LONDON (AP) – Justin Welby's tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury ends on Monday after an investigation finds he failed to report repeated abuse by volunteers at a Christian summer camp to police as soon as he became aware of it. do.
Mr Welby, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide, will lay down his bishop's crosier in a symbolic act marking the end of his ministry. . Most of his official duties will be delegated to Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York.
Mr Welby announced in November that he was resigning following an independent investigation into the late prominent lawyer John Smith. Smith is said to have sexually, psychologically and physically abused approximately 30 boys and young people in Africa and 85 people in Africa since the 1970s, according to the report. Passed away in 2018.
The Makin Review's 251-page report concluded that Mr Welby failed to report the abuse to Mr Smith to authorities when he was made aware of the abuse against Mr Smith in August 2013, shortly after becoming Archbishop of Canterbury. Had he done so, Smith might have been stopped sooner.
Welby's initial refusal to step aside has fueled anger over a lack of accountability from the church's upper echelons.
The resignation comes against a backdrop of widespread historical sexual abuse in the Church of England. A 2022 report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse found that a culture of giving more support to alleged perpetrators than to victims makes the Church of England a “place where abusers can hide”. He said it was the cause.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the iconic head of the Anglican Church, which has more than 85 million members in 165 countries. Each national church has its own leader, but the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered the foremost of equal leaders.
Choosing a successor will take time. There is a possibility that a new selection will be announced in the fall.
The process begins with the Crown Nominations Commission, which nominates candidates for the bishoprics and other episcopal offices in the United Kingdom. The committee will pass the names of its preferred candidates to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will then ask them if they would like the job. If a candidate declines, the Prime Minister must ask the committee for an alternative.
Starmer conveys his recommendations to Charles III.
The commission is made up of 16 members, including the Archbishop of York, representatives of the clergy and laity, and a chair appointed by the Prime Minister.
Voting members of the commission also include representatives from the Anglican Church in five regions of the world: Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.
