Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is facing mounting calls to resign after a report uncovered the Church of England’s mishandling of a serious abuse case. Three members of the General Synod, the Church’s national assembly, initiated a petition for his resignation, following the revelations.
The report detailed how the Church failed to address repeated abuse by John Smyth, a lawyer and organizer of evangelical camps in the 1970s and 1980s. Smyth allegedly abused up to 130 young boys and men after grooming them at these camps, making him one of the most prolific known abusers tied to the Church.
The review indicated that Welby “could and should” have reported the abuse to authorities as early as 2013, the year he claimed to have first learned of the situation. Smyth passed away in 2018 in South Africa, never having faced criminal charges in the UK.
Welby, the Church’s highest-ranking official, expressed regret last week, saying he was “deeply sorry that this abuse happened” and maintained that he had no knowledge of it prior to 2013. Although he told Channel 4 News he had considered stepping down, he ultimately chose not to, explaining, “If I’d known before 2013 or had grounds for suspicion, that would be a resigning matter then and now. But I didn’t.”
The petition from Synod members states that Welby “held a personal and moral responsibility to pursue this further” and failed to do so. It questions his continued leadership, deeming it “untenable” due to his role in the Church’s inaction. By Monday morning, over 1,600 people had signed the petition, and more clergy have voiced their concerns.
Giles Fraser, vicar of St Anne’s Church in London, described the situation as dire, stating, “He’s lost the confidence of his clergy and many bishops, and his position is completely untenable.”
