Justin Welby/Laura Kunnesberg..

[CurlewKate]

Anyone hear the interview? What do you think?

I've only heard snippets but I'm disgusted by him. For me he sums up all that's wrong with power and religion.

It was his to manage. He had all the authority to do what was right but he chose to ignore the situation. No doubt a seat in the HoL will be on its way and a comfortable quiet retirement at an Oxford College or private school. Maybe a return to finance.

I thought that stating he forgave John Smyth was very insensitive, he should be focussing on his victims and his own failure in this

It was his inaction that was his failure. He doesn’t deserve TV airtime

What right has he to forgive? That's up to those offended against. It is up to the abuser's victims to decide whether they forgive their abuser.

I thought the headlines were bad. His take on forgiveness was far more nuanced. But he's an absolute prick nonetheless. Imagine talking about being overwhelmed to the point of not taking action? You're the man in charge, you took on the job, you are where the buck stops, and you are overwhelmed? Fuck right off.

Didn't he say that?

From the Guardian article:

Asked if he would forgive Smyth, Welby said in an interview broadcast on Sunday with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “Yes. I think if he was alive and I saw him, but it’s not me he’s abused.
“He’s abused the victims and survivors. So whether I forgive or not is, to a large extent, irrelevant.”

I think saying he forgives this guy is totally awful and negates everything he said earlier in the interview. Who is he to forgive? I'd be utterly raging if I was one of the people Smyth had abused. On a par with his terrible speech in the HoL. But at least he apologised for that and I believed he was sorry. For that part.

I think the rest of his interview was pretty wooly and didn't really clarify things for me.

Was he basically saying "I was so swamped with other equally important abuse cases and this one just didn't get to the top of my list"? I guess that's sort of, maybe, understandable?

But where were the other people within the Church he could have delegated to? Was he a crap manager? Did he just not prioritise safeguarding?

Or did he say "I know this guy, I don't really believe it, let's push it to the bottom of the pile?"

@Licky , yes I saw what he said but feel he should be acknowledging his own role in not putting the victims first, whether he would forgive such an evil man is neither here nor there

From the start, in 2013, he has obviously been incompetent in major areas of his job. Yet his language when he talks about his failings, is full of words that attempt to reduce his own culpability, as in he was "overwhelmed".

He seems to me to be someone who is very reluctant to face up to his own failings. This is why it took him so long to actually resign last year, though he excuses this by saying he was caught unawares by the publication of the report, and why his resignation speech in the House of Lords was so ill advisedly lighthearted.

It must be comforting for him to think that he would forgive JS, and I think he is someone who is quite complacent. But it's for the victims to offer forgiveness, not him. I hope he fades into obscurity now, and is never rewarded with a place in the HoL.

When in a hole stop digging! However I think Stephen Cotteril’s position is even more untenable than Justin Welby’s was. He really needs to resign.

I agree. The being overwhelmed was a ridiculous excuse.

And trying to use his own difficult background as some form of explanation was pretty shocking too. And whenever he was pushed at all his voice went testy…..

Agree though of course two wrongs don't make a right.

He’s never impressed me. I haven’t read the Makin report, and am in general not unsympathetic to people who as a result of their role end up carrying the can for failures of other people decades previously- this abuse was happening before his time and was supposed to have been dealt with by the police and those directly involved.

BUT BUT BUT- his handling of the current controversy has been appallingly tone deaf. The church as an institution has worked so hard to root out any opportunity for offenders to access victims, and yet still the hierarchy fails to act appropriately when concerns are raised.
The Mike Pelavachi abuse was happening right now, they were told repeatedly, and the structure, the hierarchy, failed to act.

All the hours of work we put in at the ground floor to keep people safe, and knobheads at the top don’t do their part and then talk about it in these insulting terms. It’s infuriating.

Total failure on his part to engage with the situation. Total.

His take on forgiveness was just basic Christianity though-I wouldn’t have expected him to say anything else. Less happy with his views on gay marriage and women bishops though.

I heard him speak just after this broke and he was really impressive. Had great insight, humility and was a great speaker…. until- until the moment he mentioned that some people were ‘even calling for him to resign, him!’. At that point he lost all credibility.

It became apparent that yet again, his hubris stopped him recognising that his oversight may have been inadequate.

I watched the interview and was shocked that he said that he forgave Smyth! I thought that it was completely not his place to forgive him, that is up to his victims to decide.
He did qualify it later, possibly when he realised that he had said the wrong thing. But it was definitely a mistake to say it. He should have said straight away when asked that it wasn't up to him.
The interview up to that point was ok, but he lost all credibility with that one word.
And I disagree that what he said is in line with Christian teaching on forgiveness. We are taught to forgive those who wrong us, not those who harm others.

He just doesn't get it. Even now! Unbelievable really.

He was very silly to say he forgives the abuser. I thought Christian forgiveness was about forgiving those who have injured you - how can he forgive someone who harmed others (not him) and showed no repentance? Perhaps a Christian can explain it. I know he said it was up to the man's victims but in that case he shouldn't have said he personally would forgive him. I can certainly understand why the victims are incensed.

For an intelligent man who I believe really means well, Welby says too many unconsidered things that cause offence.

I thought Christian forgiveness was about forgiving "those who trespass against us", not those who trespass against other people.

I’m furious at him for his arrogance & ignorance, hidden behind CoE smugness.
He has no business “forgiving” that man, it is not his place.
Sadly, and I say this as an exCoE attendee, he & the Church disgust me.

In fairness, he made that point himself:

"Asked by the BBC if he would forgive Smyth, Welby said: "Yes. I think if he was alive and I saw him, but it's not me he's abused.
"He's abused the victims and survivors. So whether I forgive or not is, to a large extent, irrelevant.""

What he basically seemed to be saying was that there was so much abuse to deal with that he became overwhelmed. Thats a startling statement about the church in general, from someone who had an excellent vantage point to witness it.

I felt angry that they gave him a bit of a platform to impart what he almost framed as wisdom on the way society is going. I don't think he has the right to have that platform and it's disrespectful to the victims. Plus there were a few 'this is your life' type moments that shouldn't have been in there (highlights of his career). Should have just stuck with an apology and admission of his failings.