Stephen Cottrell will effectively become temporary leader of the Church in England next month after the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - but he has already faced calls to quit himself.

A Church of England bishop has branded the Archbishop of York's Christmas Day sermon as "empty words" amid ongoing abuse scandals within the institution. Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley delivered the stinging rebuke on social media following Stephen Cottrell's address at York Minster.

The archbishop of York is expected to call on the Church of England to “kneel in penitence” over numerous abuse scandals, according to local media on Wednesday. This comes as the church has faced criticism over how it handled abuse scandals.