In his first interview since quitting the top job at the Church of England in November, the former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby revealed to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that he forgives serial abuser, John Smyth. The statement may appear incomprehensible at best, and at worst could possibly even re-traumatise the many victims subject to the beatings meted out over many decades by a man alleged to have been the worst abuser in the history of the Church.
Ms Kuenssberg, while not a psychiatrist herself, had an intuition that something deeper was going on psychologically in her interview. As she noted: “There was an overwhelming sense that Welby has unfinished business… he seemed defensive.” As well he might be. But it doesn’t necessarily take a trained psychologist to read between the lines and suggest the former Archbishop remains in denial about his own culpability in failing to acknowledge Smyth’s abuse on behalf of the Church.
After all, Welby was careful to point out during the interview that he himself is not facing any disciplinary action. However, whether he forgives Smyth personally is not relevant, declared the former Archbishop. Instead, he intimated that what really matters is that the survivors are sufficiently loved by the Church, and cared for, and so are enabled to rebuild their lives. For while there is goodness in the world, there is also evil, and the Church, of all bodies, must be unremittingly vigilant for it.
On publication of the findings of an independent review, the Archbishop of Canterbury said Smyth’s abuse had “manipulated Christian truth to justify his evil acts”. One place evil will inevitably seek to conceal itself, is under the cover of an apparently ‘pure’ establishment, like the priesthood. It logically follows that there is a special responsibility to remain comprehensively alert for wickedness, particularly there.
Therefore, sacred institutions can’t have their vision clouded by the woolly thinking that love and forgiveness will always conquer all. It’s precisely that approach which evil depends on to thrive covertly. John Smyth, as the kind of manipulator I have clinical experience of, probably relied on, and exploited this relentlessly.
Yet is this the kind of soft-headedness which we are, between the lines, even now, still hearing from the former Archbishop of Canterbury? He declared he knows what the victims need is to heal, even though he isn’t a clinician.
Maybe what will help them most, rather than this wringing of hands, is a proper public admission and final understanding of just exactly how the church was used for such unremitting evil?
- Dr Raj Persaud is a Harley Street psychiatrist and author of The Mental Vaccine for Covid-19, published by Amberley
