The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced his resignation this Tuesday, after a report recently published found that he "could and should" have reported deceased lawyer John Smyth's abuse of boys and young men in 2013.

According to the independent Makin Report, Smyth had subjected over 100 boys and young men to “traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual” abuse over 40 years.

Before he was ordained, Welby worked as a dormitory supervisor of the camps in Dorset run by Smyth.

The report stated that “it is not possible to establish whether Justin Welby knew of the severity of the abuses in the UK prior to 2013 […] It is most probable that he would have had at least a level of knowledge that John Smyth was of some concern”.

“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility”

After facing days of growing pressure to quit, the Archbishop of Canterbury admitted in a statement that “the Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth”.

“When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow”, he explained.

That is why, “it is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024”, underlined Welby.

“Profound sense of shame”

For the leader of the Anglican church, “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”.

He also pointed out that it is his duty “to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities”, so that “exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion”.

Welby will “follow through on my commitment to meet victims”, but “delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete”.

“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”, he concluded.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, the Church's second highest-ranking minister, described Welby's resignation as "the right and honourable decision".

Many issues to address

Welby is stepping down after a period marked by internal division within the Anglican Communion around the world, as the ongoing debate over the acceptance of same-sex marriage has opened a breach.

Church procedures for appointing a new archbishop of Canterbury require a panel of clergy and a chair appointed by the British Prime Minister to put forward two names.

The candidates will then be interviewed by a committee of 17 people. At least two-thirds of the committee members must agree before a decision is made.

The process of choosing his successor is likely to take at least six months.

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