Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby resigns amid child abuse scandal

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, has resigned following mounting criticism over his failure to address child sexual abuse allegations within the Church of England.

His resignation comes after the release of a damning independent report, which criticized his handling of the abuse scandal involving John Smyth, an evangelical Christian. The review revealed that the “abhorrent abuse” Smyth inflicted could have been exposed much earlier, had the Archbishop acted and contacted the authorities when he was first informed in 2013.

On Tuesday, Archbishop Welby acknowledged his responsibility, stating that he must take both personal and institutional accountability for the “long and retraumatising” period in which Smyth was not brought to justice, and survivors were repeatedly failed by the Church.

The resignation follows significant pressure on the Archbishop, with multiple bishops labeling his position “untenable” and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer publicly distancing himself from Welby, refusing to offer support.

The Bishop of Lincoln has also issued an apology, amid calls for him to resign for his role in failing to act on the abuse allegations against Smyth. One of the victims of Smyth has specifically called for the Rt Rev Stephen Conway to step down, saying he was in a position to stop Smyth and failed to do so.

Archbishop of York, the Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, endorsed Welby’s decision to resign, calling it “the right and honourable thing to do” in light of the failures identified by the Makin Review.

Smyth, a former lay reader, is believed to have abused up to 130 boys and young men, both in the UK and Africa, over several decades, from the 1970s until his death in 2018. The review noted that Smyth was never brought to justice, despite being under investigation at the time of his death in Cape Town.

Though Welby became aware of the abuse in 2013, three years before the allegations were made public, he did not report Smyth to the police.

In the weeks before his resignation, Welby had stated that covering up child abuse was a “dismissal offence,” and that the Church would take strong action against those who protect “wicked people.”

On Tuesday, the King reportedly exchanged “private words” with Archbishop Welby, discussing his resignation. Downing Street has since stated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “respects the decision” of the Archbishop to step down, adding that the matter is for the Church of England to address.