Why has Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned and what happens next?

12 November 2024, 15:14 | Updated: 12 November 2024, 18:51

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned after thousands of people signed a petition calling for him to step down.

The petition by members of the General Synod - the Church of England's parliament - comes 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 why has Mr Welby resigned, what did the report say and how will he be replaced?

What was the report?

It was an independent review into the church's handling of John Smyth QC, a barrister and evangelical Christian who abused as many as 130 boys and young men at Christian summer camps.

He is believed to be the most prolific serial abuser associated with the Church of England, having targeted victims in the UK and Africa over five decades.

A Channel 4 documentary broadcast in 2017 shed light on the abuse and Hampshire Police opened an investigation shortly after, but Smyth died in Cape Town at the age of 75 in 2018, before any charges were brought against him.

Allegations were first made against Smyth in 1982, and the independent review published last week found Smyth's abuse was covered up within the Church of England for years.

The barrister moved to Zimbabwe in 1984 and set up similar evangelical camps there.

The review said Smyth was able to move to Africa from England while a small number of church officers "knew of the abuse and failed to take the steps necessary to prevent further abuse occurring", allowing him to continue abusing victims abroad.

It added that from 2013, "the Church of England knew, at the highest level, about the abuse that took place" because a victim came forward, but did not act on the information.

What does the report say about Justin Welby?

It says Mr Welby "could and should" have formally reported the abuse to authorities in 2013 when he first became aware, but that he and other senior figures at the church "showed a distinct lack of curiosity" and minimised the matter.

They said if Mr Welby had told the police at the time, Smyth may have been brought to justice a decade ago.

The report also looked at whether Mr Welby could have had knowledge of the abuse prior to 2013, because he knew Smyth from attending Iwerne Christian camps at the same time as him in the 1970s.

The review said there was nothing to suggest this went beyond "a passing relationship" and that there was no evidence he had "maintained any significant contact" with the barrister in later years.

But it did say Mr Welby was overheard by a contributor to the review having a "grave" conversation with Reverend Mark Ruston about Smyth while lodging with him in 1978.

Mr Welby has said he does not recall this conversation and that he was not aware of the actions of Smyth at that time.

Mr Welby has admitted that in early 1981, a reverend called Peter Sertin told him that one of the boys at his church had "spoken to him" about Smyth.

Mr Sertin warned Mr Welby that Smyth was not a good man and to "stay away from him".

Mr Welby told the review that the warning was vague, and that there was no indication given of the abuses which later came to light.

What has Welby said?

This is Mr Welby's full resignation letter: "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 12 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 does the Archbishop of Canterbury do?

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior leader of the Church of England, below the King, who is its supreme governor.

They preside over the church and its work in the southern two-thirds of England, while the Archbishop of York leads in the north.

The Archbishop of Canterbury also holds the "unique position in the worldwide Anglican Church as spiritual leader".

Along with 106 other bishops, the archbishops determine the direction of the church and make decisions on its role in society.

They also chair the General Synod, which is the church's ruling committee - made up of bishops, clergy, and laity - that meets twice a year to discuss church law and matters of public interest.

The Archbishop of Canterbury sits in the House of Lords as a 'Lord Spiritual', acts as patron for various organisations and charities, and is in charge of the Anglican chaplains for each of the British Armed Forces.

Who could replace him - and could it be a woman?

Mr Welby will be replaced by one of the church's 107 other bishops.

His second-in-command Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell could take over, but this is unlikely, as by the time he comes to take the job he would be approaching retirement.

Three others have been earmarked as favourites.

The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, could make history as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. She has been in post since April 2021, having left her native Iran in the wake of 1980 Iranian revolution aged 13.

Dr Francis-Dehqani is currently lead bishop for housing - and is chair of the board of the Church Army.

The Bishop of Norwich, Reverend Graham Usher, is another contender. He has been in post since 2019, having served as the Bishop of Dudley for five years before that. Revd Usher took his seat in the House of Lords last October and is currently lead bishop for the environment.

The Bishop of Leicester, Reverend Martyn Snow is the final favourite, having served there since 2016. He is particularly interested in issues around poverty and currently the lead bishop for "living in love and faith".

What happens now?

Under legislation known as the ecclesiastical offices regulations, which are passed by the General Synod and parliament, archbishops are required to retire at the age of 70.

Mr Welby is 14 months off of turning 70 and was set to announce his retirement for January 2026, according to reports.

But now the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury will have to be selected sooner.

It is the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), consisting of 16 voting members, which first identifies a preferred candidate and a second appointable candidate.

The CNC consists of:

• The chair (a layperson) - to be appointed by the prime minister

• A bishop - to be elected by the House of Bishops

• The Archbishop of York or, if he chooses not to be a member of the CNC, a further bishop to be elected by the House of Bishops

• Six representatives elected from the Diocese of Canterbury by its Vacancy in See Committee

• The six representatives (three clergy and three lay) elected by General Synod to serve as members of the Commission for a five year period

• A member of the Primates Meeting of the Anglican Communion elected by the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion

Once the CNC agrees on its preferred candidate, it passes its suggestion on to the prime minister, who, by convention rather than by law, advises the monarch to appoint them.

Once the monarch has approved the chosen candidate and the candidate has indicated a willingness to serve, 10 Downing Street announces the name of the archbishop-designate, before the College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral formally elect them as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

The election is confirmed by a commission of diocesan bishops in a legal ceremony, and then the Archbishop of Canterbury is officially enthroned at the city's cathedral.

Has an archbishop resigned before?

The previous Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, stepped down at the age of 62 in 2012.

He did so after 10 years in the role, in order to take up a new post as master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.