Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury, has landed in hot water after two disastrous public appearances. He recently resigned from his position due to how poorly the Church of England handled an abuse scandal. Shortly afterward, he delivered an in-fated address to the House of Lords. Welby will officially leave office on January 6th but will make no more public appearances.
The Makin Review, an independent investigation into the Church of England, dramatically tarnished Welby’s public perception. The report centered on John Smyth, a layman who organized summer camps in England and Zimbabwe. After the report came out, it was confirmed that the Archbishop had neglected to isolate Smyth after he had been accused of abuse.
Welby’s position as the head of the COE also qualifies him as a member of the House of Lords. In his farewell remarks, he focused on other issues, such as homelessness, and gave little time to the allegations that have defined his career. The Archbishop seemed to make light of the situation when he said “If you pity anyone, pity my poor diary secretary, who has seen weeks and months of work disappear in a puff of a resignation announcement.”
In a statement, one of Smyth’s victims replied that he was shocked by the speech, saying, “I have never come across anyone so tone-deaf.” While some of the politicians in attendance seemed to enjoy the remarks, most seemed uncomfortable. Those who viewed the speech remotely were angered by his tone and within a few hours angry emails began to flood in.
Bishops Springett, Grenfell, and Conalty, who oversee the COE’s anti-abuse efforts, were forced to release a letter to survivors. “Both in content and delivery, the speech was utterly insensitive, lacked any focus on victims and survivors of abuse, especially those affected by John Smyth, and made light of the events surrounding the Archbishop’s resignation,” they wrote.
The Arch Bishop himself issued a statement, where he expressed his regrets. “I understand that my words – the things that I said, and those I omitted to say – have caused further distress for those who were traumatized, and continue to be harmed, by John Smyth’s heinous abuse and by the far-reaching effects of other perpetrators of abuse,” he wrote.
He added “I did not intend to overlook the experience of survivors or to make light of the situation – and I am very sorry for having done so. It remains the case that I take both personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatizing period after 2013, and the harm that this has caused survivors.“ Welby also insisted that “I continue to feel a profound sense of shame at the Church of England’s historic safeguarding failures.”
The Church is now scrambling to find a successor to Welby. Normally the process takes at least 6 months, but the chaos surrounding this early retirement might extend the search. Both the King and the Prime minister are required to make a recommendation. As of current writings, there are no confirmed nominations, but several bishops have signaled their intentions to run.