Audio By Carbonatix
The Church of England's second most senior cleric Stephen Cottrell will call in a Christmas sermon on Wednesday for repentance and change within an institution reeling from child abuse cover-up scandals.
This year's festivities have been overshadowed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's resignation over a cover-up and accusations of further safeguarding failures by his number two Cottrell, who is the Archbishop of York.
In addition to its 16,000 churches in England, the Church, which traces its roots to the Roman Empire, is also the mother church for 85 million Anglicans in over 165 countries.
"Right now, this Christmas, God's Church itself needs to come to the manger and strip off her finery and kneel in penitence and adoration.
"And be changed," Cottrell will say at York Minster in northern England, according to extracts shared by his office.
Welby, who stepped down in November following a report that he had failed to take sufficient action to stop prolific sex abuser John Smyth, will not deliver the main Christmas sermon at the historic Canterbury Cathedral.
Latest Stories
-
Scaling Together: Prudential Bank MD’s advice on fintech‑bank partnerships in Africa
20 minutes -
Joe Mettle inspires hope with new song ‘This Year’
42 minutes -
Antisemitism ‘allowed to come into the open’ says Bondi victim’s daughter
1 hour -
What Is Wrong with Us? Why do we Reject Colonialism yet Cling to its Titles?
1 hour -
World Bank pushes regional health strategy to close financing gaps in West and Central Africa
2 hours -
Britney Spears pleads guilty to reckless driving after arrest
2 hours -
Parentage, not paternity: Ghana’s proposed compulsory paternity testing bill sparks fears of discrimination against mothers
2 hours -
Samsung family pays off record $8bn inheritance tax bill
2 hours -
Spain seizes record amount of cocaine in Atlantic Ocean, authorities say
2 hours -
Two killed and many injured after car driven into crowd in German city of Leipzig
2 hours -
KiDi drops ‘Signature’ with Lasmid ahead of album release
2 hours -
UAE accuses Iran of renewed drone and missile attacks
2 hours -
Giuliani recovering from pneumonia and ‘now breathing on his own’
2 hours -
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over It Ends With Us film
2 hours -
Devastating fire destroys house in Okpoi Gonno
2 hours