• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Thursday, October 23, 2025
  • Login
Vital News
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
Vital News
No Result
View All Result
Home Foreign

Archbishop Of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Resigns Over U.K. Church Abuse Scandal

Vital News by Vital News
November 12, 2024
in Foreign, News, Religion
0
Archbishop Of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Resigns Over U.K. Church Abuse Scandal
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, on Tuesday announced his resignation, days after a report concluded that he had failed to ensure a proper investigation into claims that more than 100 boys and young men were abused decades ago at Christian summer camps.

Pressure had mounted on Mr. Welby, the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, after the report was published and after one senior figure in the church, the bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, called on him publicly to step aside.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Welby said, “It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period between 2013 and 2024.”

He said that he had sought permission to resign from King Charles III, and added : “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.”

RelatedStories

Dangote Group Denies Ownership Of Truck In Akungba-Akoko Accident

Trailer Crushes Female University Lecturer To Death In Lokoja

Governor Adeleke Appoints Davido Chairman Of Osun State Sports Trust Fund

FG Warns Buyers To Stay Off ARCEDEM, Radio Nigeria Land, Four Other Landed Property In Oyo

Under the church’s rules, the job of managing the choice of Mr. Welby’s successor falls to a committee known as the Crown Nominations Commission.

It submits the name of a preferred and an alternative candidate to the prime minister, who then advises the monarch on the appointment.

In his statement, the archbishop said he would delegate his safeguarding responsibilities but the Church said the timing of his departure would be made known in due course.

Mr. Welby, 68, has held his position since 2013 and was scheduled to retire in 2026.

His departure brings to a premature end the tenure of the country’s best known cleric, who took over the leadership of the Church of England at a time of tension between liberals and traditionalists.

Last week, an independent review concluded that the archbishop had failed to take sufficient action following reports of “abhorrent” abuse by John Smyth, a senior British lawyer, of more than 100 boys and young men in the 1970s and 1980s.

Mr. Welby said in 2017 that he had met Mr. Smyth but “wasn’t a close friend of his.”

The report, compiled by Keith Makin, a former social services director, said that over four decades, Mr. Smyth became “arguably, the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England,” operating in three different countries where he inflicted physical, sexual and psychological attacks on as many as 130 people.

He died in 2018 in South Africa.

The report criticized the actions of a number of people within the church.

“Despite the efforts of some individuals to bring the abuse to the attention of authorities, the responses by the Church of England and others were wholly ineffective and amounted to a coverup,” it said.

In a statement in response to Mr. Makin’s report, Mr. Welby said that he had had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2013,” but that he then “personally failed” to ensure that the claims of abuse were investigated properly.

Repeating an apology he made to the reviewers, Mr. Welby acknowledged that “he did not meet quickly with victims after the full horror of the abuse was revealed” by Britain’s Channel 4 TV in 2017.

“I promised to see them and failed until 2020. This was wrong,” he said.

That television report gave details of how Mr. Smyth had groomed boys and young men at Christian summer camps, universities and at Winchester College, a top British private school, before subjecting them to savage beatings.

Mr. Welby in London in 2017. He issued an “unreserved and unequivocal” apology on behalf of the church that year.

Mr. Smyth convinced those he abused “that the way to Christ was through suffering,” the Makin report said, adding that he subjected them to “traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks.

“The impact of that abuse is impossible to overstate and has permanently marked the lives of his victims.”

The report said that it had found “clear evidence that the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth in the UK” was “ ‘covered up’, minimized and held as ‘secret’ from at least 1982 (and possibly earlier.)”

From July 2013, the Church of England knew, at the highest level, about the abuse, it said, while Mr. Welby became aware of the claims against John Smyth in around August 2013, in his capacity as archbishop of Canterbury.

It added : “There was a distinct lack of curiosity shown by these senior figures and a tendency toward minimization of the matter, demonstrated by the absence of any further questioning and follow up.”

Mr. Smyth could and should have been reported to the police in 2013, a step that probably would have led to a full investigation, the uncovering of the serial nature of the abuses in Britain, involving multiple victims, and the possibility of a conviction being brought against him, the report said.
(New York Times)

Tags: AnglicanBishopUKWelby
Previous Post

Troops Arrest 12 Suspected Kidnappers In Taraba, Recover Pistol, Motorcycles, Marijuana

Next Post

Stop Being Complicit In Crime Against Humanity, Halt Crude Oil Sale To Israel – MURIC Tells FG

Vital News

Vital News

RelatedStories

Dangote Denies Ownership Of Truck Involved In Enugu Accident
News

Dangote Group Denies Ownership Of Truck In Akungba-Akoko Accident

October 23, 2025
Trailer Crushes Female University Lecturer To Death In Lokoja
Education

