Channel 4 shouldn’t get to decide the next Archbishop

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Obviously, it is difficult to defend the leadership of the Church of England, and I am inexperienced in that art; but I do feel strongly that its episcopal appointments should not be controlled by Channel 4 News and Cathy Newman. This, in essence, is what is happening. First went Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, because Channel 4 News was determined to show that he had not reacted vigorously over the John Smyth scandal. (In my view, the Makin report failed to prove Welby’s culpability.) Next was the turn of the Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath, forced out after Channel 4 News reported his alleged sexual assault against an unnamed woman and alleged sexual harassment of Bev Mason, the (female) Bishop of Warrington. By Bishop Perumbalath’s sad account on Facebook, which no mainstream media have covered, Channel 4 ran its long (17.5 minutes) and accusatory item although ‘the statement issued by the Church of England… said both the complaints were investigated by the National Safeguarding Team. And no safeguarding concerns were established’. The reporting is unbalanced. As he puts it, those accused dare not defend themselves fully ‘as that would be seen as victim blaming. So the accuser is able to tell whatever they want to say, and the accused should stay quiet’. Having little left to lose, the Bishop goes on to detail why his accusers are wrong. No one yet can know who is telling the truth, but that is the more reason for due process rather than trial by television with guilt decided in advance. In the case of the Right Rev Bev’s claim, Bishop Perumbalath writes: ‘It was about one incident of greeting each other in a room full of church leaders.