JUSTICE FOR BISHOP GEORGE BELL OF CHICHESTER

"CHICHESTER DIOCESE CAN LEARN FROM ITS OWN LESSONS" ~ BROTHER IVO

http://brotherivo.com/blog/2016/06/02/chichester-diocese-can-learn-from-its-own-lessons/

The Anglican Church has been considering the Elliott Review into its handling of child abuse matters, hot on the heels of the Archbishop of Canterbury feeling obliged to issue an apology over such matters in Jersey. At the other end of the country, a victim of abuse has called for the Bishop of Durham -the Church’s lead Bishop in the field – to undergo retraining following mistakes in the North...the Kincora Inquiry is beginning its work into accusations of State Agencies looking the other way to protect the abuser, who, it is suggested, was a security asset.

We never seem to get away from this terrible subject, and when stories come so quickly, one after another, it is easy to glaze over, switch off, and hope that lessons will be learned.

Only, they are not.

"BELL SECRECY", ARGUS LETTER, MAY 31 2016

BISHOP Bell's name is being crucified by the Diocese of Chichester, not just because of a lack of common sense and sound judgement, but also because of an excess of secrecy and concealment.
If the Church of England's Chichester Diocese remains on the same trajectory, it may well find itself in 2016 embroiled in a scandal paralleling that of the Roman Catholic's Boston Archdiocese in 2002 - accurately portrayed in the film 'Spotlight', now showing in cinemas across the Diocese - stretching from Chichester to Hastings.

Richard W. Symonds
Ifield Street
Crawley

BISHOP BELL & THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND GENERAL SYNOD 2016

FRIDAY JULY 8 - SUNDAY JULY 10

https://www.churchofengland.org/media/2521186/july_2016_timetable__with_timings__final_may_2016.pdf

Will the Bishop Bell case be debated?

PART 1 - DAVID LAMMING'S COMMENT IN "THINKING ANGLICANS"

http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/007271.html#comments

I, too, have 'quibbles', but more than just quibbles (and for a different reason from Kate), with the use of the word 'survivor'. It assumes the truth of the allegation, and in historic cases, where, many years later, evidence properly to assess the allegation may not be available, there is a danger of unjustly naming someone as an abuser.

PART 2 - DAVID LAMMING'S COMMENT IN "THINKING ANGLICANS"

http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/007271.html#comments

It is now reasonably clear that this is the position with the allegation of child sex abuse made against the late and much revered Bishop of Chichester, George Bell. Anyone reading the statement put out by the Church of England media centre on 22 October 2015, in which the unnamed complainant (a much better word) is repeatedly referred to as "the survivor", would be forgiven for taking the statement as one that assumed Bishop Bell's guilt (despite subsequent protestations and explanations by and on behalf of the Diocese of Chichester that this has not been proved beyond reasonable doubt.)

PART 3 - DAVID LAMMING'S COMMENT IN "THINKING ANGLICANS"

http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/007271.html#comments

There is now a cogent case, set out in the 'Review' dated 18 March 2016 conducted by the George Bell Group (
http://www.georgebellgroup.org/review/
), in particular in the light of the inconsistencies exposed by the interview given by 'Carol' to the Brighton Argus in February 2016, that Bishop Bell's reputation has been unjustly traduced. There is a crying need for the Diocese now to recognise that it may have got it wrong and to accept the need for an independent inquiry into the way it conducted its investigation into 'Carol's' complaint and a re-examination of all the evidence now available. A petition to the Archbishop of Canterbury "(1) To call on the Church of England to allow a fuller investigation before considering the case against Bishop Bell closed.

PART 4 (FINAL) - DAVID LAMMING'S COMMENT IN "THINKING ANGLICANS"

http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/007271.html#comments

This includes re-examining the evidence against Bishop Bell, and (2) To ensure fair and just procedures are in place for the future", has so far attracted 1,764 signatures:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/justice-for-bishop-george-bell-of-chichester.

This case shows how the 'backlash' following the revelations against the late Jimmy Savile and in the light of the past failures of the C of E to investigate allegations of child sex abuse (especially in Chichester Diocese), must not be allowed to usurp the presumption of innocence. It may well be that 'Carol' (now in her 70s) was abused as a child but that George Bell is the victim of mistaken identity. The late Bishop's reputation and memory deserve a proper re-examination of the evidence, which should not await any investigation which may (or may not) be part of the Goddard inquiry.

STEPHANIE D. COMMENT

"His memory is being crucified by the church to which he dedicated his life"

~ Stephanie d.

GEORGE BELL HOUSE (NOW RE-NAMED 4 CANON LANE)

DRESDEN AND BONHOEFFER ROOMS
Scroll to end to the 5 photos in a row.
Click on the first photo on the left for the Dresden Room
Click on the third photo in the middle for the Bonhoeffer Room

http://www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/catering-hospitality/conference-banqueting.shtml

COMMENT BY DR RUTH HILDEBRANDT GRAYSON

"It's time bishops (and archbishops, for that matter) stopped worrying about political correctness and started getting on with - well, being bishops"

LETTER BY DR. RUTH HILDEBRANDT GRAYSON, CHURCH TIMES, MAY 27 2016

Sir,

Many thanks to Dr Andrew Chandler for his excellent article (20 May 2016) stressing the important role played by Bishop George Bell in helping to keep the plight of those falsely accused and persecuted by the Nazi regime, in particular Dr Martin Niemoller, in the public eye throughout the Second World War. As the daughter of Franz Hildebrandt, Niemoller's curate in Berlin-Dahlem, who was himself arrested, imprisoned but fortuitously released by the Nazis just before the outbreak of war, I would like to make one additional point. Bishop Bell set a precedent by the selfless, generous, and often courageous way in which he overcame opposition at home and helped many refugees, like my father, escape persecution and begin a new life in this country. It is a precedent which those in similar positions of influence and authority in the Church of England today would do well to emulate.

EMAIL FROM MADELINE BECK OF AUSTRALIA

"There needs to be a thorough inquiry carried out by the Church of England to determine whether or not the late Bishop George Bell is innocent of these allegations. I believe in this cause because it takes many decades to build an impeccable record and seconds to tarnish it. The media in the Western World can sometimes have their own sinister motives for‘a good story’ which can be destructive for all vulnerable people involved if not treated gently and with sensitivity. In the words of Peter Hitchens... “This fair, just, brave man deserves the simple justice of the presumption of innocence”. If we cannot grant this for someone who has done a lot of good and has been highly regarded as a valuable role model by many, what does it mean for society? If we truly understand that the ‘truth will out’ why not conduct a proper investigation into the matter? We would expect the same justice granted for us"

COMMENT BY RICHARD W. SYMONDS

"This scandal is going to hit the Church of England's Chichester Diocese very hard indeed - just as it did the Catholic Church's Archdiocese in Boston"

~ Richard W. Symonds

http://www.wired.com/2015/11/spotlight-journalism-movies/

COMMENT BY RICHARD SIPE (INCLUDED IN "SPOTLIGHT" FILM)

Sexual abuse is a “recognizable psychiatric phenomenon” within the Church

~ Richard Sipe

LETTER WRITTEN BY RICHARD WILBY IN THE CHICHESTER OBSERVER ON THURSDAY, MAY 26 2016 - "COMMONSENSE COUNCIL"

Congratulations to the members of Chichester City Council for reinstating their portrait of Bishop Bell.
Their action shows they have the common sense and sound judgement so conspicuously lacking from the Church of England in their deplorable actions.

RICHARD WILBY
Church Road, Aldingbourne