Trailer Crushes Female University Lecturer To Death In Lokoja

October 23, 2025
Governor Adeleke Appoints Davido Chairman Of Osun State Sports Trust Fund
News

Governor Adeleke Appoints Davido Chairman Of Osun State Sports Trust Fund

October 22, 2025
FG Cancels Independence Anniversary Parade
Environment

FG Warns Buyers To Stay Off ARCEDEM, Radio Nigeria Land, Four Other Landed Property In Oyo

October 22, 2025
‎IMPI Welcomes First Interest Rate Cut In Five Years, Says CBN Decision Aligns With Its Projection
Economy

‎IMPI Revises Inflation Rate Projection To 14% From 17% For December

October 22, 2025
Next Post
Collapsed Mosque : MURIC Visits Site, Asks LASG To Rebuild Mosque, Compensate Parents Of Victim Within Six Months

Stop Being Complicit In Crime Against Humanity, Halt Crude Oil Sale To Israel - MURIC Tells FG

Abiodun Promises To Release 100 CNG Buses, Warns Transporters Against Exploitation

Ogun Reiterates Resolve To Improve Upon Workers' Welfare

Governor Ododo Celebrates Nigerian Tribune @75

Governor Ododo Celebrates Nigerian Tribune @75

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Recommended

Again, Dangote Industries Limited, Emerges Most Valuable Brand in Nigeria

Dangote Group Remits N402.3bln Tax To Govt In 2024

8 months ago

Kano Asks NTA, AIT, Others To Replace Journalists Covering Govt. House

1 year ago
We Have Not Fixed Petrol Price — Dangote

Dangote Promises To Ensure Stability In Price Of Petrol In Spite Increase In Crude Price

5 months ago
First Ministerial Conference Of  Russia-Africa Forum Begins In Sochi, Food Security Tops Agenda

First Ministerial Conference Of Russia-Africa Forum Begins In Sochi, Food Security Tops Agenda

12 months ago

Instagram

    Please install/update and activate JNews Instagram plugin.

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • Maritime/ Marine Transport
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Tourism
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

Topics

Abiodun Abuja APC arrest Atiku Bandits Bello Benue Buhari CBN cement Court Dangote death dies drugs Economy EFCC Election FG gunmen Hajj INEC Kano kidnap Kill Kogi Kwara Lagos NDLEA Niger Nigeria Ododo Ogun Oyo PDP Police Power refinery rescue road Security students Tinubu US
No Result
View All Result

Highlights

Governor Adeleke Appoints Davido Chairman Of Osun State Sports Trust Fund

FG Warns Buyers To Stay Off ARCEDEM, Radio Nigeria Land, Four Other Landed Property In Oyo

‎IMPI Revises Inflation Rate Projection To 14% From 17% For December

National Orthopedic Hospital Jalingo Signs MoU With Police Health Maintenance Limited

Former Kogi Senator In Trouble Over Attempts To Scuttle Appointment Of Amupitan As INEC Chairman, Action Raises Dust Among Kinsmen

Three INEC Officials Going For November 8 Anambra Governorship Election Kidnapped In Kogi

Trending

Dangote Denies Ownership Of Truck Involved In Enugu Accident
News

Dangote Group Denies Ownership Of Truck In Akungba-Akoko Accident

by Vital News
October 23, 2025
0

Dangote Group has refuted reports circulating on social media and in some online platforms linking it to...

Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman

Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman

October 23, 2025
Trailer Crushes Female University Lecturer To Death In Lokoja

Trailer Crushes Female University Lecturer To Death In Lokoja

October 23, 2025
Governor Adeleke Appoints Davido Chairman Of Osun State Sports Trust Fund

Governor Adeleke Appoints Davido Chairman Of Osun State Sports Trust Fund

October 22, 2025
FG Cancels Independence Anniversary Parade

FG Warns Buyers To Stay Off ARCEDEM, Radio Nigeria Land, Four Other Landed Property In Oyo

October 22, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Vital News

Vital News is an online newspaper with a mission to uphold professional journalism by reporting and publishing only facts and figures-based news reports across Nigeria and beyond.

Recent News

  • Dangote Group Denies Ownership Of Truck In Akungba-Akoko Accident October 23, 2025
  • Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman October 23, 2025
  • Trailer Crushes Female University Lecturer To Death In Lokoja October 23, 2025

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • Maritime/ Marine Transport
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Tourism
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

© 2022 Vital News - . All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security

© 2022 Vital News - Vital News by Vital News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In