The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned, days after a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church of England.
In his resignation statement, Justin Welby says the report "exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth."
Welby's statement in full
"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.
"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."
Who was John Smyth?
John Smyth was a British barrister who abused boys who he met at Christian summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s.
He was a senior member of Christian charity the Iwerne Trust and is believed to be the most prolific serial abuser associated with the Church of England, according to an independent review commissioned a year after his death in 2018.
According to the long-awaited report - led by Keith Makin and published on Thursday - Smyth's abuse of more than 100 children and young men was covered up within the Church of England for decades.
He is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks.
The Iwerne Trust conducted its own investigation in 1982 that found Smyth would take pupils to his home near Winchester and carry out lashings with a garden cane in his shed.
It said eight of the boys received a total of 14,000 lashes, while two more received 8,000 strokes between them over three years.
The charity called the practice "horrific" but the claims were not reported to police until 2013 - more than 30 years later.
Now, Justin Welby says at that point, he "believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow".
How close were Welby and Smyth?
The Makin report - which was released last week - says Welby and Smyth were together at multiple Christian holiday camps run by the Iwerne Trust, between Summer 1975 and August 1979.
"We have explored with Justin Welby his relationship at that time with John Smyth. He knew John Smyth from the Iwerne camps and was in John Smyth’s dormitory for two camps," the report states.
"He has described being 'impressed' by John Smyth and reacting to his apparent power of intellect and charismatic [in the lay sense] personality. He says that they were never close, however."
It adds: "Justin Welby says that he and John Smyth 'exchanged Christmas cards' for several years", something Welby characterises as "usual for the time".
The report also says Welby says recalls "making donations" to John Smyth to help with his ministry in Zimbabwe, "but cannot remember the details of this, timing or amounts".
Welby says he was unaware of the abuse allegations against Smyth until 2013. He now says he should have done more to make sure the allegations were properly investigated.
Last week Welby insisted he would not resign
Following Thursday's publication of the Makin review into John Smyth - which was critical of the Archbishop of Canterbury's handling of the case - Justin Welby said he had given resignation "a lot of thought for actually quite a long time".
Speaking to Channel Four last week, Justin Welby added: "I have given it [resigning] a lot of thought and have taken advice as recently as this morning from senior colleagues, and, no, I am not going to resign."
Now, he says "it is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024".
Key dates in the John Smyth scandal
- 1970s and 1980s: John Smyth physically abused boys at Christian camps in the UK and Africa
- 1982: An investigation by the Iwerne Trust, which ran the camps, uncovers claims of abuse - but does not report it to police
- 2013: Church of England knew "at the highest level" about the allegations, says Makin report
- 2013: Police were notified - Welby now says he "believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow"
- 2016: The Iwerne Trust’s report was made public
- 2017: Channel 4 News investigation highlights the findings
- 2018: Smyth dies in Cape Town, having not faced justice
- 2019: Independent report commissioned, led by Keith Makin, to look into Church’s handling of the Smyth case
- 7 November 2024: Makin report published - Justin Welby initially says he won't resign, but changes his mind days later
Former bishop 'relieved' at Welby resignation
Former Anglican priest and bishop, Dr Gavin Ashenden, says he is relieved that Justin Welby has resigned.
"I'm relieved, mainly for the victims of sexual abuse but also for the institution itself," he tells BBC News.
"It took almost 10 years of the archbishop's tenure for the [Makin] report to be produced," he adds, calling this "completely unacceptable".
For context: The Makin report into the decades of abuse by John Smyth - a barrister associated with the Church of England - said Welby failed to act properly when he first heard about the abuse in 2013. After the report was published, Welby accepted he "personally failed to ensure... the awful tragedy was energetically investigated"
'The right and honourable thing to do' - Archbishop of York
There has also been a reaction from Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York—a role that's second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury within the Church of England.
"As I read the Makin review last week and reflected on the terrible abuse perpetrated by John Smyth and shamefully covered up by others, I am, first of all, moved by the accounts of victims and survivors that we have heard from so powerfully," he says.
"They were badly let down by many in different parts of the Church of England."
He adds: "As Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin has decided to take his share of responsibility for the failures identified by the Makin review. I believe this is the right and honourable thing to do.
"Whilst this is a difficult day for Justin, I pray there will be an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the many positive aspects of his ministry and his huge commitment to the Church of England, the Anglican Communion and above all the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
What next?
On what will happen next, there is a "lengthy process", the BBC's Harry Farley says.
The timings are to be decided, but choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury won't be fast.
There will be a commission to take in opinions across the Church of England and wider Anglican communion - remember, the Archbishop of Canterbury has a global role as head of the worldwide Anglican church.
A committee will then be formed, and they will call people for interview - this can take six months, Farley says.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is head of the Church of England but they also have a wider constitutional role. The process for choosing Justin Welby’s replacement reflects that.
A nationwide consultation will be held asking people in and outside the Church of England what they want from the next archbishop. That is expected to take several months.
Church and government officials will summarise those views, along with feedback from the Church representatives in Canterbury – the area the archbishop technically oversees. That information will form the basis of creating a longlist of suitable candidates invited for interview.
No one applies for the role. Those chosen for interview don’t have to be from the Church of England and they don’t have to be bishops, although they are likely to be.
The candidates will then be interviewed by a committee of 17 people. The chair is appointed by the prime minister and the members will include representatives from around the global Anglican Communion, the General Synod, or parliament, as well as at least one bishop.
At least two-thirds of the committee members must agree before a decision is made.
King Charles exchanged private words with Welby via 'intermediaries'
King Charles - the supreme governor of the Church of England - exchanged private words with Justin Welby through intermediaries this morning, the PA news agency reports.
These words approved the resignation process which was followed by their aides.
Public words from the King will be reserved for the point of formal departure, PA adds.
Starmer respects Welby's decision to resign, spokesperson says
Prime Minister Keir Starmer "respects" the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's decision to resign "over his handling of a child abuse scandal," his spokesperson says.
"His thoughts first and foremost remain with all the victims," the spokesperson added.
Starmer, who is currently in attendance at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, told reporters before Welby stepped down that the decision would be "a matter for the Church".
