Why has Justin Welby resigned and what happens next to the Church? All your questions answered
12 November 2024, 16:59 | Updated: 12 November 2024, 17:09
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned following criticism of his failure to prevent child abuse.
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Mr Welby faced growing calls to step down after a damning report was published about the church's handling of John Smyth who is believed to be the most prolific serial abuser associated with the church.
But what did the report say, what has Welby said and what happens next?
What did the report say?
The Makin review was an independent review into the church's handling of Smyth, who abused as many as 130 boys and young men at Christian summer camps.
Mr Welby faced mounting pressure to resign after the report found that he did not follow up rigorously enough on reports of Smyth's "abhorrent" abuse.
The report says the Mr Welby "could and should" have reported the case to authorities when details were presented to him in 2013.
It says Smyth might have been brought to justice for decades of abuse before his death, in 2018, had he been formally reported to the police five years earlier.
Hampshire Police opened an investigation shortly after a Channel 4 documentary on the abuse broadcast in 2017.
But Smyth died in Cape Town at the age of 75 in 2018, before any charges were brought against him.
The report says that from July 2013, the Church of England knew "at the highest level" about Smyth's abuse in the UK and should have "properly and effectively" reported him to the UK police and the relevant authorities in South Africa.
Inaction from the Church represented a "missed opportunity to bring him to justice," the report says.
Following the 2017 documentary, Mr Welby told Channel 4: "I genuinely had no idea that there was anything as horrific as this going on and the kind of story you showed on the clip.
"If I’d known that, I would have been very active, but I had no suspicions at all."
But last week's report says "enough was known to have raised concerns upon being informed in 2013".
What has Welby said?
Mr Welby's full resignation letter 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. When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
"It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
He continued: "It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
"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. 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. In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.
"I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.
"I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.
"For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person."
What happens next?
The Archbishop said he would honour his existing "constitutional and church responsibilities", so exact timings for his departure will be decided "once a review of necessary obligations has been completed".
Previous archbishops have received a life peerage to sit in the House of Lords.
It is the responsibility of the King, who is the supreme governor of the Church of England, to formally appoint archbishops, bishops and deans.
Mr Welby sought permission from the King before he announced his intention to resign.
The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) examines the candidates and puts forward two names to the Prime Minister - a preferred candidate and an alternative.
It is Sir Keir Starmer's responsibility to advise the King on the appointment.
Once the King has approved the chosen candidate and they have indicated a willingness to serve, 10 Downing St will announce the name of the archbishop-designate.
The college of canons of Canterbury Cathedral then formally elects the new archbishop.
