Lord Carey, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury for 11 years up until 2002, has stood down from his last formal role in the Church of England after being criticized in an independent review of the church’s handling of sex abuse. The review, into disgraced former bishop, Peter Ball, who was jailed two years ago, revealed Carey had failed to pass information on Ball to the police back in 1992.
Ball, a former bishop of Lewes and Gloucester, was jailed after admitting sex offences against 18 teenagers and young men between the 1970s and 1990s.
Carey had been given a role as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese of Oxford. Following the review, by former senior social worker, Dame Moira Gibb, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had asked for his resignation.
The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, said: “I have met with Lord Carey following the Archbishop’s letter to him. Lord Carey has accepted the criticisms made of him in the Gibb review and has apologised to the victims of Peter Ball.”
Dame Moira Gibb’s review revealed Carey received various letters from families and individuals following the arrest and cautioning of Ball in 1992 for gross indecency, but failed to pass six of them to the police. He also chose not to put Ball on the Church of England’s “Lambeth List,” which names clergy about whom questions of suitability for ministry have been raised.
Dame Moira said there was a failure of the Church of England to respond appropriately to misconduct over a period of many years. Bishop Steven added: “Along with many others, I have been deeply distressed to read Dame Moira Gibb’s report with its narrative of the abuse perpetrated by Peter Ball which remained hidden for so long. I hope that the focus of attention will continue to be on the survivors of abuse and offering to them the care and support they need” he said. “As the Diocese of Oxford we are committed to improving continually the quality of safeguarding and care.”
