Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned following intense pressure over his handling of abuse allegations against John Smyth, a barrister accused of abusing over 130 boys and young men. The resignation comes after a damning report highlighted systemic failures within the Church of England regarding safeguarding practices.
The Church of England has faced scrutiny since the Makin report revealed that Welby failed to act on allegations of abuse by John Smyth, who was known for his role in Christian summer camps. The report indicated that the church had been aware of Smyth's actions since 2013 but did not take appropriate measures.
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Justin Portal Welby is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury and the most senior Bishop in the Church of England. He has served in that role since 2013.
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The Church of England is the established church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric, although the monarch is the supreme governor. The Church of England is also the mother church of the international Anglican Communion.
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John Smyth may refer to:
John Smyth (English theologian) (1554–1612), considered the earliest Baptist
John Smyth (barrister) (1941–2018), British QC and Christian minister accused of abuse
John Smyth (footballer) (born 1970), Irish former professiona
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John Jackson Smyth, QC was a British barrister and a recorder. A Christian educator, many complainants have alleged that he carried out sadomasochistic beatings against those in his sole or joint care in the 1970s and 1980s.
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South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. With over 59 million people, it is the world's 24th-most populous nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres.
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Channel 4 is a British public-service free-to-air television network headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom.
The channel was established to provide a fourth television service to the United Kingdom in addition to the licence-funded BBC One and BBC Two, an
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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The General Synod is the tricameral deliberative and legislative organ of the Church of England. The synod was instituted in 1970, replacing the Church Assembly, and is the culmination of a process of rediscovering self-government for the Church of Englan
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Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique.
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Cape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa after Johannesburg and also the legislative capital of South Africa.
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The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other autocephalous national