Bishop 'deeply disturbed' by Justin Welby's metaphor of 'rolling heads' in final Lords speech

the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has been accused of making light of serious matters within the Church of England in his last speech before the House of Lords addressing peers he said a head had to role over the church's failures in the handling of allegations against serial abuser John SMI but in a lighthearted farewell he didn't appear to accept his own failings in his downfall as Ian Woods reports as well as the church Pulpit Archbishop of Canterbury have a public platform in the House of Lords to Heir their views but Justin welby's decision to

resign because of his failure to act upon allegations of child abuse by someone he knew meant this was his final speech in that role there Comes A Time if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility where the shame of what has gone wrong whether one is personally responsible or not must require a head to roll and there is only in this case one head that rolls well enough when he quit he issued a statement expressing sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse but today the archbishop's thoughts were principally with his

staff coping with the unexpected departure the plans for next year were very detailed and extensive um and uh if you pity anyone pity my poor diary secretary who's seen weak weeks and months of work disappear in a path of a resignation announcement John SM beat and abused boys for decades without being brought to Justice one of his survivors who's been critical of how the Church of England handled the Scandal was disappointed with today's comments I would describe the tone as frivolous and I think that's very deeply upsetting for those of us who are smile survivers

because for some of us it's been a matter of life and death the whole thing has seem to smile survivors like a retirement happily brought forward rather than an act of public Contrition and repentance retiring archbishops of Canterbury have been granted life peerages enabling them to stay in the House of Lords given the manner of his departure it's up to the government whether Justin wiby will return to the chamber in the future Yan Woods ITV News