Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the highest-ranking cleric in the Church of England, has announced his resignation following an independent report that revealed his failure to
inform authorities about abuse allegations tied to Christian summer camps decades ago.
In his resignation letter issued Tuesday, Welby acknowledged the need for both “personal and institutional responsibility” regarding the Church’s inaction over “heinous abuses.”
“The past few days have deepened my profound shame over the historic safeguarding failures within the Church of England,” Welby stated. “I hope my decision demonstrates the seriousness with which the Church views the need for change and our commitment to a safer Church. I step down with deep sorrow for all victims and survivors of abuse,” he added.
The 68-year-old Archbishop’s resignation comes five days after the release of the independent Makin Report, which criticized his handling of abuse allegations from the 1970s. The report revealed that John Smyth, a British lawyer, had subjected over 100 boys and young men to severe abuse over four decades. Photo by U.S. Department of State from United States, Wikimedia commons.