Church News flags Welby lie, identifies other CoE bishops complicit in CoE coverup

Earlier today, the Church of England’s Church News, published an excellent synopsis of the Makin Report, which revealed an ongoing cover-up of the abuse of more than 100 boys by the late John Smyth. The report flags multiple bishops beyond Welby complicit in the cover-up, and flags yet another lie by Welby.

Welby’s fabrication, which he later admitted was not true, was that he wrote to the Archbishop of South Africa, Thabo Makgoba, in 2013 to warn him to be aware of Smyth. However, it subsequently emerged that Welby had never written to Makgoba, who instead learned about Smyth’s abuse from his bishop suffragen.

Others listed in the article who knew, or almost certainly knew, of Smyth’s actions but failed to act:

• Bishop Garth Counsell.
• Bishop Jo Bailey Wells, Welby’s personal chaplain in 2013, and now — get this — deputy secretary general of the Anglican Communion, where she is responsible for safeguarding. She personally put earlier reports on Welby’s desk.
• Bishop Nigel Stock.
• Bishop Andrew Watson, who was not only a Smyth victim, but introduced Smyth to two additional subsequent victims.
• Bishop David Connor, now retired, formerly Dean of Windsor, and officiant at Prince Philip’s funeral, and the interment of Queen Elizabeth. Connor knew of Smyth’s misconduct as early as 1982 and ordered Winchester College staff to alert him if Smyth came on campus, yet claims he didn’t know the severity of Smyth’s conduct.
• Bishop Paul Butler.
• Bishop Martin Seeley.
• Archbishop George Carey.
• Archdeacon Roger Combes, who admits he received a devastating report about Smyth in 1982 but claims he didn’t read it.
• Rev. Jonathan Fletcher, who is now awaiting trial on related charges.
• Rev. Nick Scott, currently at Trinity Cheltenham.
• Rev. Sue Colman, formerly safeguarding officer at Holy Trinity Brompton, which supplied hundreds of thousands of pounds over the years to support Smyth.
• Rev. Canon Andrew Cornes, who knew of Smyth’s abuse from one of the latter’s victims in 1982, but admits he didn’t nothing. Best of all, Cornes now sits on the Crown Nominations Committee, which has responsibility for nominating a successor to Welby.

Welby has said he plans to depart his position no later than Epiphany, 2025.

A copy (best available to us) of the Church News article follows.