Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion, has announced his resignation amid widespread outrage over a scandal involving a cover-up of abuse.
In a statement posted to the Church of England’s website on Tuesday, Welby disclosed his decision to step down, having received “the gracious permission of” King Charles III.
“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth,” remarked Welby, reflecting on his knowledge of the situation and stating, “When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.”
Welby acknowledged his responsibility, saying, “It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period between 2013 and 2024.”
He expressed hope that his resignation would showcase the Church of England's understanding of the need for change and its commitment to creating a safer environment, asserting, “This decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change.”
He continued, “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 twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.” Welby emphasized his commitment to meet with victims and stated that he would delegate his current safeguarding responsibilities until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.
Earlier this month, an independent investigation released the Makin Report, which revealed that John Smyth had likely abused over 100 boys and young adult men at Christian camps from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. Smyth passed away in 2018 at the age of 75 while living in Zimbabwe, with British authorities reportedly in the process of extraditing him to the UK to face charges.
The investigative report noted, “Despite considerable efforts by individuals to bring to the attention of relevant authorities the scope and horror of Smyth’s conduct, including by victims and by some clergy, the steps taken by the Church of England and other organizations and individuals were ineffective and neither fully exposed nor prevented further abuse by him,” as quoted by Episcopal News Service.
Many have accused Welby of failing to act appropriately when credible abuse allegations were first reported to him and other church leaders in 2013, leading to mounting calls for his resignation. An online petition was launched last week demanding Welby step down, collecting over 13,000 signatures by the time he agreed to resign.
