View source for Robert Waddington (priest)

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type             = Priest
| honorific-prefix = [[The Very Reverend]]
| name             = Robert Waddington
| honorific-suffix = [[Oratory of the Good Shepherd|OGS]]
| title            = [[Dean of Manchester]]
| image            =
| image_size       =
| alt              =
| caption          =
| church           = [[Church of England]]
| archdiocese      =
| province         = [[Province of York]]
| metropolis       =
| diocese          = [[Anglican Diocese of Manchester|Diocese of Manchester]]
| see              =
| elected          = <!-- or | appointed = -->
| term             = 1984 to 1993
| predecessor      = [[Alfred Jowett]]
| successor        = [[Ken Riley (priest)|Ken Riley]]
| other_post       =
<!---------- Orders ---------->
| ordination       = 1954
| ordained_by      =
| consecration     =
| consecrated_by   =
<!---------- Personal details ---------->
| birth_name       = Robert Murray Waddington
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=y|1927|10|24}}
| birth_place      = [[Bognor Regis]]
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=y|2007|3|15|1927|10|24}}
| death_place      = [[Bognor Regis]]
| buried           = <!-- or | tomb = -->
| resting_place_coordinates =
| nationality      = British
| religion         = [[Anglicanism]]
| residence        =
| parents          =
| spouse           = <!-- or | partner = -->
| children         =
| occupation       =
| profession       = <!-- or | previous_post = -->
| education        = [[Dulwich College]]
| alma_mater       = [[Selwyn College, Cambridge]] <br /> [[Ely Theological College]]
}}
'''Robert Murray Waddington''', [[Oratory of the Good Shepherd|OGS]] (24 October 1927 – 15 March 2007) was a British [[Anglican]] priest. He was the [[dean of Manchester]] in the [[Church of England]] from 1984 to 1993. He additionally served as [[Superior general|superior]] of the [[Oratory of the Good Shepherd]] (a [[Anglican religious order|dispersed community]] of Anglicans) from 1987 until 1990.
{{external media|image1 = [http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/the-very-reverend-robert-murray-waddington-1.172829 Robert Waddington] from his obituary at {{nowrap|''The Whitehaven News''}}}}
==Early life and education==
Born in [[Bognor Regis]]<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/the-very-rev-robert-waddington-456760.html Independent obituary]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> on 24 October 1927,<ref>[[Debrett's]] ''People of Today'': Ed Ellis,P 1992, London, Debrett's {{ISBN|1-870520-09-2}}</ref> he was educated at [[Dulwich College]], [[Selwyn College, Cambridge]], and [[Ely Theological College]].<ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite web| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1546389/The-Very-Reverend-Robert-Waddington.html| title=The Very Reverend Robert Waddington | series= Obituary| date= 23 March 2007| work=The Telegraph| accessdate= 20 May 2013}}</ref>
==Ordained ministry==
[[Ordained]] in 1954,<ref>''[[Crockford's Clerical Directory]] 1975–76'' London: Oxford University Press, 1976 {{ISBN|0-19-200008-X}}</ref> he began his career at St John's, [[Bethnal Green]].<ref>[http://www.stjohnonbethnalgreen.org/ Church web-site]</ref> Afterwards he was chaplain at Slade School in [[Warwick, Queensland]]. He returned to England in 1959 to join the [[Oratory of the Good Shepherd]], an order of celibate priests. After 18 months, he returned to Australia to become headmaster of St Barnabas School, [[Ravenshoe]], where he remained nine years.<ref name="The Telegraph"/>
Returning to England in 1971, he was at [[Oxford University]]'s department of education<ref name="The Telegraph"/> before becoming a [[Canon (priest)|canon residentiary]] at [[Carlisle Cathedral]] and [[Henry David Halsey|bishop's]] adviser for education then [[Secretary|general secretary]] of the [[National Society for Promoting Religious Education|National Society]]<ref>[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]] London, [[A & C Black]],1992 {{ISBN|0-7136-3514-2}}</ref> until his appointment as dean. He was superior of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd from 1987 until 1990.<ref name="The Telegraph"/>
On 15 March 2007, Waddington died in [[Bognor Regis]], West Sussex, England.<ref name="The Times">[http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2079377.ece Obituary, ''The Times'', 26 March 2007]</ref> He had been suffering from throat cancer.<ref name="Times - cover up" />
==Child abuse==
In January 1999, a former pupil of St Barnabas School, Ravenshoe, Australia, (where Waddington had been headmaster) contacted the [[Anglican Bishop of North Queensland|Bishop of North Queensland]].<ref name="Child Protection report">{{cite web|title=Child Protection report|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3760816.ece|website=The Times|publisher=Diocese of Manchester|accessdate=17 February 2016|date=1 September 2003}}</ref> He reported that he has been abused by Waddington in the 1960s and wanted reassurance from the bishop that it would not be allowed to happen again.<ref name="Child Protection report" /> In September 2003, it was reported to the Diocese of Manchester that a boy had been abused by Waddington when he was aged 11, 12 and 13, and was a chorister at Manchester Cathedral.<ref name="Child Protection report" />
In April 2013, it was revealed by the press that allegations of child sexual abuse had been previously made against Waddington (in 1999 and in 2003). This had resulted in his right to officiate at services being removed by the then archbishop of York, [[David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Batty|first=David|title=Church of England facing new child abuse allegations|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/10/church-england-child-abuse-allegations|accessdate=10 May 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=10 May 2013}}</ref> However, he was not reported to the police; Hope had cited his "[concern] about Waddington's state of health" as the reason for not doing so.<ref name="Times - cover up">{{cite news|last1=O’Neill|first1=Sean|last2=McKenna|first2=Michael|last3=Gearing|first3=Amanda|title=Former Archbishop of York 'covered up' sex abuse scandal|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3760816.ece|accessdate=17 February 2016|work=The Times}}</ref>
One of Waddington's reported victims spoke to ''[[The Times]]'' in May 2013, described how he was [[Child grooming|groomed]] by Waddington while he was a choir boy at Manchester Cathedral in the 1980s. The sexual abuse started when he was 13 and continued until he moved away to university.<ref>{{cite news|last1=O’Neill|first1=Sean|title=Victim of clergyman's abuse was groomed as young chorister|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/crime/article3760688.ece|accessdate=17 February 2016|work=The Times|date=10 May 2013}}</ref> He had reported the abuse to the police in October 2012.<ref name="Times - cover up" />
David Hope among others was censured for failing to act when complaints were made which put other children at risk.  [[David Walker (bishop of Manchester)|Bishop David Walker]] praised the current archbishop of York, [[John Sentamu]], for starting an enquiry.  Walker also praised the courage of those who spoke out about abuse and said:
{{quote|Every time a survivor of abuse speaks out it makes it just a little easier for the next person to speak. Thank you for the courage you have found.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-29778325 Robert Waddington abuse: Bishop of Manchester praises 'courageous' victims]</ref>}}
==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
*[[Anglican Church sexual abuse cases]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-rel|en}}
{{S-bef|before= [[Alfred Jowett]] }}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Dean of Manchester]]|years=1984–1993}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Kenneth Joseph Riley]]}}
{{End}}
{{Deans of Manchester}}
{{Office holders in the Diocese of Manchester}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waddington, Robert Murray}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:People from Bognor Regis]]
[[Category:People educated at Dulwich College]]
[[Category:Alumni of Selwyn College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Alumni of Ely Theological College]]
[[Category:Deans of Manchester]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]