The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has announced he will step down after facing pressure to quit over his handling of an abuse scandal.
A damning report was published last week on the Church of England’s cover-up of John Smyth’s abuse in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and later in Zimbabwe and South Africa. About 130 boys are believed to have been victims.
The independent review into the abuse concluded Smyth might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally reported it to police a decade ago.
Lambeth Palace had said in a statement on Monday that Welby had “apologised profoundly both for his own failures and omissions, and for the wickedness, concealment and abuse by the church more widely” but did “not intend to resign”.
His resignation was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
How does the archbishop step down?
Under legislation passed by the church’s ruling body, the General Synod and parliament, known as the ecclesiastical offices regulations, the archbishop of Canterbury is required to retire at 70 and is expected to remain in the role until that date.
If an archbishop wants to step down before then, they must tender their resignation to the serving monarch, in Welby’s case, King Charles, who grants permission for them to stand down.
Welby would have turned 70 in January 2026 and had been intending to serve until then, according to reports.
The legislation does allow for an archbishop to extend their term one year beyond 70, which must be authorised by the monarch.
Has an archbishop of Canterbury ever resigned before retirement age?
Dr Rowan Williams, Welby’s predecessor, resigned from his role in 2012, aged 61. He announced he would return to academia, as master of Magdalene college at the University of Cambridge, the following January.
His time in office was marked by a growing schism in the worldwide Anglican church. Williams was attacked by conservatives for his liberal views on homosexuality and by liberals for failing to live up to these principles.
How will Welby’s successor be chosen?
The archbishop of Canterbury is nominated by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister, who in turn takes advice from the Crown Nominations Commission.
The commission is a Church of England body and not one of the crown, and the prime minister is not obliged to accept its advice.
The commission agrees upon two names for nomination to the prime minister, which may be given in an order of preference.
Parliament is not directly involved in the selection process. However, it does have to approve the measures that the General Synod passes from time to time, which define the procedures used.
When an archbishop of Canterbury is to be chosen, the body will consist of: the archbishop of York; another senior bishop; six members of the General Synod; three representatives of the diocese of Canterbury; and five members chosen from the global Anglican communion. A chairperson will be appointed by Downing Street.
• This article was amended on 12 November 2024. An earlier version said there are 16 voting members of the Crown Nominations Commission choosing the archbishop of Canterbury, including six representatives of the diocese of Canterbury and one from the global Anglican communion. In fact there are 17 members in total, including three representatives of the diocese of Canterbury and five members from the global Anglican communion.
