Author: Keith Porteous Wood

Why are safeguarding experts fleeing the Catholic Church?

Why are safeguarding experts fleeing the Catholic Church?

Experts appointed to tackle abuse in the Catholic Church are quitting their roles. Keith Porteous Wood says this demonstrates... Read More »

Parliament’s rift with the Church shows the need to separate religion and state

Parliament’s rift with the Church shows the need to separate religion and state

MPs dismayed over the Church of England's position on homosexuality are pushing for legislation to permit the Church... Read More »

It’s not just the Census. Everywhere you look, the CofE is withering.

It’s not just the Census. Everywhere you look, the CofE is withering.

By every measure membership figures for Church of England are in freefall – and the church's increasingly outdated... Read More »

Obituary: Former NSS president Terry Sanderson

Obituary: Former NSS president Terry Sanderson

An obituary to Terry Sanderson, who died on June 12th 2022, by his civil partner Keith Porteous Wood.

I regret to inform... Read More »

Only secular law can bring justice to victims of mass clerical abuse in France

Only secular law can bring justice to victims of mass clerical abuse in France

Keith Porteous Wood says France's deference to the Catholic Church has obstructed justice for hundreds of thousands... Read More »

Alan Griffin

The C of E has serious questions to answer over the death of a gay priest

A coroner's report has laid bare the Church of England's cruel and scandalous handling of the case of Alan Griffin,... Read More »

United Nations flags

The religious threat to global human rights must be taken seriously

UN efforts to challenge violations of human rights should consider both oppressive laws which theocrats uphold in... Read More »

Tuam Bon Secours mother and baby home mass grave

Ireland's mother and baby homes scandal shows the necessity of separating church and state

The misery which women and children faced for decades highlights the damage that can be done when states leave religious... Read More »

Lord Lester

Anthony Lester’s legacy for human rights and secularism

Keith Porteous Wood reflects on the achievements of Lord Lester, who died earlier this month, and the enduring relevance... Read More »

George Pell

Cardinal Pell’s conviction has been overturned – but there are uncomfortable moments to come

Australia's top court has overturned the conviction of the Vatican's former treasurer for sexually assaulting two... Read More »

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin

The Cardinal Barbarin case highlights the need for well-drafted mandatory reporting laws

The conviction of France's most senior Catholic cleric for failing to report child abuse has been overturned. Keith... Read More »

Hands holding

The Church of England’s position on sex is yet another reason for disestablishment

The C of E's position that sex is only for heterosexual married couples is heartless, discriminatory and out of touch... Read More »

Peter Ball

Let’s disestablish the church that covered up sexual abuse

Keith Porteous Wood says the shocking failings highlighted by the BBC documentary The Church's Darkest Secret show... Read More »

By the Grace of God

'By the Grace of God' shows the need to hold the Catholic Church accountable on child abuse

Keith Porteous Wood says a film highlighting the struggle to bring a senior Catholic cardinal to account for covering... Read More »

Pope’s latest PR offering on clerical abuse should fool no one

Pope’s latest PR offering on clerical abuse should fool no one

By only obligating officials in the Roman Catholic Church to report cases of clerical abuse internally, the pope's... Read More »

Ealing Abbey

IICSA's Ealing hearings showed the Catholic Church can't be trusted to police itself

An inquiry has highlighted the Catholic Church's lamentable failings over child abuse at an abbey and school in west... Read More »

Pope

21 steps the pope would take if he was committed to tackling child abuse

As the Catholic Church unveils another inadequate plan to tackle child abuse, this open letter from Keith Porteous... Read More »

Pope Francis

The pope's empty words and meaningless gestures won't tackle clerical abuse

One of the pope's Christmas messages urged clerical abusers to hand themselves in. Keith Porteous Wood asks how effective... Read More »

The Catholic Church’s record on abuse demands accountability, not more meaningless apologies

The Catholic Church’s record on abuse demands accountability, not more meaningless apologies

As the pope prepares to visit Ireland, NSS president Keith Porteous Wood says the international community must confront... Read More »

Religious power and privilege failed the victims in the Peter Ball affair

Religious power and privilege failed the victims in the Peter Ball affair

In this long read NSS president Keith Porteous Wood explains how all arms of the law co-operated to protect the now... Read More »

Anglicanism's 'purple circle' of bishops cannot be trusted over child abuse

Anglicanism's 'purple circle' of bishops cannot be trusted over child abuse

NSS president Keith Porteous Wood reflects on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse's hearings into the... Read More »

Church dysfunctionality laid bare by child sexual abuse inquiry

Church dysfunctionality laid bare by child sexual abuse inquiry

As the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse turns its attention to the Church of England, Keith Porteous Wood... Read More »

Cardinal Murphy O'Connor's cover-up of child abusers must be a lesson to the Catholic Church

Cormac Murphy O'Connor, the former Archbishop of Westminster, died on 1 September. NSS executive director Keith Porteous... Read More »

Ireland’s hospitals: some welcome secularisation

NSS executive director Keith Porteous Wood detects a long-overdue and decisive turn towards secularism in publicly... Read More »

The confessional shouldn’t shield child abuse from reporting

The Australian abuse commission is right not to exempt the confessional from reporting obligations, and its rigour... Read More »