Archbishop of Canterbury resigns - live: Welby quits as he admits ‘profound shame’ over church child sex abuse
Mr Welby said it was ‘very clear’ he must take responsibility and regretted the Church’s historic failures
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Your support makes all the difference.The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned after a damning report found he failed to alert police about sexual abuse allegations made against a barrister associated with the Church of England.
Justin Welby had been facing growing pressure to stand down over his “failures” to alert authorities about John Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse of children and young men.
Smyth is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men to traumatic physical, sexual and psychological abuse over five decades in the UK and Africa.
Mr Welby was made aware of the allegations in 2013 - but did not report them to police after he was told authorities had already been notified.
The Makin review into Smyth’s abuse, published last week, concluded that he might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported it to police.
Mr Welby has said it was “very clear I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.”
He said: “The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England.”
Church has an institutional abuse problem - Bishop of Stepney
The Bishop of Stepney, Joanne Grenfell, has said “we have to admit” there is a problem within the church regarding abuse and responses to abuse.
Ms Grenfell, who is the safegyarding lead within the Church of England, told Sky News’ Politics Hub: “I’m absolutely clear that we have to admit that there is a problem and there has been a problem with the church, with abuse and with responses to abuse.
“I think we know we’re not the only institution that’s struggling with that. But that’s not an excuse. That’s just a kind of comment on the times that we’re in, where at last it feels possible to talk about abuse and to address that at the level of society.
“This problem of abuse in the church is a whole church problem. And therefore, it has to be a whole church response. It’s about culture. It’s about leadership, it’s about theology.
“So, yes, abuse matters. But the whole context is what needs to change.”
Welby ‘believed police were taking care of this’, says Bishop of Stepney
Justin Welby ‘did believe the police were taking care of this’, Bishop of Stepney Joanne Grenfell said on Tuesday evening.
Speaking with Sky News’ Politics Hub, she also questioned why things weren’t taken up by police.
“He (the Archbishop of Canterbury) did believe the police were taking care of this and I think we have questions about why things haven’t been taken up in terms of police action,” she said.
“But I understand that he’s taken personal and institutional responsibility because he wanted to say deeply, how deeply sorry he is for the part that he has or hasn’t played in it and I respect that that’s what he’s done.”
I would have forgiven Welby instantly if he handled it differently - survivor
A survivor of John Smyth’s abuse said that if Justin Welby had handled the allegations of abuse differently he would have “forgiven him there and then”.
The man, who is known as Graham, told Channel 4 News: “The stupidity of this is, if Justin have handled this differently back in 2017, if he put out a statement saying, ‘I’m sorry, I got to Lambeth (Palace), my eye was off the ball. Do you want to meet me tomorrow, victims? Are you all right? Have you got counselling? I am sorry’, then we would have ticked him off the list and forgiven him there and then.”
‘I am deeply sorry’, says Bishop who knew of Smyth abuse
Stephen Conway, the current Bishop of Lincoln who was told about details of John Smyth’s abuse when he was the Bishop of Ely in 2013, has said he is “deeply sorry” for his role in not “rigorously pursuing” the John Smyth case after reporting it to Lambeth Palace.
In a statement, Mr Conway said he welcomes the Makin Review about the “failings of individuals and institutions”.
“As soon as I became involved, my priority was to provide support for those victims and survivors in connection with the Diocese of Ely,” he continued.
“As part of my submission to the review, I confirmed that during my tenure as the Bishop of Ely, I received a disclosure about John Smyth.
“Once it became clear that there was an international dimension which directly affected another province of the Anglican Communion, I made a detailed disclosure to Lambeth Palace and contacted the relevant diocese in South Africa to alert them to the issue.
“It was my understanding that this matter was reported to the police in Cambridgeshire and duly passed on to the police in Hampshire where the abuse had occurred.
“I am clear that I did all within my authority as a bishop of the Church of England, bearing in mind that I had no authority over an entirely independent province on another continent.
“I acknowledge fully that my fault was in not rigorously pursuing Lambeth about that province-to-province communication, and for this I am deeply sorry.”
John Smyth victim says Welby has done ‘right thing'
One of John Smyth’s victims has said Archbishop Justin Welby has “done the right thing” by resigning.
Former vicar and author Mark Stibbe told Channel 4 News: “I think that he’s done the right thing and that’s what we as survivors, as victims of John Smyth, have been asking for right from the very beginning when you broke the story in 2017.
