Church of England seeks to regain power to defrock priests, bishops
The Church of England is considering reviving its power to defrock priests, bishops and archbishops found guilty of serious misconduct or abuse, according to papers submitted to the General Synod, the denomination's legislative body.
At a gathering this week in York, the synod will consider a proposal on "Clergy Conduct Measures."
The power of defrocking, or deposition from Holy Orders, was repealed in 2003 as part of legislation governing the discipline of priests. This power, once restored, would enable the denomination to strip abusive priests of their Holy Orders, forcing them to live as laypersons.
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The current policy allows clergy members found guilty of misconduct or abuse to retain their ecclesiastical status and often continue with ministry functions. Currently, the harshest penalty for priests is a lifetime ban from holding another role within the denomination, but this doesn't strip them of their priestly status or the reverend title.
The new proposal would repeal Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 and replace it "with a new system for the investigation and determination of complaints." The denomination would establish three procedures to handle grievances, misconduct allegations and serious misconduct allegations.
"Clause 39 re-introduces a power for a bishop to depose a priest or deacon from Holy Orders following a finding of misconduct that does not involve a question of doctrine, ritual or ceremony," a summary of the measure states.
If a tribunal recommends the deposition of the clergy, the ritual would be conducted by a bishop.
Furthermore, the proposal also includes a provision for defrocking bishops or archbishops, provided they are given an "opportunity to be heard" by a panel of senior clergy before being stripped of their Holy Orders.
For a bishop or archbishop to be defrocked, they must be found guilty of a serious offense.
The proposal follows recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) made in a 2020 report.
After discovering the denomination sheltered hundreds of pedophiles for decades and routinely ignored allegations against its clergy, the IICSA recommended reinstating the ability to defrock. The IICSA stated that the denomination allowed abusive bishops and priests to continue in service for many years before facing justice.
The proposal has raised concerns among victims and lawyers specializing in abuse cases. They warn that the new measure could ultimately serve to consolidate power among bishops, who would singularly have the ability to defrock clergy.
Andrew Graystone, an advocate for victims of church-related abuse, criticized the lack of external oversight in the church's handling of abuse cases.
"What is needed is not more power in the hands of bishops, but greater accountability, greater transparency, stronger external scrutiny," he told The Telegraph.
Richard Scorer, a solicitor at Slater & Gordon who represents many survivors of clerical abuse, shared Graystone's concerns.
"Any strengthening of disciplinary measures needs to be part of a shift to independence in safeguarding so that decisions can be made objectively and fairly without being tainted by internal church politics and the interests of survivors can be properly protected," Scorer told the publication.
A CofE spokesperson responded to the criticism.
"IICSA recommended that deposition from Holy Orders be reintroduced in the Church as it was important for victims and survivors. The Church fully supported that recommendation, and its reintroduction is part of the legislation for the new Clergy Conduct Measure currently going through General Synod."
