“It is most important that we have a church where all people feel safe and are safe.
Those who have suffered abuse within the church need not only our expression of sorrow, shame, and repentance but also our continued commitment to action to create safe communities with robust safeguarding processes that actively prevent abuse taking place. Much good work has been done over the last 10 years, and significant progress has been made, especially at parish levels, through the hard work and commitment of our local safeguarding officers, but there is still more to do. This requires a complete culture change and a willingness from each of us to play our part.
We join together in prayer for those who have suffered and for their families, as well as for those who are vulnerable in our communities, that they may know the love, kindness, and protection of Jesus in our churches as we seek to make our diocese and the wider Church a safe place.
We acknowledge and appreciate Archbishop Justin’s efforts in recent years to bring change and progress in the Church around safeguarding, and we respect his decision and accountability in stepping down and ‘accepting his share of the responsibility.’ Our prayers remain for him and his family. I invite us all now to share in our collective responsibility to bring about the change we need to see.”
