In fairness, I think this is a very difficult area. The Church faces shifting sands in terms of understanding, responsibility and accountability. I suspect that +Justin's scalp will be the first of a number that will be sought following this report. What I don't want to see is the Church retreat into Donatism. One Bishop was heard to say 'this is the Church, we neither forgive nor forget!' For my money, a Church that loses its connection with forgiveness may well have lost its connection with God. None of this is to downplay or diminish an abhorrence in relation to child sexual assault. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; thy will be done, In earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
A church that has lost its ability to forgive is not a church at all. It is graceless and therefore totally unlike God. However, Safeguarding isn't about lacking in forgiveness for the perpetrator. It is about protecting the victims from oppression and defending the oppressed. He who winks the eye at evil becomes kindred to the wicked. If the victims of those who sin forgive their persecutors, that's a godly thing to do but if the persecutor's supreme superiors in the faith forgive the perpetrators and thus protect their anonymity they actually aid and abet the criminal activity of the sinner, therefore becoming sinners themselves, as far as the victims, and any future victims of the abusing sinner are concerned. We all have a responsibility to the victims of sin, just as the Good Samaritan righteously rose to his responsibility for the man who fell among thieves. Or are we all going to ask the same question as Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper"? Justin, and incidentally quite a few others, had seriously failed their 'neighbours' who continued to 'fall among thieves', through failing to put a stop to the 'thievery' by 'doing nothing' or at least too little, to stop it and prevent its continuity. It wasn't Justin's responsibility to either punish or forgive the miscreant. It WAS his responsibility to ensure the Law of the land apprehended and dealt with the criminal activity of the member of the church who committed the crimes against his victims. That was what the failure amounted to. I would suggest that anyone else in positions of responsibility in the Church of England, who knew of these matters concerning this particular character, and failed to report his activities to the proper authorities should also resign their positions, forthwith. .