Claims that an early favourite to become the next archbishop of Canterbury has been the victim of "naked racism" have been played down by the Church of England.
The archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has been targeted by an "anonymous whispering" campaign by critics trying to besmirch his name, according to his former aide the Rev Arun Arora.
He said there was a "stark contrast" between the portrayal of Ugandan-born Sentamu and the treatment of other bishops.
In an article in the Sunday Telegraph, Arora said: "At its best, the besmirching of John Sentamu has revealed that strand of snobbery which views outsiders as lacking class, diplomacy or civility – in other words 'not one of us'.
"At worst, it has elicited the naked racism which still bubbles under the surface in our society, and which is exposed when a black man is in line to break the chains of history."
Sentamu has spoken in the past about his experience of racism but stressed that any abuse came from outside the church.
A Church of England spokesman said the claims came from an old blog post by Arora, and added: "There is a comprehensive process for selecting the next archbishop of Canterbury, details of which are available online, and involves an extensive consultation process."
