Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England, resigned Tuesday in response to pushback over how he handled reports of physical and sexual abuse in the past.
The backlash began after recent investigation determined that the Rev. Welby did not notify police as soon as he heard of abuse taking place at Christian summer camps. He was urged to step down and acknowledge the Church of England’s failure to hold abusers accountable, per The Associated Press.
On Tuesday, the Rev. Welby released a statement on social media confirming that he is leaving his post.
He explained that his resignation is for the good of the Church of England.
“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 archbishop wrote.
He continued, “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.”
The Rev. Welby has held the position of Archbishop of Canterbury since March 2013.
He is likely best known by Americans for his role in Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and in King Charles III’s coronation.
The Rev. Welby’s resignation follows the release of a report on how the Church of England handled reports of abuse involving a man named John Smyth, who worked at Christian camps in the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s and then later worked in Africa.
“Across five decades, he is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks,” The Guardian reported.
Smyth died in South Africa in 2018. The report published last week alleged that the Rev. Welby could have played a role in bringing Smyth to justice before his death if he had alerted police about what he learned about Smyth about a decade ago.
In his Tuesday statement, the Rev. Welby said he “wrongly believed” in 2013 that authorities were already aware of the extensive abuse allegations.
“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024,” he wrote.