Former Archbishop of Canterbury leaves Church of England ‘after letting pedophile return to priesthood’

Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey left the Church of England after being told he “let a pedophile return to the priesthood”.

The Lord wrote a letter announcing his resignation earlier this month, amid growing pressure over a sexual abuse case involving former priest David Tudor.

Tudor was banned from ministry for life this year after admitting to what the Church described as serious sexual abuse involving two girls aged 15 and 16.

He had been suspended from the ministry decades earlier, in 1988, after admitting, according to a court document, to having sexual relations with a 16-year-old girl he met when she was a student at a school where he was chaplain.

But according to a BBC investigation, Tudor’s return to the church in 1994 was facilitated by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey.

In 1993, Lord Carey agreed that Tudor could return to supervision the following year, the BBC reported.

Although this was done “with some trepidation”, the Anglican Church said.

Carey, 89, referenced his age in announcing his decision to step down.

In a letter sent to the diocese of Oxford on December 4, he said: “I wish to relinquish my permission to officiate.

“I am now in my ninetieth year and have been in active ministry since 1962, when I was appointed deacon and then priest in 1963.

“It has been an honor to serve in the dioceses of London, Southwell, Durham, Bristol, Bath and Wells, Canterbury and finally Oxford.

“I thank God for his enduring faithfulness, but I want to recognize the remarkable contribution of (his wife) Eileen, whose faithfulness and support have been exceptional.”

Lord Carey told the BBC he did not remember Tudor’s name.

The minutes of the meeting mention that he “defended” Tudor, mentioning that a diocese had been “created to take” the disgraced priest.

Leaked documents also show he agreed to remove Tudor’s name from the central list of clergy who had been subject to disciplinary action.

The Church acknowledged that Tudor should have been banned for life and said: “We recognize that these proceedings were neither sufficient nor survivor-focused, and that very different decisions would have been made today.”

The news comes as the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has also faced – but has so far resisted – calls to resign over his handling of the Tudor affair.

Mr Cottrell knew that Tudor had paid compensation to a victim of sexual abuse and that the Church had also banned him from being alone with children, according to the BBC.

And this review also comes at a time when the Church is already embroiled in more public controversy, following the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury over his own handling of historical abuse cases.

Justin Welby is set to step down as Archbishop of Canterbury in the new year, with the Archbishop of York set to take temporary charge of the Church of England.

Lord Carey was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002 and, during his tenure, attended the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and became the first archbishop to ordain women to the priesthood.

The Church of England has been contacted for comment.