The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has resigned after becoming deeply implicated in a scandal surrounding child abuse.
On Thursday 7 November, an independent review by former social services director Keith Makin revealed concerted efforts by the Church of England to conceal evidence of child abuse — including sexual abuse.
John Smyth, a senior lawyer, sadistically tormented young boys in his care at evangelical Christian holiday camps in the 1970s and 1980s.
Despite the Church’s knowledge of his abuse, Smyth was allowed to move to South Africa, where he continued to offend.
Smyth abused at least 130 boys.
Welby volunteered at the camps, and while he has denied any knowledge of Smyth’s criminality, the report deemed this “unlikely”, indicating that he would have had an indication that the barrister “was of some concern”.
The review extended this judgement to Welby’s predecessor, George Carey. It also found that Welby had lied about the Church’s outreach towards survivors.
In a statement, Welby said: “Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.
“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.”
He continued: “It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period between 2013 and 2024”.
Welby succeeded Rowan Williams as the leader of the Anglican Communion in 2013.
His leadership has been mired with controversy after the Archbishop voiced support for Prince Andrew amid allegations that the royal sexually assaulted a teenager, Virginia Giuffre.
Welby also defended Paula Vennells, the former Post Office executive whose persecution of employees for accounting inconsistencies caused by faulty software led to wrongful imprisonments, familial breakdowns, and suicides.
His resignation amid the child sex-abuse scandal is likely to define not only his tenure, but the Church itself for quite some time.
“Official portrait of The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury crop 2” by Roger Harris is licensed under CC BY 3.0.