Justin Welby said he was standing down after a damning report found his failure to act meant that 'abhorrent' serial abuser John Smyth was never brought to justice.
The Archbishop of Canterbury dramatically resigned today admitting he feels 'shame' over the way victims of the Church's most prolific child abuser were let down.
Survivor groups stressed that there should be more departures rather than Dr Welby being the sole 'scapegoat'. 'It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.' Sir Keir said that findings in the review by Keith Makin that Smyth abused more than 100 boys and young men are 'clearly horrific' and that his victims 'have obviously been failed very, very badly'.In a statement, Dr Welby said: ' Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.'
When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow. 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 twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.
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. The Right Reverend Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Newcastle, said that his position is 'untenable' and added: 'I think he should resign.'
The petition read: 'Given his role in allowing abuse to continue, we believe that his continuing as the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer tenable. We must see change, for the sake of survivors, for the protection of the vulnerable, and for the good of the Church.' The retirement is usually announced well in advance as it is often a drawn out process to appoint a successor.
Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, said Dr Welby's resignation was 'the right and honourable thing to do'. 'Indeed, it has been Archbishop Justin himself who has championed those developments and reforms. Both Justin and I have made our hopes known about the independence of safeguarding discussed both by Makin and also in Alexis Jay's report and look forward to the group already at work on these bringing recommendations which can be both effective and trusted.
The House of Survivors, which was set up by two survivors of Church of England abuse to help others, welcomed the Archbishop's resignation and called for other implicated clergy to follow.
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