DR JEFFREY JOHN, the gay canon forced to stand down as Bishop of Reading last year, attempted to rescind his resignation hours before it was made public but was prevented from doing so by staff at Lambeth Palace, it emerged last night.
Dr John had a change of heart after reading that the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, had appointed two gay bishops during his tenure.
But when he rang Lambeth Palace to withdraw his resignation he was blocked from speaking to the present Archbishop, Dr Rowan Williams. He was told by Jeremy Harris, a former BBC journalist appointed by Dr Carey and now Dr Williams’s senior adviser, that staff would pass on his message. Two hours later, and against Dr John’s wishes, his resignation was announced.
The episode has been revealed by Stephen Bates, the religious affairs correspondent of The Guardian, in his new book, A Church at War, which claims that Dr John was telephoned by the Archbishop’s press officer, the Rev Jonathan Jennings, shortly after his conversation with Mr Harris. Mr Jennings promised to relay Dr John’s message to the Archbishop but, according to Mr Bates, he never did.
The book also reveals that the Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries, who recommended Dr John for the bishopric, was sent dog excrement by unknown opponents of the appointment of the move.
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It also says that Dr Williams twice gave verbal permission for Dr John to be appointed a bishop. Dr Harries said he had rung the Archbishop to ask whether he would be prepared to consecreate Dr John while he was still on the shortlist and again once after he had been chosen as the best candidate.
A spokesman for Lambeth Palace said: “The contents of meetings and discussions necessarily remain private. Nevertheless, The Guardian has been made aware of significant errors in the account given.”