Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over church abuse scandal

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from his position due to a church abuse scandal, according to a statement.

The archbishop emphasized his sense of shame in “safeguarding failures” of the Church of England, according to the statement. Welby’s decision came amid an independent review from last week that concluded he had failed to take sufficient action regarding claims of John Smyth, a British lawyer, abusing young men and boys, the New York Times reported.

“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth,” Welby wrote. “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 re-traumatising period between 2013 and 2024.”

The abuse occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, at camps for Christian boys that Smyth ran and Welby used to work at, the NYT reported. An internal investigation into Smyth’s abuse allegations was launched in 1982, but the results of the investigation were not made public.

“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,” Welby wrote. “It is for others to judge what has been done.”

Welby previously claimed he was unaware of the abuse until 2013, according to the NYT. The archbishop apologized in February for not investigating the abuse claims further.

“In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims,” Welby wrote. “I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.”

“I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honored to serve,” Welby added. “I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.”

The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, called for Welby to resign on Monday prior to Tuesday’s announcement, according to the NYT. Welby has held his position as archbishop since 2013 and was previously set to retire in 2026.

“I think rightly people are asking the question ‘Can we really trust the Church of England to keep us safe?’ And I think the answer at the moment is ‘No,’” Hartley said, according to the NYT.

Anglican leaders condemned Welby as “blasphemous” in April 2023 after he supported blessings for same-sex couples. Welby spoke out against laws criminalizing homosexuality in 2023.

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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