Archbishop of York ‘regrets’ that abuse scandal priest was reappointed twice

The BBC has also seen evidence – in leaked minutes from internal Church meetings in 2018 and 2019 – that Tudor’s titles of area dean and honorary canon were discussed and there had been a suggestion Mr Cottrell could immediately have taken them away.

In October 2018, a meeting at Church House – the London headquarters of the Church of England – heard that Chelmsford diocese took the view that if Tudor “can be a parish priest, he can undertake the other roles”.

A bishop from another diocese said “the Bishop of Chelmsford could remove DT’s [David Tudor’s] Canon and Area Dean titles straight away”.

But in a follow-up discussion in November 2018, Chelmsford diocese advised it would not be appropriate because of “the difficulty of removing those titles without explaining why.”

We asked Mr Cottrell’s office why he had not followed the suggestion to remove Tudor’s titles. We were told “it would not be appropriate to comment on any notes or decisions from a core group process which are confidential”.

The investigation also highlighted the significant role played by former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey in the case.

We revealed Lord Carey had agreed to Tudor’s return to priesthood after being suspended in 1989, and had also agreed to have Tudor’s name removed from the list of clergy that had faced disciplinary action. He had also advocated for the priest.

After the BBC put this information to the former Archbishop of Canterbury, he wrote to give up his “permission to officiate”, ending more than 65 years of ministry in the Church of England. Lord Carey made the announcement on Tuesday.

In October 2024, Tudor admitted sexual misconduct and was sacked by the Church. At no point has he responded to the BBC’s attempts to speak with him.