Church of England head resigns over abuse scandal

What happened

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, resigned Tuesday amid intense pressure over his handling of a notorious child abuser. A report released last Thursday said Welby "could and should" have told police about the decades of "brutal and horrific" physical and sexual abuse by John Smyth, a prominent lawyer and lay preacher who ran summer camps for young Christians.

Who said what

Welby, 68, said in a statement he was stepping down "in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse," and to demonstrate "how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church." Smyth was believed to have abused more than 100 boys and young men in England and then Africa, starting in the 1970s and likely continuing until his death in 2018.

Welby said he learned of Smyth's abuse in 2013, when he was appointed archbishop of Canterbury. If he had reported the abuse to the police then, some victims might have been spared and Smyth brought to justice, the new report said. Church leaders had been informed of Smyth's abuses in 1982, "and possibly earlier," the report said, and "participated in an active cover-up" to keep it secret.

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What next?

It could take "many months" for Welby's successor to be appointed, The Washington Post said. The 106th archbishop of Canterbury will be formally nominated by King Charles III, "who takes advice from the prime minister, who takes advice from a Church of England commission." The process is "cloaked in mystery," The New York Times said. Welby had been expected to retire in 2026.