Justin Welby officially resigns, must get permission to perform any future services
Justin Welby officially resigned at midnight Monday, ending his tenure as the archbishop of Canterbury. He must now obtain permission from a bishop before leading any services or performing other priestly duties.
Under Church of England rules, Welby, the 105th archbishop of Canterbury, is now unable to officiate as a priest unless he obtains prior authorization from a bishop. Such permission “would be up to them (the bishop),” The U.K. Times quoted a source as saying.
Former archbishops are generally understood to have been granted this approval, though there is no assurance Welby will receive it. It would not be granted “immediately or automatically,” instead requiring “a period of discernment … in conjunction with a diocesan bishop,” the source added.
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Welby spent his final day in office privately at Lambeth Palace, participating in a lunchtime Eucharist and later a service of Evensong, during which he laid down his ceremonial bishop’s crozier, according to The Telegraph.
His departure follows criticism related to sexual abuse allegations in the Church of England. Separately, Welby was also criticized by conservative members of the denomination for blocking a disciplinary case against the Bishop of Derby, the Rt. Rev. Libby Lane, who labeled the Rev. Bernard Randall, an ordained Church of England chaplain, a safeguarding risk due to his traditional Christian views on gender identity.
Keith Makin, a former social services director, conducted a review that examined allegations against John Smyth, a barrister who was accused of assaulting multiple boys over a period of years. The U.K. Times reports that Welby was assured police had been informed of the allegations but was criticized for not doing more to confirm the matter was investigated thoroughly.
An earlier independent review concluded Smyth “might have been brought to justice” if Welby had filed a formal police report in 2013. Some Church of England officials who were aware of Smyth’s behavior for decades have had their own permissions to officiate suspended while inquiries continue.
Welby has made few appearances since mid-November and did not give a Christmas sermon at Canterbury Cathedral. He also didn't deliver his usual New Year’s Day message.
The Children’s Society also turned down a Christmas donation from him, explaining that accepting it “would not be consistent with the principles and values that underpin our work,” according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper also noted that Welby, in his final speech in the House of Lords, referred to a 14th century beheading, drawing laughter from peers and prompting an apology after an abuse survivor described it as “tone deaf.”
From Tuesday, key functions of the Archbishop of Canterbury are expected to be split among three senior Church of England figures. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will assume most duties; the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, and the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, will carry out other tasks, including work within the Diocese of Canterbury.
Cottrell also faces criticism over his handling of a distinct abuse case, though he recently pledged to “do what I can” to allow independent oversight of the denomination's safeguarding.
The search for the next archbishop of Canterbury is now underway, with an announcement possible this autumn. A 17-person Crown Nominations Commission, overseen by a former head of MI5, is responsible for drawing up a list of candidates, conducting interviews and submitting a final name confidentially.
The Bishop of Leicester, the Right Rev. Martyn Snow, and the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Right Rev. Paul Williams, have been mentioned as potential successors, both identified as belonging to the conservative wing of the denomination.
The Times noted that the Iranian-born Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Rev. Guli Francis-Dehqani, has been named as a possible first female archbishop, although some members of the worldwide Anglican Communion might not accept a woman in that role.
The Telegraph added that Mullally, the bishop of London, and the Bishop of Norwich, the Right Rev. Graham Usher, have also been mentioned.
