The head of the worldwide Anglican Communion steps down, marking a significant shift in the church’s global leadership.
The spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion and head of the Church of England has stepped down. This follows an investigation revealing that Justin Welby did not promptly report to police about repeated physical, sexual, and spiritual abuse committed by a volunteer leader after he became aware of it in 2013.
In a statement on Tuesday, November 12, the Archbishop of Canterbury expressed that he believes it is best for him to step aside in order to serve the interests of the Church of England, which he deeply loves and has been honored to serve.
Church leaders urged him to resign following the release of findings from an independent review on November 7.
Helen-Ann Hartley, the bishop of Newcastle, stated on Monday (Nov. 11) that her position was “untenable” after certain members of the church’s national assembly initiated a petition urging Welby to resign due to him having “lost the confidence of his clergy.”
The most intense outcry arose from the victims of John Smyth, a well-known attorney who notably used a cane to physically discipline teenage boys and young men at Christian summer camps in Britain, Zimbabwe, and South Africa over five decades.
According to the report, Smyth used a cane to discipline campers for “sins” such as “pride,” making sexual comments, masturbation or, in one instance, staring at a girl for too long. During these brutal beatings, both Smyth and the victims were often partially or completely naked.
“The report highlighted the alarming extent and brutality of the practice, citing instances where individuals received 100 lashes for masturbation, 400 for pride, and even one case involving an undisclosed ‘fall’ that resulted in 800 lashes.”
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His abusive actions were not revealed until 2017, and he passed away the next year before being extradited to England.
Andrew Morse, who suffered repeated beatings by Smyth over a span of five years, stated that stepping down provided an opportunity for Welby to begin addressing the harm inflicted by the church’s broader approach to handling historical abuse cases.
A report published in 2022 by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse revealed that factors such as respect for clergy authority, societal taboos against discussing sexuality, and a culture prioritizing alleged perpetrators over victims contributed to making the Church of England “a place where abusers could hide.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury serves as the chief figure in the Church of England and is regarded as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, a global community consisting of over 85 million members across 165 countries. Among other primates within this communion, he holds a position often described as ‘first among equals.’
A petition has been initiated by some members of the General Synod, the national assembly of the church, urging Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to step down.
The 251-page report concludes that Welby did not notify authorities about Smyth when he became aware of the abuse in August 2013, shortly after assuming the role of Archbishop of Canterbury.
At the time of Smyth’s death, police had been planning to question him and were in the process of arranging his extradition.
A report released in 2022 by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse revealed that respect for clergymen’s authority, taboos on discussing sexuality, and a culture prioritizing alleged perpetrators over victims contributed to making the Church of England “a place where abusers could hide.”
