to be seen in black chimere. Most dignified.
I think this was pioneered by +Justin Stanley. I have never seen him in a red chimere at an ordinary evensong in Canterbury cathedral since he arrived
Indeed, but that is hardly known by the public at large who could be excused for thinking that scarlet was the ‘standard’ colour, so it was logical to explain that the Lords Spiritual wear black at the ordinary sittings of the House.
All this talk of chimeres reminds me of an incident when I was a cathedral chaplain. At a staff meeting we were discussing the bishop’s impending visit when the precentor enquired, ‘Will the bishop be wearing his chemise?’ The administrator and I (the only two women) collapsed into giggles, much to the bemusement of the male clergy.
Wow, what a powerful letter.
Respectful, using the appropriate church language, but still saying a lot about Lord Sentamu’s behavior and still packing a punch.
Part of me wonders whether Lord Sentamu’s behavior outlined in the letter is because the Right Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley is a woman — and part of me thinks some people won’t acknowledge bad behavior on their part, repent and make amends, no matter who the disciplinary authority is.
well observed; I know both Helen-Ann and John from my professional career; like and admire both in their own fields; a younger bishop will be more influenced by the increasing wokery of the establishment, terrified of even worse condemnation for their inability to address sexual abuse objectively. I would recommend she read Michael Arditti’s The Choice to see the result of rigid legalism sans christian charity.
As far as I know, safeguarding people isn’t ‘woke’.
Amen and thank you.
Most of the people who criticize “woke” have no clue what it means, including the Lord High Exalted Governor of Florida. But it sure fires up their base.
Same with “CRT”.
On a lighter note I’m starting to wonder whether ‘woke,’ having morphed in some circles into a term of abuse (hat-tip Suella Braverman), is becoming a candidate for ‘irregular verb’ status, though I’m not sure how it would conjugate: perhaps
‘I respect others
you are a trendy lefty
he/she/it/they are woke’
Though equally it could be constructed
‘I am woke
you are politically correct
he/she/it/they (suggestions)
That Sentamu is not accustomed to being stood up to only makes this more remarkable as an excellent example of breaking away from protecting the Church and senior clergy at all other costs. All power to Dr Hartley.
I have some experience of Lord Sentamu, and I don’t think he is a conscious misogynist. I very deliberately use the word ‘conscious’ here. Rather, in my experience his episcopal leadership style is highly monarchical, however much it is sometimes dressed up in bonhomie, and however capable he is of acts of kindness and not taking himself too seriously (and yes, I do have experience of him doing both of those things). He does not like people standing up to him, whoever they are. His word should be law. It’s no coincidence that, as a young man, he sat as… Read more »
Indeed, and thank you. Until 1983 former archbishops of York only received peerages by dint of translation to Canterbury. When William Maclagan resigned in 1908, he received nothing. Cyril Garbett was to have received a barony on his retirement in 1955 but he died before the seal was affixed the patent (as this ante-dated the Life Peerages Act 1958 it would have been an hereditary peerage, but in effect it would have been a de facto life peerage as Garbett had no heirs). So it was not until Stuart Blanch that a former archbishop of York received a life peerage… Read more »
Sorry, to remove a peer ‘other than for imprisonment or non-attendance’.
so right!; I’ve known him since his parish in south London and he is a victim of his generation and its awareness of the role; I applied to be on his staff some years ago but refused the offer telling him we would always be fighting!
Quoting Realist:
“He does not like people standing up to him, whoever they are. His word should be law. It’s no coincidence that, as a young man, he sat as a secular judge in a highly monarchical court system.
“Dealing with him in trying to secure C4 faculties for divorced people with a previous spouse still living seeking ordination was an absolute nightmare. There was no compassion or pastoral sensitivity involved – he simply sat as ecclesiastical judge and jury and viewed cases through that lens. Unfortunately, some of the judgements were highly flawed….”
This assessment rings a bell.
Am I right in recalling that ++Sentamu was the prime mover behind that legislation which, regardless of circumstances (for example, where a first marriage had broken up decades before, or after escape from, an abusive relationship), required those who had entered a second marriage post-divorce to ‘prove’ the new relationship for three years before being permitted formally to discern a vocation to ordination? Certainly that requirement struck many of us working in vocations at that time as peculiarly legalistic.
He was quite liberal about pre-marital royal relationships when he suggested couples should “try the milk before buying the cow”.
