George Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, has resigned from priesthood following allegations that he failed to handle child abuse cases correctly.
A BBC investigation claimed that Carey advocated for a priest accused of assaulting teenage girls, David Tudor, to return to the priesthood.
Tudor was barred from the church for five years in the 1980s due to the claims, but Carey later “allowed him to return under supervision.”
Tudor was fired from his position as a priest in October after admitting sexual misconduct.
However, in his resignation letter dated December 4, Carey stated that he wished to relinquish his authorisation to officiate after being in active ministry since 1962.
The 89-year-old also praised his wife, Eileen, whose loyalty and support have been exceptional.
The letter reads, “I wish to surrender my permission to officiate.
“I am in my ninetieth year now and have been in active ministry since 1962, when I was made deacon and then priested in 1963. It has been an honour to serve in the dioceses of London, Southwell, Durham, Bristol, Bath and Wells, Canterbury, and finally Oxford.
“I give thanks to God for his enduring faithfulness but want to recognise the remarkable contribution of Eileen [his wife], whose faithfulness and support have been outstanding.”
Carey’s departure comes after Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, resigned in November over how he handled separate sexual abuse allegations.
