Bishops

A suited foot kicks a rusty tin can down an overgrown path toward a distant church building, symbolising delay and the Church of England “kicking the can down the road” on safeguarding reform.

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Fine Words, General Synod 3 March 2026

Safeguarding “direction of travel” is not a destination

Nearly three years after sacking its “Independent” Safeguarding Board, the Church of England is still talking about “direction of travel”. Praises for “excellent” staff sit alongside admissions of mistrust. Survivors need dates, duties and deliverables — not delay dressed up as reform.

Cartoon illustration of the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, crouching behind a large shield labelled “Standing Orders” as members of the General Synod approach with raised hands, papers, and question marks, symbolising attempts to question or hold him to account.

Preaching accountability while closing the shutters

Cartoon illustration of the Church of England’s General Synod chamber, shown in a wide, circular hall with tiered seating and a domed ceiling. At the top table sit two blindfolded archbishops, one male and one female, wearing red episcopal robes. Around the scene, six large magnifying glasses peer in from the edges, labelled Charity Commission, Parliament, Coroner, Police, Victims & Survivors, and Campaigners & Advocates, symbolising external scrutiny of the Synod proceedings.

When the regulator comes knocking, the Archbishops’ Council puts on the blinkers

Delay and control: the problems with the Archbishops’ Council’s safeguarding plans

Cartoon-style illustration of a bald Anglican bishop in a purple cassock leaning on one side of unbalanced scales of justice, pressing down a large gavel while the opposite scale holding light files and silhouetted figures is raised, symbolising an imbalance between legal authority and safeguarding evidence.

Archbishop Stephen Cottrell says he has been cleared — but the Tudor case is still under review

Cartoon-style illustration of a bald Anglican archbishop in purple standing between two contrasting courtrooms: one open and brightly lit with visible documents and observers, and the other dark and closed, symbolising the difference between open appellate justice and opaque internal disciplinary processes.

Authority invoked, lessons avoided: what the Archbishop of York’s statement still fails to confront

Cartoon illustration of a bald Anglican archbishop in a purple cassock looking puzzled, scratching his head as he stands beside a locked filing cabinet wrapped in chains and padlocks, with a question mark in a thought bubble above him, symbolising uncertainty and lack of access to records.

Stephen Cottrell’s own words — and why they fail basic safeguarding and legal tests

Cartoon-style illustration of a courtroom scene in which a bald Anglican archbishop sits at a desk looking uneasy, while a kangaroo dressed as a judge presides from the bench holding a gavel, symbolising a “kangaroo court”.

When “No Case To Answer” means no accountability: Why the Tudor decision exposes a safeguarding system beyond repair

A Bible bound with rope on a church altar, flanked by two lit candles, with a cross in shadow behind.

When apology is refused and evidence is blurred: how the Church failed again

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Briefings, Clergy Discipline, General Synod, Parliament 22 January 2026

Why the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 needs urgent review

Parliament approves Church of England legislation with the force of an Act — but cannot amend it, correct it, or always even publish its concerns.

That is not scrutiny.
It’s a constitutional defect.

Why the 1919 Act matters ⬇️

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Church Abuse

Highlight continuing safeguarding failures by the Church of England and its Archbishops’ Council