Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the world’s Anglican community, announced his resignation on Tuesday amid criticism of his handling of abuse allegations within the church.
Mr. Welby acknowledged in a statement that he was unable to ensure a thorough investigation into allegations of abuse by volunteers at a Christian summer camp decades ago.
Welby, who officiated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding and presided over the coronation of King Charles III, has done enough to stop one of the church’s most prolific abusers. Reuters reported that calls for his resignation are growing following recent reports that he has failed to do so.
Church historians and commentators say this is the first time an Anglican archbishop has resigned over an abuse scandal.
In his resignation letter, Mr Welby said he must accept “personal and institutional responsibility” for the church’s failure to act against these “heinous abuses”.
Mr Welby said: “The last few days have intensified my deep feelings of shame at the Church of England’s historic security failures.” “As I resign, it is with sadness that I join all victims and survivors of abuse.”
During his 10-year tenure, Welby navigated difficult issues surrounding LGBTQ rights and the ordination of women, creating tensions between liberal churches in the West and conservative churches in Africa.
Anglican churches in countries such as Uganda and Nigeria have previously expressed distrust of him and are expected to welcome his resignation.
The next archbishop will face the task of uniting an increasingly divided Anglican community and addressing a decline in church attendance in England, which has fallen by 20% since 2019.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed respect for Mr Welby’s decision.
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, the church’s second-in-command, called Mr Welby’s resignation “the right and honorable decision.”
