A year after quitting over sex assault bishop, Lord Carey is allowed to preach
GEORGE CAREY, the former Archbishop of Canterbury has been given permission to preach by the Church of England, it has emerged.
The disclosure was made just two weeks before the child abuse inquiry is to examine allegations that Lord Carey was among senior church figures who “colluded” with Peter Ball, the disgraced bishop who was convicted in 2015 of sexually abusing vulnerable young men and boys.
The former archbishop lost the right to preside over church services after standing down from his role as honorary assistant bishop in the diocese last June, following the publication of a damning independent report criticising the Church’s handling of the case.
He was granted “permission to officiate” in February after approaching Dr Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford, to ask to be allowed to minister. The diocese said he can now “preach and preside in the church where he worships, a church where his ministry is much valued”. It added that it did not mean Lord Carey, 82, would return to his previous role as a bishop.
Permission to officiate is usually granted by a diocesan bishop to retired bishops and clergy to allow them to act as a minister in the diocese. It can be withdrawn by the bishop at any time.
The Gibb review, published last year, concluded that Lord Carey, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 until 2002, had “set the tone” for the Church’s reaction to Ball, formerly bishop of Lewes and of Gloucester.
The report criticised the Church for allowing Ball to continue to minister after he accepted a caution for gross indecency in 1993 and stepped down as bishop of Gloucester.
Dame Moira Gibb concluded Lord Carey “played the lead role” in letting Ball preside over services including bap- tisms and confirmations, as well as speaking at 17 public schools, until as late as 2007. Senior church figures, including Lord Carey, “colluded” with Ball to help him avoid criminal charges, her 18-month investigation found. Ball was convicted of indecent assault and misconduct in public office after the case was reopened in 2012. He was released from prison at the start of last year.
After the report’s publication, the former archbishop apologised to Ball’s victims and said: “I believed Ball’s protestations and gave too little credence to the vulnerable young men and boys behind these allegations.”
He stood down after being asked to “consider his position” by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The diocese of Oxford said Lord Carey contacted it in February to request permission to officiate and it was granted the same month.
‘He can now preach and preside in the church where he worships, a church where his ministry is much valued’