Archbishop of York says Justin Welby's resigination is "right and honourable" as Church leader steps down amid abuse scandal

Justin Welby stepping down was said by his second-in-command the Archbishop of York as “the right and honourable thing to do,” after earlier this month a scathing review found known child abuser John Smyth QC might have been brought to justice had Welby alerted authorities about his crimes in 2013.

Smyth abused over 130 boys in the UK and Africa over a period of five decades before his death in 2018.

Calls for the Archbishop to resign following the Makin review into Smyth’s crimes intensified over the beginning of this week, and on Tuesday afternoon Justin Welby announced he was stepping down from the most senior position in the Church of England (CoE) to take “personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period.”

In a statement, he said: “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.”

Welby added: “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.”

The Makin report said Smyth “could and should have been formally reported to the police in the UK, and to authorities in South Africa (church authorities and potentially the police) by church officers, including a diocesan bishop and Justin Welby in 2013″.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, had previously stayed silent on calls for Welby to resign, which were led by the Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley and saw a petition started by members of the General Synod signed by over 13,000 people.

But minutes after Welby’s resignation statement, Cottrell said victims of Smyth had been “badly let down by many in different parts of the Church of England.”

Archbishop Cottrell said: “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.

“They were badly let down by many in different parts of the Church of England. I am grateful for their courage to be part of the review.

“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.”

Welby was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 2012, succeeding Rowan Williams. During his tenure at Lambeth Palace he oversaw the two biggest royal events of the 21st century: the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of her son Charles III.

The King was said to have expressed private words with Welby yesterday after his resignation.

It is believed to be the first time an Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned amid scandal in the near 1500 years of the role’s existence.