What made the archbishop resign?
An independent investigative report into the Anglican Church’s response to the abuse of child laborer John Smyth, published last week. It showed that Smyth abused at least 115 adults and children over a period of more than forty years. Welby volunteered to attend summer camps held by Smyth, whom he knew.
In 2013, shortly after Welby was appointed archbishop, abuse was raised at the highest levels of the Anglican Church. The report states that the Anglican Church should have acted by making a statement when the victims’ statements became public in 2013. However, this did not happen.
In the past week, calls for Welby’s resignation grew louder, including through an open letter from the conservative Church Society. The archbishop apologized, but announced on Tuesday afternoon that he was resigning.
“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and traumatic period between 2013 and 2024,” Welby said in a statement announcing his resignation. “I believe that standing aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I love deeply and which I have had the honor of serving.”
“I believe that marginalization is in the interests of the Church of England” – Justin Welby, retired Archbishop of Canterbury
How does the church feel about Welby’s move?
Conservative Anglicans have been calling for Welby’s resignation for some time, and not just because of the Smyth case. Many orthodox Anglicans felt that Welby should step down because the Church of England, under his leadership, decided last year to allow same-sex couples to be blessed in the church. Now they accuse him of lacking spiritual authority and covering up the truth.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said Welby’s decision was justified by the victims of abuse.
Victims of the abuse are demanding that Welby should not be “scapegoated” but that more people responsible should resign.
Does it happen often that the Archbishop of Canterbury resigns?
Welby, 68, has led the worldwide Anglican Communion, which has about 85 million members, since 2013. The Archbishop of Canterbury usually serves until the mandatory retirement age of 70. If one wants to retire earlier, the archbishop must inform the king, who can accept the resignation. Later, the former archbishop is usually appointed as a life member of the House of Lords. It often happens that archbishops resign for the usual reasons. Rowan Williams, Welby’s predecessor, retired in 2012 at the age of 61. He became a professor of theology.
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Rowan Williams: I failed as an archbishop
When will the Church of England get a new leader?
The new Archbishop of Canterbury was not chosen lightly. You cannot apply for this position. First, there will be a national consultation, asking those inside and outside the church what they think is important for the new archbishop. Representatives of the Church of Canterbury, overseen by the Archbishop, then drew up a long list of suitable candidates. They come for an interview. They don’t necessarily have to be bishops, although that often happens. A committee of seventeen, whose chairman is appointed by Prime Minister Starmer, makes the selection.
It is not yet known exactly when Welby will leave, but it is likely to be at least six months before the Anglican Communion has a spiritual leader again.