A FORMER Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has described as “shocking” Archbishop Welby’s request that he “consider his position”, in the wake of the inquiry into the Church’s handling of the Peter Ball case (News, 30 June).
Lord Carey resigned from his position as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese of Oxford in June, after a review by Dame Moira Gibb found that he had failed to respond to allegations against Bishop Ball, including failing to pass letters to the police and allowing Ball to continue his ministry.
The review concluded that he “set the tone for the Church’s response to Ball’s crimes and gave the steer which allowed Ball’s assertions that he was innocent to gain credence”.
In a Christmas letter to friends, Lord Carey wrote of the “shocking insistence by the Archbishop that I should stand down from ministry ‘for a season’ for mistakes he believes were made 24 years ago when Bishop Peter Ball abused young potential priests. His decision is quite unjust and eventually will be judged as such.”
A Lambeth Palace spokeswoman said this week: “We do not comment on private correspondence, but the independent inquiry into the handling of the Peter Ball case speaks for itself.”