Last year he said there was a “significant cloud” left over George Bell’s name.

He was speaking after a damning report published last year found the Church of England “wrongfully and unnecessarily damaged” the reputation of the bishop by apologising to, and compensating, his alleged victim in 2015.

Following the Carlile report, Archbishop Justin stopped short of fully apologising for the Church’s response, and he pointed out that George Bell was “accused of great wickedness”.

He was then criticised by the academics, including Sir Ian Kershaw, of making “irresponsible and dangerous” comments and damaging for the office of the Archbishop.

Speaking for the first time since the criticism, Archbishop Justin said: “I cannot with integrity rescind my statement made after the publication of Lord Carlile’s review into how the Church handled the Bishop Bell case.

“I affirmed the extraordinary courage and achievement of Bishop Bell both before the war and during its course, while noting the Church has a duty to take seriously the allegation made against him.”

In the statement, he went on to say the Church is rightly facing increased scrutiny on the issue of abuse and the apology to the alleged victim came about following legal advice based on the civil standard of proof and the balance of probability.

But he continued to defend Chilean bishop Juan Barros, who is accused by victims of covering up for the country’s most notorious paedophile priest.

He also repeated that anyone who makes such accusations without providing evidence is guilty of slander.

Francis said: “I can’t condemn him because I don’t have evidence. But I’m also convinced that he’s innocent.”

Francis issued the partial mea culpa in an airborne press conference as he returned home from South America, where the scandal plunged the Chilean church into renewed crisis and revived questions about whether Francis “gets it” about abuse.

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According to Christian religious freedom charity China Aid, they interrupted the church’s service in the Ningxia region and told worshippers that they had conducted religious activities in a non-government approved building, which was illegal.

The person that led the service, Lou Siping, told the charity: “After their arrival, they first asked 30 of us to take out our ID cards and register them. We cooperated and registered them. Then, the police took us to the station for investigation.

“They said our church did not go to the National Religious Affairs Bureau to register, violating the regulations, and must be stopped immediately.”

Siping said he reminded the investigators about China’s Constitution which promises religious freedom, but said he was repeatedly told that they gathered unlawfully.

Authorities also contacted the church’s landlord and demanded the cancellation of the church’s lease.

China Aid said the Christians were threatened with coercive measures if they fail to vacate the building the next day.

It’s been reported that officials also ordered that the church to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, a Christian offshoot of the government that allows authorities to police church services.

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