Bishop of Newcastle hits out at Archbishop of York's 'empty words' over sex scandals

24 December 2024, 15:31 | Updated: 25 December 2024, 15:32

The Bishop of Newcastle has branded the Archbishop of York's Christmas Day sermon "empty words" after he said the Church of England needs to "kneel in penitence" and "be changed".

Responding to the sermon in a post on X, Bishop Helen Ann-Hartley said: "Empty words. I have no words more than that to describe their meaning."

The annual sermon comes at a challenging time for the Church, which has faced criticism over how it handled a number of abuse scandals.

Stephen Cottrell will next month effectively become the Church's temporary leader in place of the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Mr Welby announced his resignation in November and will step down on 6 January after a report found prolific serial abuser John Smyth may have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported him to police in 2013.

But Mr Cottrell has himself also faced calls to quit after revelations David Tudor, a priest at the centre of a sexual abuse case, was twice reappointed under him while he was serving as bishop of Chelmsford.

In his Christmas sermon at York Minster, Mr Cottrell said the Church must "kneel in penitence and adoration" this Christmas and "be changed".

He said of Jesus: "At the centre of the Christmas story is a vulnerable child; a vulnerable child that Herod's furious wrath will try and destroy, for like every tyrant he cannot abide a rival.

"The Church of England - the Church of England I love and serve - needs simply to look at this vulnerable child, at this emptying out of power to demonstrate the power of love, for it is in this tiny, vulnerable child that we are invited to see God.

"If you're in love, show me. If you have love in your hearts, embody and demonstrate that love by what you do."

'Put the needs of others first'

The archbishop added: "This is what we learn at the manger. Put the needs of others first - those who are cold and hungry and homeless this Christmas.

"Those who are victims of abuse and exploitation. Those who, like the little holy family, have to flee oppression and seek refuge in a foreign land."

He referenced Bob Dylan's protest songs and quoted a line from the musical My Fair Lady, speaking of "those who talk a good game but whose words are never embodied in action".

"Right now, this Christmas, God's church itself needs to come again to the manger and strip off her finery and kneel in penitence and adoration an be changed," he added.

Ending his sermon with a call for deeds over words, Mr Cottrell said: "Don't just talk about justice, don't just talk about joy, don't just talk about service, don't just talk about love. Show me."

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On the Tudor case, Mr Cottrell has previously acknowledged things "could have been handled differently, and regrets that it wasn't".

But Tudor's victims have branded Mr Cottrell's response to the case "insulting and upsetting". They have suggested it's "inevitable" that he resigns or is forced out of his role.

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, gave the sermon at Canterbury Cathedral in place of Mr Welby and spoke of the birth of Jesus as a triumph of "light and hope" over "fear and darkness".

In Vatican City, Pope Francis used his Christmas message to call for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Pope directly mentioned the conflict in his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and world) address and called for "the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation".

(c) Sky News 2024: Bishop of Newcastle hits out at Archbishop of York's 'empty words' over sex scandals