Having become Archbishop of York with the confirmation of his election at Lambeth Palace in September/October 1995, Hope was enthroned at York Minster on 8 December 1995. After Peter Tatchell alleged in the same year that Hope was gay as part of a much criticised OutRage! "outing" campaign, Hope had said that his sexuality is "a grey area". "He said that his sexuality was 'ambiguous' and that he was celibate." On 26 October 1995 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, an honour in the personal gift of the Queen. Hope was one of four English bishops who declined to sign the Cambridge Accord, an attempt in 1999 to find agreement on affirming certain human rights of homosexuals, notwithstanding differences within the church on the morality of homosexual behaviour. On 30 June 2004, together with Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and on behalf of all 114 Anglican bishops, he wrote to Tony Blair expressing deep concern about government policy and criticising the coalition troops' conduct in Iraq. The letter cited the abuse of Iraqi detainees, which was described as having been "deeply damaging", and stated that the government's apparent double standards "diminish the credibility of western governments". Hope conducted a series of disciplinary hearings involving errant clergy within his province. On 1 August 2004 it was announced that Hope would step down as Archbishop of York to become a parish priest at St Margaret's Church in Ilkley. He did so on 28 February 2005.
Later years
In recognition of his contribution to the church, Downing Street announced on 25 January 2005 that Hope was to be created a life peer; the title was gazetted as Baron Hope of Thornes, of Thornes in the County of West Yorkshire, on 6 April 2005. On 4 August 2006 he was appointed to the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved for a period of five years. On 10 September 2006, Hope announced his resignation as Vicar of St Margaret's, Ilkley, owing to ill health. He stated that he intended to continue to work a three-day week at St Margaret's until the end of 2006, but after that would serve as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Bradford On 1 October 2007 it was announced that he would also serve as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe; that licence lapsed in 2012. Hope has also been an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Blackburn since 2008. In April 2013, it was reported that in 1999 and 2003, Hope had been made aware of allegations of child sexual abuse against a former Dean of Manchester, Robert Waddington. Hope removed Waddington's right to officiate at services but did not refer Waddington to the authorities because of his ill health. Following the 2014 report of the Cahill Inquiry, Hope resigned his post as honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Leeds on 27 October 2014. He retired from the House of Lords on 30 April 2015.
