Exclusive: Stephen Cottrell, archbishop of York, says church is in period of reflection amid ‘unprecedented crisis’ over abuse cover-up

The Church of England may need to rethink the role of archbishop of Canterbury in the wake of its “unprecedented crisis” over an abuse cover-up, Justin Welby’s second-in-command has said.

In an interview with the Guardian, Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, said he would welcome a woman taking over from Welby. But he warned that the responsibilities of the job may need to be shared more widely in future.