The pressure on Welby intensified last week, especially after he initially declined to take full responsibility for not reporting the abuses in both England and Africa back in 2013.
This reluctance fueled public frustration, highlighting concerns over a perceived lack of accountability within the church. By Tuesday, Welby acknowledged his role in the delays.
'It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period between 2013 and 2024,' Welby said in the statement.
'I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honored to serve,' he added.
Welby's departure is expected to impact the Anglican Communion globally. While each national branch has its own leadership, the Archbishop of Canterbury is seen as the senior figure among equals in the 85-million-strong global community, which includes the U.S.-based Episcopal Church.
Before this controversy, Welby was already a polarizing figure. A former oil executive turned priest, he became known for his mediation efforts in conflict zones such as Nigeria. Despite his skills in diplomacy, he faced challenges in uniting the Anglican Communion, which has clashed internally over issues like LGBTQ+ rights and women's roles in church leadership.
The recent resignation follows a damning report by the Makin Review, commissioned by the Church of England to investigate abuse allegations against John Smyth, a prominent lawyer.
Smyth, who died in 2018, was accused of physically, sexually, and psychologically abusing approximately 30 young men and boys in the U.K. and over 80 in Africa from the 1970s onward.
The 251-page report concluded that Welby did not report Smyth to authorities when he was informed in August 2013, shortly after becoming Archbishop. The report suggested that earlier reporting could have prevented further harm to victims.
Welby explained that he had been misinformed about police involvement and, though regretful, accepted responsibility for not ensuring the investigation was pursued as "energetically" as it should have been.
Just a day before his resignation, Welby's office stated he had chosen to remain in his position, even as he expressed horror over the extent of Smyth's abuses.
Some church members, including Newcastle's Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley, deemed his continued leadership 'untenable.' Additionally, a petition calling for Welby's resignation began circulating among members of the General Synod, the national assembly of the Church of England.
The most vocal calls for his resignation came from Smyth's victims, with Andrew Morse, one of those abused, suggesting that Welby's stepping down could help begin the process of healing the damage caused by the church's broader mishandling of historical abuse cases.
This resignation adds to ongoing scrutiny of the Church of England's historical response to sexual abuse within its ranks.
IGIHE
