“Exposed: The Church’s Darkest Secret” – BBC 2 – 9pm to 10pm – Monday Jan 13 and Tuesday Jan 14 2020

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/kvjb7x/exposed-the-churchs-darkest-secret–series-1-episode-1/

Exposed: The Church’s Darkest Secret

Today 9pm – 10pm BBC Two

REVIEW – RADIO TIMES

by David Butcher

A two-part documentary explores a scandal in the Church of England that reaches back decades. In 2015 the former bishop of Gloucester, Peter Ball, received a three-year prison sentence after admitting to the sexual abuse of 18 young men, aged 17 to 25. “For him, religion was a cloak behind which he hid in order to satisfy his sexual interest in those who trusted him,” said the prosecuting QC at his trial.

But reports of Ball’s abuse had surfaced much earlier, in 1993, when he was cautioned by police. So how did a known abuser, a friend to Prince Charles and other establishment figures, escape justice and continue to work as a priest for so long? Concludes tomorrow.

SUMMARY

Part one of two. The story of the decades-long pursuit of former bishop Peter Ball by those brave individuals determined to bring him to justice for sexual abuse, and the cover-up that went to the highest levels of the Church of England. Using powerful testimony from victims, police and church officials, and dramatic reconstruction, this programme charts the story of those who fought for many years to bring a prosecution against Ball.

CAST & CREW

Director Ben Steele

Executive Producer Darren Kemp

Producer Esther McWatters

‘THINKING ANGLICANS” ON THE PROGRAMME

https://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/bbc-documentary-on-peter-ball/#comments

STEPHEN PARSON’S ‘SURVIVING CHURCH’ ON THE PROGRAMME

http://survivingchurch.org/2020/01/14/the-churchs-dark-secret-reflections/

 

STEPHEN PARSON’S ‘SURVIVING CHURCH’ ON NEIL TODD AND GUIDE NYACHURU – RIP

http://survivingchurch.org/2020/01/15/neil-todd-and-guide-nyachuru-we-remember-them/

 

Dec 20 2019 – Andrew Brown on Archbishop Welby – Church Times

Archbishop Justin Welby

An extract from Andrew Brown’s column in the Church Times 20 December 2019 about Archbishop Welby:

‘…But then he was asked about Prince Andrew — and this was after the Maitlis interview. Although he tried to avoid particulars, he did say: “I am not commenting on any member of the royal family except to say that I am astonished at what a gift they are to this country.

“They do serve in a way that is extraordinary in what is literally, for them, a life sentence. I think to ask that they be superhuman saints is not what we should do because nobody is like that. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody is human.”

This is remarkably tone deaf, even if mostly true. Obviously you could defend most other members of the Royal Family in those terms, but not Andrew, who, if he has been a gift to any country, has been one only to places like Kazakhstan.

Nor is it the way in which the Archbishop reacted to the apparently much less credible allegations about Bishop George Bell.

The Mail made it a front-page splash, under the headline “Welby: don’t expect royals to be saints”.

I think that this was one of the rare moments in which Archbishop Welby’s poshness and instinctive sympathy for the people among whom he grew up really handicaps him for the job. One of the things that the clergy and the monarchy have in common is the experience of a sense of duty, or of calling. It makes for a bond of sympathy which must be inexplicable if you haven’t ever felt it yourself. This is a culture that takes self-invention for granted, and is hostile to the idea that you don’t have any real choice about how you are, only how well you are going to be that person.

So, it’s easy to forget just how inexplicable the concept of service seems when summoned to the defence of someone such as Prince Andrew, who appeared to have few royal duties to fulfil, and now has none. Still, like every other row in the papers, it will all be over by Christmas.