A vicar who helped arrange a broadly supported petition calling on Justin Welby to step down as Archbishop of Canterbury has welcomed his resignation.
The Rev Marcus Walker, founding father of the Save the Parish motion, co-sponsored the Change.org petition, which was signed by greater than 14,000 folks.
“Justin Welby did the correct factor and my prayers are with him and his household at present,” Walker stated on X.
“Prayers additionally for individuals who had been brutally raped by John Smyth, for whom the previous couple of days will convey again a lot struggling.
“Now the church should determine the way to transfer ahead with knowledge and care.”
Welby introduced his resignation on Tuesday afternoon after days of mounting scrutiny over his failure to report sadistic abuse by a Christian camp organizer, the late John Smyth QC, to the police after studying of it in 2013.
The Archbishop's failings had been detailed in a scathing report by Keith Makin, which stated the Church of England's actions amounted to a “cover-up”. Talking to Cathy Newman on Channel 4 Information, Welby denied a cover-up however admitted “incompetence”.
Gavin Ashenden, a former chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth II, was amongst critics calling for Welby's resignation. He additionally welcomed at present's announcement.
“Lots of John Smyth's victims will likely be drastically relieved to see the Archbishop of Canterbury resign as a result of 'incompetence' as he described them to Cathy Newman,” he stated.
“His private incompetence and his workplace's collusion in failing to offer ample vitality and assets to answer complaints from victims and his workplace resulted in it taking 10 years for a report of kid sexual abuse by a number one Anglican. legal professional to return to gentle.
“Solely his resignation may fulfill the calls for for each justice and an assurance that the Church of England acknowledged that it had failed each the victims and its members.”
Welby turned Archbishop of Canterbury in 2013 and was as a result of retire in 2026. He got here below intense stress to resign after the publication of the Makin Report final Thursday, with critics claiming he had misplaced the belief of the Church of England and that his place had develop into “unsustainable”.
The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, was essentially the most distinguished determine within the Church of England to name for Welby's resignation, telling the BBC that his place had develop into “untenable”.
“I feel it's very tough for the church as a nationwide, established church to have an ethical voice in our nation in any approach, form or kind after we can't get our personal home so as on one thing as critically necessary [as abuse],” she stated.
