Overview

• Archbishop of Wales Andrew John retired with immediate effect after safeguarding reports highlighted binge drinking and blurred sexual boundaries at Bangor Cathedral.
• The Church in Wales confirmed two formal complaints against a trainee priest over a 2022 intoxication-linked sexual assault and halted the candidate’s ordination.
• Policy changes now bar alcohol from routine gatherings after services, require DBS background checks and impose mandatory safeguarding training for all clergy and volunteers.
• A group of cathedral clergy and lay members have called for an independent inquiry to examine the cathedral’s culture.
• Former lay clerk Esme Byrd described the previous drinking environment as deeply unhealthy and warned it posed risks to younger choir members’ safety.