Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns Amid Abuse Scandal

Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns Amid Abuse Scandal

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has resigned as the leader of the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion. His resignation follows an independent investigation that found he failed to report serial abuse committed by a volunteer leader, John Smyth, in 2013.

Welby, who had served as archbishop since 2013, expressed his decision was in the best interest of the Church of England. In a statement on November 12, he said, “I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve.”

His resignation comes after an independent review, released on November 7, revealed that Welby had been aware of Smyth’s abuse but did not immediately notify the authorities. Smyth, a former lawyer and Christian leader, was accused of physically and sexually abusing teenage boys at summer camps in Britain, Zimbabwe, and South Africa over several decades. Victims reported brutal canings and beatings, sometimes for reasons as trivial as “pride” or “looking at a girl too long.”

Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle, called Welby’s position “untenable,” and church leaders demanded his resignation. Many members of the church’s General Synod signed a petition calling for Welby to step down, saying he had “lost the confidence of his clergy.”

Smyth’s abuse was only publicly revealed in 2017, and he died in 2018 before facing charges. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in 2022, blamed the Church’s culture of protecting clergy and avoiding discussions about sexuality for allowing such abuses to continue unchecked.

Welby’s resignation marks a significant moment for the Church of England as it faces growing pressure to confront its handling of past abuse cases.

Source: Africa News