The investigation found that senior church figures, including Welby, failed to address abuse carried out by British lawyer John Smyth in the 1970s and 1980s.
Smyth, who organized Christian summer camps across the UK and other countries, was reported to have abused over 100 boys and young men under his care.
Although some people tried to expose Smyth’s actions, the Church’s response was slow and inadequate, ultimately allowing the abuse to continue both in the UK and abroad.
John Smyth died in South Africa in 2018 without facing any charges.
In a statement, Justin Welby expressed deep regret over the Church’s mishandling of the issue, acknowledging the Church’s serious failures in safeguarding.
He admitted learning of the allegations in 2013, the year he became Archbishop, and that his attempts to investigate and address the issue were insufficient.
Justin Welby said: “Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign.
“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuse 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 re-traumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
“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.”
Welby’s resignation comes amid mounting criticism from abuse survivors and other church leaders.
Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, questioned the Church’s ability to ensure safety, reflecting the concerns of many.
She said, “I think, rightly, people are asking the question: ‘Can we really trust the Church of England to keep us safe?’ And I think the answer at the moment is ‘no.”
Reacting to the news, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said it was “the right and honourable thing to do” to have “decided to take his share of responsibility for the failures identified by the Makin Review”.
Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally said the move “provides the urgent impetus we need to change the face of safeguarding in the Church of England”.
Joanne Grenfell, the Bishop of Stepney, told Sky News’ Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge she felt “deep shame and sorrow” over the Church of England’s history of abuse.
She said: “It’s really clear that we failed by allowing that abuse to happen and by allowing it to be covered up. And so, yeah, I feel deep shame and sorrow and that is why I’m doing this job.”
“It’s hard, but I can’t begin to imagine what it feels like to be a victim or survivor of abuse,” she added. “We have to change” for them,.
Bishop Grenfell went on to say the issue of abuse was a “whole church problem” which warranted a “whole church response”.
She said: “It’s about culture. It’s about leadership, it’s about theology. So, yes, abuse matters. But the whole context is what needs to change.”
Andrew Morse, a survivor of Smyth’s abuse, called for Justin Welby’s resignation, arguing that if Welby had acted more decisively in 2013, further harm might have been prevented.
The scandal has marred Welby’s tenure, which included officiating key events like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding and Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.
In his resignation statement, Welby acknowledged the harm suffered by the victims and the Church’s failure to protect them.
“I am so sorry that in places where these young men, and boys, should have felt safe and where they should have experienced God’s love for them, they were subjected to physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse,” he said.
KanyiDaily recalls that Catholic church’s Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion, and the leaders of Protestant churches in England and Scotland had denounced the criminalization of homosexuality.
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A heartbreaking chapter for the Church of England. 😔 Archbishop Justin Welby resigns after the shocking cover-up of child abuse by John Smyth. A call for accountability and healing. ⚖️ #ChurchScandal #Accountability