by The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has announced his resignation as he faces increasing pressure to step down over his handling of the Church of England abuse case.
Calls for Welby’s resignation have grown in recent days after an independent review concluded that barrister John Smyth, who is believed to have abused up to 130 boys and young men over two decades, may have been before the court if Welby formally informed the authorities in 2013.
A petition, sent by three members of the General Synod, the church’s parliament, asking Welby to resign has received over 11,500 signatures.
Although the archbishop initially rejected calls to resign, he announced that he had changed course in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the appalling abuse of John Smyth… It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and traumatic period between 2013 and 2024,” said he.
Here, Yahoo News explains the events that led to Welby’s resignation, and what might happen next.
Why did Justin Welby retire?
The publication of the independent Makin Review last week was the culmination of a decades-long campaign of cruelty organized by barrister John Smyth – which is considered to be the worst abuse of the church.
Over five decades in three different countries. Smyth is said to have subjected up to 130 boys and young men to “traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual assaults”.
Smyth died in Cape Town in 2018, aged 77, while being investigated by Hampshire Police, meaning he never faced justice for his crimes, but the Church of England first began receiving reports of Smyth’s crimes in 2013 when a victim came forward.
After a Channel 4 documentary exposed Smyth’s abuse in 2017, Hampshire Police opened an investigation, and the barrister was considering an extradition request to the UK. This followed a 1982 report by the Iwerne Trust, which ran evangelical Christian holiday camps in Britain, which was not made public until 2016.
Welby knew Smyth from his attendance at the Iwerne camps in the 1970s, but the Makin Review said there was no evidence he had maintained “any significant contact” with him in later years.
The archbishop said he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse” before 2013, but admitted he “personally failed to ensure” it was investigated after it was more widely disclosed after the first report victims.
What Justin Welby said in his statement
Welby said in a statement, released by Lambeth Palace on Tuesday, that he is “stepping aside in the interests of the Church of England”.
“Having sought His Majesty the King’s gracious permission, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury,” he said.
“The Makin Review exposed the long-held conspiracy of silence about John Smyth’s appalling abuses.
“When I was informed in 2013 and told that the police had been notified, I wrongly believed that an appropriate resolution would follow.
“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and traumatic period between 2013 and 2024.”
He added: “I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our deep commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down, I do so with every sadness victim and survivor of abuse.
“Over the past few days my long-standing sense of shame about the failures of the Church of England’s historic defense has been renewed. For almost 12 years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.
“In the meantime, I will continue my commitment to meet with victims. I will delegate my other current safeguarding responsibilities 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 during my ministry, and I am forever grateful for their sacrifice.”
Welby concluded: “I believe that a step aside is in the best interest of the Church of England, which I love and am honored to serve. I pray that this decision will point us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for each of us.
“Above all, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my Savior and my God; bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of all.”
What will happen next?
In his statement, Welby also says he has a duty to respect “constitutional and ecclesiastical responsibilities”.
This means that the exact times of his departure will be determined after a review of “essential obligations” in England and the international Anglican Communion of more than 85 million members.
The Church of England will now prepare to choose a new leader, and she says the process usually takes about nine months.
This responsibility rests with the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), whose job it is to submit the name of the preferred candidate (and second appointable candidate) to the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, who is constitutionally responsible for the advice of motion regarding the appointment to the Prime Minister. King.
The Commission, which was established in the 1970s, reviews the background material and the results of the consultations, discusses the challenges for the next archbishop, before voting on the proposed candidate and the second candidate to be submitted to the Prime Minister.
When the chosen candidate has been approved by the King, and has shown that he is willing to serve, Number 10 will announce the name of the designated Archbishop.
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