The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned.

Mr Welby faced mounting pressure to step down after it emerged last week that he did not follow up rigorously enough on reports of prolific child abuse associated with the Church.

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Why did an abuse scandal lead to the archbishop's resignation?

Church covered up 'abhorrent' abuse, report finds

Here is his resignation statement in full:

___

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.

It is my duty to honour my constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.

I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.

The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly 12 years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.

In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.

I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.

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.

For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5632798&forum_id=2...id.#48327758)

WTF? Do they have sick dirt on Welby?? hes getting coup’d

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

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

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

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5632798&forum_id=2...id.#48327816)

at a time when non-english anglicans are already MAF at the CoE

will be interesting to see!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5632798&forum_id=2...id.#48327842)

I think his hands are clean on the (personal) sexual scandal front. this is something else.

but yes the replacement will be straight out of Consuela’s substack archives

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5632798&forum_id=2...id.#48327853)