London, November 20, 2024.
The 68-year-old Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion (since March 2013), has announced that he is stepping down in the wake of scandals related to years of cover-up pedophilia and child abuse in the Church of England, British media reported.
In a statement published on the official website of the Church of England, J. Welby announced his decision to retire after receiving "the gracious permission of His Majesty King Charles III."
Earlier in November 2024, an independent inquiry published the "Keith Makin Report" (former head of Church of England social services), which stated that John Smith (1941-2018), a Canadian-born British lawyer and chairman of the Iverne Foundation, which funded Christian camps in the county of Dorset (where the young Welby was then working), had brutally abused physically, sexually, psychologically and spiritually over a hundred boys and young men at Christian camps (of which he was a trustee), and possibly also at the famous Winchester College, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
Serial child rapist J. Smith moved to Zimbabwe in 1984, where he continued his "activities" and died in 2018 in South Africa as British authorities were about to extradite him to the United Kingdom to face charges.
"The Makin report exposed a long-standing conspiracy of silence about the heinous crimes of John Smith... When I was informed of the police notification in 2013, I mistakenly thought that a decision would follow. It is clear that I must take personal responsibility for the long period from 2013 to 2024 which traumatized many believers," said the now former Anglican spiritual leader.
Welby said he hoped "this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England recognizes the need for change, as well as our great desire to make the church a safer place."
"The last few days have renewed in me a deep sense of shame about the Church of England's failures in the area of security. For nearly twelve years I have worked to improve the situation. But let others judge what has been achieved," he said.
Welby believes his resignation is "well within the interests of the Church of England" and prays that "this decision will bring us back to the love that Jesus Christ has for each and every one of us."
"Despite efforts by individuals to draw attention to the
Many accused Welby of failing to take appropriate action when he and other church hierarchs were first made aware of credible allegations against Smith back in 2013.
It is also reported that an online petition calling for Archbishop Welby to resign was launched in early November, and by the time the Anglican leader agreed to step down, it had garnered more than 13,000 signatures.
"Given the fact that Justin Welby has allowed egregious violence to continue, we are convinced that his continued tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury would be wrong. We must bring about change for the sake of those affected by the violence, the protection of the vulnerable and the good of the Church," the petition reads.
Source: https://www.christianpost.com