This is not in legislation – it is guidance, which I have been told is (should be) flexibly applied, like in our own notorious case in Oxford Diocese (where a deacon married a divorced priest and as a result her own ordination as priest was held up – but the three year limit was not in the end “enforced”). It has come to be treated almost as law. When Canon C4 was passed the expectation was that it would be used in rare cases. With changes in society and with more ordinations later in life “rare” has become “frequent”. That… Read more »
You will be interested then in my General Synod Private Members Motion on the subject of C4 faculties (asking for the canonical impediment to be removed). I am hopeful that the guidelines and their implementation will be reviewed before all that process is done, not least because the pastoral guidance arising from the LLF process will be dealing with significant aspects of the manner of life of candidates for ordination: the C4 issue is different but could easily get tangled up with the LLF controversies, since the natural place for any guidance would be in comprehensive (rather than “LLF focussed”)… Read more »
Cheers, Mark – both useful pieces of information.
Re: C4 faculties, I recall a former archdeacon saying when the Clergy Discipline Measure came in that it would be a rarely-used instrument – it seems as though a form of ‘mission creep’ is endemic to all institutions.
I am still unclear as what can possibly be the reason that Archbishop Carey is holding a PTO.
He apologised and voluntarily underwent safeguarding training.
Archbishop Maclagan had severe dementia when he resigned in 1908, and was in no fit state to receive a peerage. His resignation was managed by having the lawyers out of sight behind a screen, and Queen Alexandra came and held his hand afterwards.
There are many bishops and clergy today, who could learn from this account of Queen Alexandra’s pastoral care to the Archbishop.
He did write some rather good hymn tunes.
Indeed, and most of them are to be found in the revered “Ancient and Modern, Revised” hymnal. It’s also worth noting that he crowned Queen Alexandra at the 1902 Coronation.
Was that a one off innovation or was it a tradition that has now been abandoned?
Many thanks for making this point. What I would suggest is that until the fall of Balfour it was not uncommon for people to receive peerages or steps in the peerage by virtue of the offices they had held, their acreage and/or their patrimony (as where a notable family had lost its titles via extinction and it was felt that they should be revived), without any expectation of participation in the legislature, because it was felt that such creations were ‘seemly’. Disraeli and Salisbury had particular weaknesses for this practice. I very much doubt that the grant of a peerage… Read more »
It would seem that archbishops on retiring are automatically given a seat in the House of Lords, albeit with a slight delay in awarding this honour to John Sentamu. How many diocesan bishops on retiring are ennobled? I can only think of Richard Harries and Richard Chartres are there any more to have been so honoured?
David Sheppard was the other instance (1998), although he soon fell ill and seldom ventured down from the Wirral: this award was partly due to his ecumenical work and partly due to his close associations with influential centrist Labour figures in Merseyside. There was also the rather exotic example of Robin Eames, who received a peerage half-way through his tenure at Armagh (apparently for his work in the peace process): this was not a unique award, as one of his predecessors, the celebrated ‘builder’ Richard Robinson, received an Irish barony (Rokeby) in 1777 (entitling him to sit in the Irish… Read more »
Sorry – I should have added, with respect to Robinson, that his barony permitted him to sit in the Irish lords as both a lord spiritual and temporal simultaneously. I had the pleasure of living in one of his creations for a couple of years.
I vaguely assumed that David Sheppard’s peerage was partly a recognition of his cricketing prowess.
I’ve no doubt that was a factor, perhaps a left-wing riposte to Colin Cowdrey’s ennoblement by Major (very much a fan) a year earlier. However, Cowdrey’s international career was rather more protracted, and he worked for a number of years as an administrator in the ICC. That was not really true of Sheppard, who effectively put cricket behind him 35 years’ before he was made a peer. It is possible that his active opposition when bishop of Woolwich to England touring South Africa (which caused considerable problems for Alec Home, then head of MCC) may also have helped burnish his… Read more »
It’s all quite wonderful. No better argument for disestablishment. Who cares what an old has-been thinks? It’s not as if their
preretirement utterances were particularly noteworthy. I can see the attraction of the attendance allowance and expenses, though, and as a train enthusiast of the journeys if there are no strikes.
Presumably, peerages are not given as a reward for past achievemnts, but in the expectation of future contributions. Peers may have an expertise that contributes significantly to debate, and/or a wisdom that makes their judgement voteworthy.
Her or His Majesty having appointed Sentamu any attempt by any bishop to interfere or suggest he abandon his duty seems very wrong to me. As far as I know, no bishop has, but it has been suggested.
Sadly the Church of England when selecting the Archbishop of Canterbury is shockingly less democratic than even the Tories selecting a Prime Minister but, were I to have a vote, the Bishop of Newcastle might be my pick for Archbishop of Canterbury. (The obvious contender for my vote would be the Bishop of Dover for her recent outspoken remarks.) Good to know that at least some bishops have backbone.
Kyrie Eleison
The King appoints the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons as prime minister. The leader of the party is elected by the party membership. I don’t see any democratic deficiency in that.
As far as I remember Mr. Sunak was not elected by party membership, rather he lost to Ms Truss. It was only after her premiership crashed, that he became leader without opposition. Also, Gordon Brown and Teresa May did not go to the membership. So, Maybe some demecratic deficit there.
