Archbishop Of Canterbury Justin Welby Resigns Over Abuse Scandal
In his resignation statement on Tuesday, Welby admitted that he failed to ensure there was a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned.
His resignation followed immense pressure to step down. The controversy surrounds his handling of reports about a prolific child abuser within the Church of England, who targeted over 100 children and young men. Many called for his resignation, including vicars who launched a petition.
Additionally, Welby was under fire for his comments supporting sexual intimacy in same-sex relationships, which some argue goes against the Church of England’s doctrine on marriage and sexual ethics.
This sparked backlash from Evangelicals within the denomination, with some groups even considering setting up a parallel province within the Church.
In his resignation statement on Tuesday, Welby admitted that he failed to ensure there was a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago.
Welby was the senior bishop of the Church of England and spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide.
“Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury,” he said in his resignation statement.
“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.
“When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.”
He continued, “It is my duty to honour my constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
“I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.
“The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly 12 years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.
“In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.
“I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.
“I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.”
“For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person,” he added.
Welby resigned five days after the independent Makin Report criticised his handling of decades-old abuse allegations.
The report revealed that British lawyer John Smyth had subjected over 100 boys and young men to “brutal and horrific” physical and sexual abuse from the 1970s to 2018.
Smyth’s abuse was particularly heinous, with victims being beaten up to 800 times with a cane, and provided with nappies to absorb the bleeding. He would then drape himself over his victims, sometimes kissing them on the neck or back.
The Makin Report found that Welby failed to report Smyth to authorities when he learned of the abuse in 2013, shortly after becoming Archbishop of Canterbury.
This lack of action led to widespread criticism and calls for Welby’s resignation. Church officials were first made aware of Smyth’s abuse in 1982, but failed to take action, allowing the abuse to continue for decades.
Welby’s resignation comes amid growing pressure from victims, clergy, and the public. The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, stated that Welby’s position was “untenable” after the report’s release.
Victims of Smyth’s abuse, such as Andrew Morse, have also spoken out, saying that Welby’s resignation is an opportunity for the Church to begin repairing the damage caused by its handling of historical abuse cases.
Smyth was a former chair of the Iwerne Trust that funded Christian camps in Dorset, England. Welby worked at these camps as a dormitory officer before his ordination.
Smyth continued to abuse young boys and men in Africa until close to his death in 2018, after relocating there in 1984, it was revealed.
