Pressure grows on Justin Welby to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury for ignoring sex abuse by the Church of England’s most prolific abuser who targeted more than 100 children and young men

Vicars have launched a petition urging the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign for ignoring sex abuse – and a top bishop has declined to defend him.

Archbishop Justin Welby last week admitted he ‘personally failed’ the countless victims of sexualised beatings from evangelist barrister John Smyth, by failing to report him to police in 2013, when his crimes were clear.

Critics say that failing left the prolific sadist free to continue abusing children after fleeing Britain in Christian camps in Southern Africa until his death in 2018.

The Archbishop worked at the ‘Bash’ camps in England where Smyth groomed his victims 40 years ago. 

And increasing numbers of clergy are saying apologies are insufficient, following a ringing Church of England report last week singling out the Archbishop for failing to report the ‘most prolific child abuser’ in its ranks to police in 2013.

The independent review said Mr Smyth’s ‘abhorrent’ abuse of more than 100 children and young men was covered up in the Church for years. 

The so-called Makin Report also said it was ‘unlikely’ Archbishop Welby he was unaware of concerns about Smyth from as long ago at 1981.

Yesterday an online petition calling for his resignation faced raced beyond 800 signatories.

The petition was launched by Vicar of St Mary’s, Kilburn, and Labour councillor, Revd Robert Thompson saying: ‘Given his role in allowing abuse to continue, we believe that his continuing as the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer tenable.

‘With sadness we do not think there is any alternative to his immediate resignation if the process of change and healing is to start now.’

As signatures and online attacks on the bishop from clergy mounted, the Church of England lead bishop on safeguarding, Bishop of Stepney Dr Joanne Grenfell, yesterday spoke on BBC Radio 4’s flagship religious news programme Sunday.

To the surprise of veteran presenter Ed Stourton, she notably failed, several times, to say the Archbishop should stay in post in the wake of the scandal.

Asked directely by the broadcaster whether Archbishop Welby should resign or not, Bishop Grenfell said: ‘I really appreciate that the Archbishop has wholeheartedly apologies for what he could have and should done differently in 2013.

‘I also recognise his commitment over his tenure to really having tried to change safeguarding – I think there’s still an awful lot to do, but I do think that builds on some of the changes we’ve seen over the last ten years.’

Asked why she could not give a straight ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the question of whether the Archbishop should resign, the Bishop said: ‘I support the Archbishop’s apology, I’m glad he’s made it.’

She added that beyond the sexualised abuse at the case’s heart, ‘I fully understand this is also about the choice to cover up, and the failure to reveal what should have been revealed, and I absolutely think that people need to take responsibility for that.’

Broadcaster the Revd Giles Fraser, well-known for his position as a panellist on Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, said in a Tweet: ‘I was beaten at school in the way many of Smyth’s victims were. Going to bed with blood soaked underpants night after night. 

‘To say I am angry about the cover up in the church doesn’t begin to capture it.

‘I think it seems increasingly unlikely that the Archbishop of Canterbury can survive in post given the growing chorus of calls for his resignation from amongst his own clergy.’

The vicar of Charlbury in Oxfordshire, Revd Fergus Butler Gallie, wrote in an open letter to the Archbishop posted online: ‘We will continue to pray for you, but I for one will be praying that you will resign.

‘Those things you did and failed to do inflicted such damage [which] might never heal…if you will not go for reasons of your own embarrassment or shame, for love of God and Him alone go.’

Vicar of Christ Church, New Malden, south west London, Stephen Kuhrt, wrote in an online article: ‘Now is not the time for the classic Anglican fudge, where he decides to retire in the coming weeks.

‘He should resign specifically on the basis of his response to the John Smyth case and refuse the customary peerage given to ex-Archbishops.’

And after it was pointed out that Archbishop Welby suspended Bishop of Lincoln Christopher Lowson in 2019 for mishandling safeguarding, Father Chris Phillips of All Saints, Benhilton, in South London, suggested a formal complaint or motion of no-confidence could be drafted.

The Archbishop said last week he had given ‘a lot of thought’ to resigning – but claimed ‘senior colleagues’ advised him not to.

Last night, a spokeswoman for the Archbishop said: ‘The Archbishop reiterates his horror at the scale of John Smyth’s egregious abuse, as reflected in his public apology.

‘He has apologised profoundly both for his own failures and omissions, and for the wickedness, concealment and abuse by the church more widely.

‘ As he has said, he had no awareness or suspicion of the allegations before he was told in 2013 – and therefore having reflected, he does not intend to resign.

‘ He hopes the Makin Review supports the ongoing work of building a safer church here and around the world.