There’s no democratic deficit, because we don’t have a presidential system. The Prime Minister is the person who can command the support of the House of Commons, and it is the members of the House of Commons that the electorate elects.
When did or does the Church of England give any democratic influence in appointing any clergy? Even, perasps especially, local congregations don’t have even the power of veto, the simple “no”.
Laus Deo
They do actually – through their chosen reps. It is very consultative process.
Unless I am out of date, I believe there is always a parish representative on an interviewing panel for Vicar/Rector posts, so the congregation do have representation on those appointments. Does not apply to curates.
Why should the Church of England be democratic?
Democracy gave the world Donald Trump and gifted us Liz Truss and Boris Johnson too!!
It is the least worst but not always the appropriate system.
Overhead projectors could become mandatory!
Because it is tradition.
The Didache, that very early manual of Church practice said, in chapter 15
“Therefore, appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not lovers of money, and true and approved;”
Note the for yourselves, it seems that these early congregations had the ability and authority to appoint their own bishop.
I note that the Greek is formed out of ‘cheirotonein,’ ‘to elect by a show of hands,’ ‘vote’ (Liddell and Scott) a less vague translation than ‘choose,’ for which I’d expect something formed out of ‘elegein’.’ Now, the fun starts because, once we concede that the present process is not fit for purpose, we have to choose between election by lot (Matthaias, Acts, Scriptural) and non-secret ballot (Didache, sub-apostolic, almost Scriptural). Had the Didache generation tried the Lottery approach and wound up with some duffers? Any suggestions which system we use to decide which system we use to decide whom… Read more »
Thanks David, that Didache section fascinates me, so any extra information, no matter how frivolous, is welcome. It seems to me that it is one of the few early Christian documents on church management written by, and with the viewpoint of, a churchwarden or elder, rather than an ordained person. And to me that gives it a certain interest, for example in the obvious suspicion of free-loading priests and prophets. I like it also because it would seem to answer the Tony Benn question. If a church community appoints its own bishop, presumably it would have the authority to sack… Read more »
I really don’t care either way but the present system is not giving us archbishops in whom I have confidence. That I do care about.
I commend the Bishop of Newcastle for her stance on Sentamu; however, I hope she extends the same scrutiny to matters closer to home. Recently, the Diocese of Newcastle’s website published a report (though not easily accessible) revealing disturbing information about a sexual predator known to the Diocese for an extended period. Shockingly, it appears that this individual was protected by a previous administration. The report also highlights that there were warnings about his behaviour, raised by his victims, including a courageous colleague also a victim, who reported their concerns to three senior staff members, one of whom was a… Read more »
I would have thought that the Bishop placing the matter in the hands of Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor and the National Safeguarding Team, who concluded that Lord Sentamu would respond appropriately today, was enough to conclude the matter and reinstate PTO.
The standoff between ++Sentamu and +Newcastle has arisen, it seems to me, not because they hold fundamentally different positions on the importance of safeguarding but because each is looking at the matter through a different lens. In this they may well be products of the cultures that have formed them. ++Sentamu’s lens is a juridical one. To the best of my knowledge, he’s correct to say that the complaint against Trevor Devamanikkam was a matter for the diocesan bishop . Archbishops are not the line managers of the diocesan bishops in their Province as some may think and any attempt… Read more »
So helpful. ++Sentamu must now regret, privately of course, commenting on the Learning Lessons Review. The ‘However’ which begins paragraph two is where the divergent approaches to the culture of Safeguarding you identify begin to emerge. Who can fault +Newcastle for wanting to raise the bar, but the public are quite used to and dismissive of ‘reflect and apologise’ moments. The support of ++Stephen is also a mixed blessing at this tricky season for the CofE.
It is refreshing to read the comments of two people willing to take a more nuanced line on this matter and not join the general pile in. If one accepts that the former Archbishop of York is legally correct in what he contends, however unwise it may have been for him to say so, it is surely a little harsh, if understandable, for his current bishop not to restore his PTO. Because, in the end Lord Sentamu’s offence seems simply to be an unwillingness to admit that he was possibly wrong and certainly short sighted not to have leaned on… Read more »
It’s clear that Archbishop Sentamu does not believe that expediency ‘trumps’ conscience.
I am far from persuaded that Lord Sentamu ought to apologise, as he reasonably thinks he acted properly. There is an interesting piece on this in Philip Jones’ Ecclesiastical Law blog.
A very belated comment, I realise. Paradoxically, ‘the support of ++Stephen’ breaches the very principle of Archbishop Sentamu’s contention that he could not intervene in another diocese in a matter which potentially might come back to him as Archbishop in a judicial capacity.
Philip Jones’ article is essential reading for a balanced view.