The Church Of England
The Church of England, a Christian denomination, serves as the official church of England. More familiarly known as the Anglican Church, its creation dates back to the 16th century. At that time the English church broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. As a part of the global Anglican Communion, the Church of England connects with other members of a family of churches. The Communions spreads over 165 countries and boasts more than 85 million members.
Britain’s monarch, currently King George III, fills the position of supreme governor of the Church of England. As such, he holds the power to appoint church leaders and bishops. The Archbishop of Canterbury serves as the head of the Church of England and as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop Of Canterbury
Justin Welby worked for 11 years in the oil industry before pursuing his ordination. He became the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury in 2013. Currently age 68, retirement loomed for him at age 70. While serving as Archbishop of Canterbury, Welby officiated many high profile events. These included Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, and the coronation of King George III and Queen Camilla.
A long-simmering abuse scandal, however, finally forced Welby to resign on November 12, 2024. Just the week before submitting his resignation, he asserted he would not resign. But a damning report from an independent investigation and petitions circulated by three priests calling for his resignation which garnered over 14,000 signatures apparently toppled that position. According to religious experts, Welby became the first Church of England leader and of the Anglican Communion, to be forced out in this way.
The Scandal
The alleged abuse initiating the furor involves a man named John Smyth whose victims included over 100 boys and young men over a period of five decades. This abuse occurred at Christian summer camps in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Interestingly, in the late 1970s Justin Welby attended camps run by Smyth as a camper and later as a dorm officer. While he states he never witnessed any abuse, Welby heard in 1981 to steer clear of Smyth, described as “not really a nice man.”
In August 2013 shortly after becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Welby received notification of Smyth’s abuses. Nevertheless, the new archbishop failed to report Smyth to the authorities. He defended this lack of action by explaining he’d been informed the police had been notified and that he should not interfere in their investigation. However, no record of any such report to the police in 2013 exits. In 2017, in response to a television news story reporting the abuse claim, the police opened an investigation. Before Smyth could be brought to justice though, he died in South African the next year.
What The Archbishop Did Wrong
An independent review released a much-awaited report just prior to the archbishop’s resignation. The detailed 251-page report found Welby failed to report the suspected abuse to police upon first learning about it. Had he done so, the abuse could have been stopped at an earlier point, saving many young men from it. At worst, the authorities might receive duplicate reports, but the action of making a report gives the impression that the situation concerned the archbishop.
In fact, Welby appears to have done nothing. He made no attempts either to address the situation or to take responsibility for it. The independent review noted that the Archbishop showed a “distinct lack of curiosity” when informed of the allegations in 2013. His lack of action ultimately led to growing criticism by church leaders and victims alike of Welby’s failure to take responsibility for the matter in the church which he heads. The Archbishop’s resignation acknowledged the he must must take both personal and institutional responsibility for what happened between 2013 and 2024.
A Modern Canterbury Tale
Interestingly, the Archbishop’s title contains the location of Canterbury, bringing to mind Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous The Canterbury Tales. Written in Middle English between 1387 and 1400, Chaucer’s work presents tales as part of a story-telling contest between pilgrims traveling between London and Canterbury. The setting depicts the social and cultural aspects of Medieval England, offering Chaucer the opportunity to comment on the social and moral conditions of that time.
In the Canterbury Tale of today, no book may have been written (yet), but the Archbishop’s actions speak louder than any words. Accountability, both personal and institutional, were non-existent for years. Apparently, if someone else (like the police) handled the matter, it wasn’t the Archbishop’s problem or concern. Which, of course, begs the question, “Why not?” If the abuse occurred under the Archbishop’s watch (as head of the church), why wouldn’t he be accountable? If innocents were abused through a connection with his institution, why would he not express concern and take action? What a sad commentary on both the Archbishop personally and the Church of England institutionally.
Takeaways From The Archbishop’s Ouster
From a faith perspective, this sad situation should be a wake up call for church leaders. As Luke 12:48 indicates, to whom much is entrusted, much is expected. Leaders of a flock bear a responsibility to ensure the flock’s well-being. Serving as a church head means being a servant to the flock, not just participating in well-publicized events like coronations and royal weddings. Go check on that hurt sheep in your flock and make sure it’s okay. That’s what Jesus would do.
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