Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, after a series of investigations carried out by authorities in England over his knowledge of extensive physical and sexual abuse committed in Christian summer camps, has resigned as the senior cleric of the Church of England “in sorrow” on Tuesday, saying he had failed to ensure a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago.
Welby, also spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, had faced calls to resign after a report last week found he had taken insufficient action to stop arguably the Church’s most prolific serial abuser.
Welby, who willingly announced his resignation said in a letter that he must take “personal and institutional responsibility” for lack of action on the “heinous abuses”.
“The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England,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.” Welby said.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the Church’s second-ranking cleric, called Welby’s resignation “the right and honourable thing to do”.
Welby’s tenure according to reports covered a decade of major upheaval in which he was forced to navigate rows over homosexual rights and women clerics between liberal churches, mostly in North America and Britain, and their conservative counterparts, especially in Africa.
The Anglican churches in African countries such as Uganda and Nigeria are likely to welcome Welby’s resignation, after saying last year they no longer had confidence in him.
Source: Reuters
