The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has used his Christmas Day sermon to call for change in the Church of England. 

It comes after the recent resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, over his role in safeguarding failings relating to prolific abuser John Smyth. 

The Archbishop of York himself is under pressure from abuse victims to resign over his handling of the David Tudor case while he was Bishop of Chelmsford.

Tudor remained for years in ministry positions in the Diocese of Chelmsford with Cottrell's approval despite being barred from being alone with children. 

Tudor was eventually barred from ministry completely in October over the sexual assault of two teenage girls. Cottrell has defended his handling of the case and insisted that he was unable for legal reasons to remove Tudor sooner.

Cottrell is due to take over temporary leadership of the Church of England until Welby's successor is appointed following his departure from office on January 6. 

In his Christmas Day sermon, Cottrell said the Church needed to go beyond words as he called for change. 

"Right now, this Christmas, God's Church itself needs to come again to the manger and strip off her finery and kneel in penitence and adoration. And be changed," he said. 

"At the centre of the Christmas story is a tiny vulnerable child; a child that Herod's furious wrath will seek to destroy, for like every tyrant, Herod cannot abide a rival.

"And I believe the Church of England – the Church of England I love and serve – needs to look at this vulnerable child, at this emptying out of power to demonstrate the power of love, for it is in this tiny vulnerable child we are invited to see God."

He concluded by saying that the Gospel message was about actions.

"Don't just talk about justice, don't just talk about joy, don't just talk about service, don't just talk about love. Show me," he said. 

The Bishop of Newcastle, who has previously called for Cottrell's resignation in relation to the Tudor case, said his sermon was "empty words".

"I have no words more than that to describe their meaning," she said, according to BBC News.