AIBU to think Justin Welby should not receive a Life Peerage?

[ErrolTheDragon]

Traditionally, Archbishops of Canterbury receive a life peerage after leaving office.

Following Welby's horribly misjudged comedy performance in the House of Lords today, AIBU to think he absolutely shouldn't get one?

He only apologised because he got called out on that awful speech, and not that he believed he had said anything wrong.

many of them have been products of public schools in the era when beatings were entirely normal. Perhaps they're the type who claim 'it never did me any harm', perhaps not - but that normalisation of physical abuse very likely did harm some of them.

I think they know the difference between any physical punishment they received and what that creature did (and most importantly why he did it) ..... unless their beaters were sexually motivated, child sex abusers too.

They are supposed to be intelligent, right?

(And that's not to say that physical abuse termed as punishment or discipline in schools was ok; just that I'm sure they know that CSA's activities were sexually motivated. They're not that naive, not by a long shot).

I hope that speech has sealed his fate.

I would like to write to my MP about this (Labour).

If anyone has something similar I could send I would be grateful.

What a disgusting display (his farewell speech), how can he not have realised how unbelievably offensive it was? Even if he didn't actually give a toss about the effect of his obscene "joking" on others (which seems highly likely given his history), he must have realised that it was not acceptable and would lead to condemnation? Or: how stupid can he be?

I have met some of Smythe's victims. Everyone who knew (and many did) should have been prosecuted years ago.

Private Eye have been pressuring this for years. As they have many other scandals-including the Post Office.....

He is disgusting, agree that he shouldn't get a peerage.

@@Bigcat25 " This isn't even a young person who needs to supports themselves, although that is besides the point. This is a well off and elderly person. No downside to him stepping down."

I'm sorry? What did you just say???

I'm saying he's old enough and rich enough that him stepping down doesn't merit anyone (including himself) being upset about, in light of such enormous and grave tragedy.

Justin Welby has a lot to answer for over the Smyth affair, and his speech was obviously ill-judged. But it has also been very convenient for a lot of other people to pin all the responsibility onto Welby.

John Smyth was not a priest or employee of the Church of England. His early victims were abused at Winchester School, and most of the subsequent abuse happened either at his home, or at camps organised by the Iwerne and Titus Trusts, neither of which are part of the CofE. He then moved to Africa and abused prolifically there despite warnings being sent.

The initial cover-up within the Church happened in 1982, years before Welby rose to any sort of power.

On Welby's watch, the church did report Smyth's abuse to the police, albeit not til 2013. The police spent years batting the case between different forces and doing nothing, then lost all their records of the case. Smyth visited the UK several times after 2013 and was not arrested or charged.

Sorry if that came across wrong. I think he's completely revolting for many obvious reasons. I feel sorry for victims who are starting out in their careers and face being blacklisted and loose the ability to support themselves for speaking out. I feel terrible for any victim. I don't understand how people in JW's position have any support or sympathy at all.

That sums up my feelings too. Apart from Smyth, when Welby was in a senior clergy role in Liverpool he allowed a convicted sex offender clergy to continue working, and barred the victim from the church. When the victim became angry and aggressive, he barred him and said "on your way", as it were.
Even if all he cares about is the reputation of the church, his attitude does immense damage, and not lonly to the church. Christ spoke to, ate with and associated with the marginalised in his society - he came for everyone, and it is tragic that so many see his church and are put off God because of it's disdain for the little people as it sees them. The C of E may be found very wanting, but God is still there and needs every one of us.

Should have been - not only the church.

Should also have said - because of the apparent disdaibn of the church (people who have acted like Welby). In fact on the ground, in parishes, there are plenty of really good, caring people - clergy and lay people, who do all they can for the marginalised and unhappy.

The Crown, Lords and all Religous leaders should be barred from any political intervention. They are unelected and the constant excusing of paedophiles by all these groups is repugnant.

That's very true. Its the official infrastructure that is rotten to the core. Not all the people at the coal face as it were.

Bishop Sarah is said to want the job, so naturally she's going to look like that, though whether she'd be any better than the rest is unknowable

The bigger issue is just how Welby thought today's jokey speech was appropriate in the first place - maybe he knows the life peerage is already in the bag?

I always thought he came across as the sort of smug, sanctimonious and inadequate little man that only really gets on in the church.

But his part in this whole scandal and his shameful parting speech are really unforgivable. He doesn’t deserve accolades and honours. He should slink off into obscurity and be glad he isn’t facing criminal charges. The prick.

Life peerages are chosen by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minster, ErrolTheDragon, and given Charles's own history of enabling paedophiles it's not easy to see which way this might go

Even if he hadn't made that speech, I would have been livid if he received a life peerage.

I think ++Welby has demonstrated how much he really cares with that speech. Hopefully, like the also very flawed ++Carey, he will disappear with the caveat that he will still try to be heard, I'm sure. He won't succeeed in any real way, noone is bothered by an ex prelate (especially not one who left under such a cloud)

This.

A professional, in any other kind of work setting, would have been most probably fired immediately, for gross misconduct. But yet here you have Welby, giving a tone death resignation speech, without any real empathy for the victims and the horrific experiences they have had to go through. And he only apologised for the speech because he was called out for it, not that he thought he had said anything wrong. And now, he may still get his life peerage, which means he may still continue to be part of this country’s legislature, despite everything that has happened.

Why is this? How could this potentially be possible, given everything that has gone on? Why are self appointed holy men, who say they are representatives of god on earth, held to such lower standards of accountability, seemingly immune from proper scrutiny, and the consequences of that. This should not be happening in 2024.

He speech was a disgrace. He is a disgrace.
I feel so sorry for the victims.

YANBU.

This ☝🏼

as a Christian I am appalled by reading article after article detailing him looking the other way during a sex abuse scandal, his support of Paula Vennells and taking a sabbatical during the pandemic. Will be watching watch the church does next with great interest.