Justin Welby steps down from his position as Archbishop of Canterbury amid an abuse scandal

On Tuesday, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced his resignation “in sorrow,” acknowledging his failure to guarantee a thorough investigation into past allegations of abuse involving a volunteer at Christian summer camps.

Welby, the senior bishop of the Church of England and spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, faced calls to resign following a report last week that indicated he had not taken adequate measures to prevent a person identified as possibly the Church’s most prolific serial abuser.

“In recent days, I have been deeply reminded of my enduring and profound sense of shame regarding the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England,” Welby expressed in a statement.

“I trust this decision demonstrates the Church of England’s deep understanding of the necessity for change and our strong dedication to fostering a safer church.” As I step down, I do so with a heavy heart for all victims and survivors of abuse.

Welby’s time in office spanned ten years of significant turmoil, during which he had to manage disputes regarding homosexual rights and the role of women in the clergy, particularly between liberal churches, primarily in North America and Britain, and their conservative counterparts, notably in Africa.

The Anglican churches in African nations like Uganda and Nigeria are expected to embrace Welby’s resignation, following their declaration last year that they had lost confidence in him.

The primary challenges facing his successor will involve uniting the increasingly divided global Anglican community and striving to reverse the decline in church attendance, which has decreased by a fifth in Britain since 2019.

REPORT DESCRIBES ‘BRUTAL AND HORRIFIC’ ABUSE IN CHRISTIAN BOYS’ CAMPS

Welby stepped down five days following the independent Makin Report, which criticized him for his management of abuse allegations from the 1970s.

The report indicated that John Smyth, a British lawyer, had inflicted “brutal and horrific” physical and sexual abuse on over 100 boys and young men throughout a span of 40 years.

The report indicated that Smyth struck some victims with as many as 800 strokes of a cane and provided nappies to manage the bleeding. He would then lay himself over his victims, occasionally kissing them on the neck or back.

Smyth served as the chair of the Iwerne Trust, which provided funding for the Christian camps in Dorset, England, where Welby worked as a dormitory officer prior to his ordination.

The report indicated that Smyth relocated to Africa in 1984 and persisted in his abusive actions until shortly before his death in 2018.

The Church of England was aware at the highest level of the sexual abuse claims at the camps in 2013, and Welby became informed, at the latest, of the accusations in the same year, just months after he assumed the role of archbishop, as stated in the report.

The report indicated that had the claims been reported to the police in 2013, a comprehensive investigation could have taken place, potentially leading to charges against Smyth prior to his death. The Makin Report was initiated in 2019.

Welby expressed regret for “failures and omissions” but stated he had “no idea or suspicion” regarding the allegations prior to 2013. The report determined that this was improbable, criticizing him for neglecting his “personal and moral responsibility” to facilitate a thorough investigation.

The process for appointing a new archbishop of Canterbury involves a group of clerics and a chair, who is nominated by the British prime minister, to present two names for consideration.

Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, and Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford, are both considered strong candidates to succeed Welby as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Usher supports gay rights and has been vocal about the importance of addressing climate change.

Francis-Dehqani was born in Iran and has shared her experiences regarding the murder of her brother following the Iranian Revolution. She will be the inaugural woman to hold the position.