“We asked for the Archbishop of Canterbury, who we knew knew about the abuses in 2013, and the Bishop of Ely and other senior figures in the Church of England to do the right thing, and Justin Welby has done the right thing.
“He has admitted that at a personal and at an institutional level we have been failed and other people can see that.
“Everyone can see that, including the Prime Minister who said today that as victims we have been very badly failed.
“So I applaud Justin Welby for resigning but what I think the survivor group would like is more resignations because that means more accountability, people taking responsibility for having been silent when they should have spoken.”
Nigel Farage celebrates Welby’s resignation
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has responded to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation, after previously calling for him to resign.
“Archbishop Welby has gone, thank the Lord,” he wrote on X. “Perhaps the Anglican Church will now appoint a leader that believes in Christian values?”
Why has the Archbishop of Canterbury had to resign?
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has resigned over allegations – some of which he has accepted – that he failed to act against a prolific and sadistic paedophile, John Smyth, who had been associated with the Church of England for decades. A number of Welby’s more senior colleagues had openly called for him to stand down, while others remained silent, and the general unease had become deafening.
A petition to remove him from his post – though strictly, he probably had absolute security of tenure – attracted more than 10,000 signatures. For an Anglican primate to quit in such circumstances is unprecedented – but also, it seems, inevitable...
Sean O’Grady writes:
Why has the Archbishop of Canterbury had to resign?
For an Anglican primate to stand down in these circumstances is unprecedented, writes Sean O’Grady, as he examines what led to the widespread calls for Justin Welby to go
Who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury after Justin Welby resigned?
Justin Welby’s resignation as the Archbishop of Canterbury over his handling of historic abuse allegations leaves a vacancy at the top of the Church of England’s leadership.
He had been facing growing pressure to stand down over his “failures” to alert authorities about John Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse of children and young men.
Now the Crown Nominations Commission must select a successor, which will be taken to the prime minister, Keir Starmer, who will then submit it to the King.
Who are senior figures who could become the next Archbishop of Canterbury? Angus Thompson reports:
Who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury after Justin Welby resigned?
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation means a new leader of the Church of England must be found. From the steady hand to those more outspoken on matters of gender, sexuality and climate, here are the names the prime minister could take to the king
This is a heavy blow for the Church of England - Ed Davey
Leader of the Liberal Democrats and practising Anglican Sir Ed Davey has weighed in on Justin Welby’s resignation.
Speaking to the hosts of The News Agents podcast, Mr Davey said it was “right” for Mr Welby to stand down, and that he hopes the Church of England (CofE) can “look at itself and take whatever measures it needs to to learn the lessons”
He added: “But as you say, Emily [Maitlis], it’s staggering that in 2024 we’re having to say ‘learn the lessons’ about hiding a scandal.
“I think we are all shocked, beyond being shocked. There have been scandals, you’ve reported on them and we’ve debated them, discussed them, but this really takes your breath away, quite how [John Smyth} was allowed to continue his vile abuse.
“We’ve also talked about public trust being rebuilt in our institutions and in politics, it’s clearly going to have to be rebuilt in the Church of England. It’s a heavy blow.”
Asked how it makes him feel about the CofE’s leadership, Mr Davey said: “Well it’s deeply worrying. The first thing I thought last night when I read the reports was that I need to speak with my minister about it, I’m sure he will be as shocked as I am and I was going to take his view of what he thought the Synod and others should be doing about it.”
Alastair Campbell: Welby is a ‘good man with a good heart'
Alastair Campbell, co-host of The Rest Is Politics podcast, says he still believes Justin Welby is a “good man with a good heart”.
Mr Campbell, who knows Mr Welby personally, added that he has “strong values and a commitment to public service” in a post on X.
“He was assured the police and other authorities were properly on the case,” he continued.
“Yes, as he admits, he could have been more curious and checked in with exactly what was being done. He has apologised and I think many reasonable people will accept that. However he has chosen what all too few public figures do these days which is accept institutional responsibility.”
Rory Stewart, Mr Campbell’s podcast co-host, also took to X to support Welby. He said: “Very sorry to hear of the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury - I have worked with him for a long time and have always been struck by his humility, openness, care and sense of public service.”
In October, Mr Welby appeared on the Leading podcast hosted by Mr Campbell and Mr Stewart.
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