Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England, resigned on Tuesday, expressing regret for not ensuring a thorough investigation into abuse allegations against a volunteer at Christian camps from decades ago.
As the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans globally, Welby faced resignation calls following a report that criticized his lack of action against one of the Church’s most notorious abusers.
In his resignation letter, Welby accepted both personal and institutional responsibility for failing to act on what he called “heinous abuses.” He expressed deep shame over the Church’s history of safeguarding failures and hoped his resignation would underscore the Church’s commitment to change.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell called Welby’s decision “right and honourable.” During his ten-year leadership, Welby contended with contentious issues, like LGBTQ rights and female clergy, that divided liberal and conservative factions within the global Anglican Church, particularly those in Africa.
The resignation follows last week’s Makin Report, which highlighted Welby’s handling of abuse claims from the 1970s involving John Smyth, a British lawyer who abused over 100 boys and young men. Smyth, who later moved to Africa and continued his abuse until his 2018 death, was known to Church leaders since 2013, around the time Welby assumed his role as archbishop. The report criticized Welby for not pursuing a full investigation when the claims first surfaced.
The Church will now appoint a new archbishop of Canterbury. Among potential successors are Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, who supports LGBTQ rights and environmental issues, and Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, who was born in Iran and could become the first woman to hold the position.
