{"id":43372,"date":"2021-08-30T01:28:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T05:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/scots-bishop-bullying-claims-kept-under-wraps\/"},"modified":"2021-08-30T01:28:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T05:28:00","slug":"scots-bishop-bullying-claims-kept-under-wraps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/scots-bishop-bullying-claims-kept-under-wraps\/","title":{"rendered":"Scots bishop ‘bullying’ claims kept under wraps"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

An investigation which examined bullying claims against Scotland\u2019s first female bishop may be kept secret after a church u-turn, despite the respected theologian who carried out the probe calling for his report to be published.<\/p>\n

Iain Torrance, a former Church of Scotland moderator, accepted an invitation from the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) to examine \u201cturbulence and discontent\u201d within the diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney, which is run by Bishop Anne Dyer.<\/p>\n

The review was ordered after allegations that Bishop Dyer had made the lives of priests and other church employees intolerable emerged in the press. Earlier this year, the SEC said its findings would be \u201cmade public to ensure transparency and independence\u201d.<\/p>\n

Prof Torrance confirmed that he had submitted his final report on July 31, and called for his findings to be released in an effort to “repair hurt” and “restore trust and confidence”.<\/p>\n

However, after The Telegraph approached the SEC for comment on Sunday, it said that a previously unannounced \u201csecond stage of review\u201d would now take place and suggested the findings of Prof Torrance\u2019s report may never be released.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the SEC’s College of Bishops, comprised of Bishop Dyer and six others, said there was a need for \u201cadditional exploration\u201d of the \u201cextent of unhappiness\u201d in the diocese, and the period before she was consecrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe College had originally hoped and expected that, once received, it would be able to publish a copy of Professor Torrance\u2019s report,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, Professor Torrance has acknowledged in his report that “it may be considered impossible to publish any part of this review\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe College has noted that view and will defer any decision about publication until after completion of stage two of the review. It accepts that it may have been over-optimistic in its expectations regarding release of the report. It recognises that some will be disappointed at this news and apologises for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

A group of three people with \u201crelevant experience\u201d will undertake the \u201cfurther exploration\u201d, the Bishops said. These would be considered \u201calongside the Torrance review\u201d and the College \u201cwill then consider how it is able to support everyone in the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in moving forward\u201d, they added.<\/p>\n

However, Prof Torrance claimed that his report had been written in the expectation that it would be made public.<\/p>\n

He included a general narrative, analysis and recommendations, which were designed to be released, alongside a separate confidential “record apart” which included anonymised quotations and private documents.<\/p>\n

Prof Torrance, an internationally-renowned academic who was moderator of the Church of Scotland between 2003 and 2004, made an open call for evidence when he was appointed to carry out the review in March.<\/p>\n

He said he had received 115 submissions from people within and from beyond the diocese and completed his work early due to the review’s importance.<\/p>\n

In a statement before the Church abruptly announced a second review stage, Prof Torrance said: \u201cIt remains my belief that the narrative and conclusions of my review should be made public as the Bishops undertook.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt remains my belief that an honest acknowledgement of the difficulties faced by the diocese and active steps taken to repair the hurt done to certain individuals are the only way to restore trust and confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe I have discharged the task I undertook, and the next steps are in the hands of the Bishops.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Dyer made history in 2018 when she became Scotland\u2019s first female bishop. Her appointment proved controversial, with seven of her diocese\u2019s 14 priests signing an open letter protesting against the \u201cdisrespectful and divisive\u201d move. They objected to her support for gay marriage and claimed she would be unable to carry out her duties in a rural area as she could not drive.<\/p>\n

It was claimed earlier this year that the trade union Unite had been called in to represent around 10 priests and other workers who claimed she had made their working lives unbearable.<\/p>\n

She was criticised in the findings of a separate independence HR investigation, which was commissioned by Church trustees, which found she had behaved in an “unchristian” manner by describing a colleague’s actions as “unforgivable”. The situation had escalated after she dismissed the musical director at her cathedral and suspended a high-profile priest.<\/p>\n

Supporters of Bishop Dyer have suggested the claims had come from those within the diocese who held a grudge against her, having never accepted her appointment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Credit: Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An investigation which examined bullying claims against Scotland\u2019s first female bishop may be kept secret after a church u-turn, despite the respected theologian who carried out the probe calling for his report to be published. Iain Torrance, a former Church of Scotland moderator, accepted an invitation from the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) to examine \u201cturbulence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nScots bishop 'bullying' claims kept under wraps - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/scots-bishop-bullying-claims-kept-under-wraps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Scots bishop 'bullying' claims kept under wraps - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An investigation which examined bullying claims against Scotland\u2019s first female bishop may be kept secret after a church u-turn, despite the respected theologian who carried out the probe calling for his report to be published. 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