The leader of the global Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, is facing increased calls to resign following a report that revealed the Church of England had concealed a case of serial abuse.
The report found that the church had systematically failed to prevent abuse by John Smyth, a lawyer who led evangelical camps in the 1970s and 1980s, subjecting up to 130 young men and boys in Britain, Zimbabwe, and South Africa to severe physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse.
Three members of the General Synod, the Church’s national assembly, have launched a petition demanding Welby’s resignation in light of the report.
Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley also joined the call, expressing that the Church’s moral authority is compromised if it cannot address such issues within its own ranks.
The investigation found that church officials were aware of Smyth’s abuse as early as the 1980s but actively covered it up, allowing him to continue his abuse for decades. Although Welby, who became the Church’s highest-ranking official in 2013, apologized and claimed he was unaware of the abuse before then, the report argued he “could and should” have reported it formally in 2013.
Despite saying he had considered resigning, Welby decided against it, stating that had he known or suspected the abuse before 2013, he would have stepped down.
The petition, which has over 3,000 signatures, asserts that Welby bears a moral duty to have done more and that his position as Archbishop is now “untenable.”
