Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over improper handling of UK Church abuse scandal

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on Tuesday (Nov 12) announced his resignation after facing huge pressure to quit over hisfailureto ensure a proper investigation into an abuse scandal.

This comes days after a report stated that he was not able to conduct a proper inquiry into claims alleging more than 100 boys and young men were abused decades ago at Christian summer camps.

This led to intense pressure on Welby, a spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide.

Moreover, one senior figure in the church, the bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, called on him publicly to step aside.

“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period between 2013 and 2024," Welby said in a statement.

He added that he had sought permission to resign from King Charles III. “I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.”

Statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury.https://t.co/aNnuLBMapo pic.twitter.com/pIIR1911QU — Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) November 12, 2024

“The last few days have renewed my long-felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.”

Last week, Welby said that he had considered resigning over his "shameful" decision not to act to deal with reports of abuse by Smyth, a powerful and charismatic barrister who died in 2018 when he was informed of them in 2013.

Lambeth Palace, the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, issued a statement on Monday, stating that Welby had “apologised profoundly both for his own failures and omissions, and for the wickedness, concealment, and abuse by the church more widely”, but did not intend to resign.

Welby was scheduled to retire in 2026. His early resignationbrings a premature end to the tenure of the country's best-known cleric, who became the leader of the Church of England at a time of tension between liberals and traditionalists.

(With inputs from agencies)