A retired clergyman who could be part of the selection process for the next archbishop of Canterbury knew about the sadistic abuse of boys and young men in the early 1980s but failed to take action, according to the report that triggered Justin Welby’s resignation.
One of John Smyth’s victims discussed his abuse with the Rev Andrew Cornes in September 1982, but “there is no evidence to suggest that [Cornes] took action to respond to this”, the report said.
Cornes is among a panel of 11 members of the Church of England’s ruling body, the General Synod, from whom six will be chosen to sit on the committee that appoints Welby’s successor as archbishop of Canterbury.
The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) will comprise 17 voting members plus three non-voting participants. The selection process is expected to take several months.
According to the report on Smyth’s abuse published last week, Cornes told the victim that “he was unsurprised that Smyth had homosexual tendencies”. The report says: “There is no evidence to suggest that Cornes took action to respond to this, he suggests that he thought the matter was being dealt with.”
Cornes later wrote to a different victim to say that he knew “all about” the abuse and to offer pastoral support. According to the report, this person more recently contacted Cornes to ask if he had taken any action. The victim told the report’s authors: “He hadn’t, and he in hindsight was rather apologetic about that, because of what happened.”
Cornes has been approached for comment.
The members of CNC will spend several months in consultation, discernment and prayer before voting on a name that will be submitted first to the prime minister and then to the king.
They will draw up a “role profile” setting out the skills, qualities and experience needed in the new archbishop. Members of the public will be invited to submit names for the CNC to consider.
After Welby’s resignation on Tuesday, there have been calls for other senior church figures criticised in the report on Smyth’s abuse also to stand down.
Julie Conalty, the bishop of Birkenhead and deputy lead bishop for safeguarding, said Welby had “done the right thing” but his resignation alone “is not going to solve the problem”.
She told the BBC: “This is about institutional changes, our culture and a systemic failure so there must be more that we need to do. Very possibly some of the people [criticised] should go.”
Wes Streeting, the health secretary and a practising Anglican, said: “Don’t think one head rolling solves the problem.” The “culture of cover-up has been part of the problem on serious abuse allegations for far too long”, he added.
One bishop who was criticised in the report resisted online calls for her to resign but expressed regret about some of her actions and comments.
Jo Bailey Wells, the church’s bishop for episcopal ministry, was the personal chaplain to Justin Welby when Lambeth Palace was alerted, by the Bishop of Ely, to Smyth’s abuse in 2013.
She told Welby the allegations against Smyth should be left to the Ely diocese to pursue and suggested no further action until the police provided further advice. But no such advice was provided and Wells failed to follow it up.
Wells was also criticised in the report for describing the referral about Smyth’s abuse as “not particularly remarkable” and for saying that safeguarding was not part of her role. The report said: “The referral should have stood out as being remarkable – at least three victims were known of, with a further number (around five or six) having been referenced by a victim.”
Asked about the criticism and calls for her to resign, she said: “Because I was advised that Ely was managing this case – including reporting to the police, and specifically asked that Lambeth did not make any direct contact – I did not take further action. With hindsight, I regret not verifying or querying these assertions.”
She added: “I am appalled by the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth and the trauma and pain experienced by the survivors. I had no idea of any detail of this at the time. I’ve learned a lot more about safeguarding since that time.”
Andrew Graystone, author of Bleeding for Jesus, an account of John Smyth’s abuse, said Wells had questions to answer. “She saw exactly the same report [about Smyth’s abuse] that Welby saw and responded in the same way that he did. So the questions that applied to him which eventually brought him down, apply equally to her,” he said.
• This article was amended on 14 November 2024 to add the word “no” in the following sentence: “But no such advice was provided and Wells failed to follow it up.”
