The spiritual leader of the Anglicans, Justin Welby, is in crisis: the Church of England is accused of having covered up a scandal that left more than 130 victims, mostly underage children, physically and sexually assaulted by a lawyer linked to the religious institution. Several Anglican religious leaders have been calling for days for the resignation of Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, following a damning report on the handling of this matter by the Church of England that he heads.
If he apologized immediately, it is a blow for the 68-year-old with a face well known to Britons for having officiated during several major royal events in recent years, including Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and the king’s coronation. . Charles III.
Between the 1970s and the mid-2010s, John Smyth, a lawyer who chaired a charity that ran holiday camps with the Church of England, was accused of sexually abusing 130 children and young people in the United Kingdom and then in Africa. , especially in Zimbabwe and the South. Africa, where he had settled.
Although the leadership of the Church was officially informed of these events in 2013, religious leaders had been aware of them since the early 1980s, but kept them silent as part of a “cover-up campaign”concluded an investigation commissioned by the Church, in a report published last Thursday.
John Smith “He is possibly the most prolific serial abuser associated with the Church of England”states this report, which details the physical, sexual and psychological suffering “brutal and horrible” that he inflicted on his victims. For example, he would take young children to his home in southern England, where he would beat them with a cane, sometimes until they bled, citing theological justifications.
The report also concludes that the Archbishop of Canterbury “I could have and should have done it” Report to the police the violence committed by the lawyer since 2013, when he became primate of the Church of England. John Smyth died in 2018 in South Africa at the age of 75 without having been tried. The matter finally came to light after a documentary aired on Channel 4 in 2017.
“Horrible tragedy”
Justin Welby assured after the publication of the report that he had no “neither idea nor suspicion” before 2013, but who admitted to having “Personally I couldn’t say for sure” that after this date “This horrible tragedy is being vigorously investigated.”.
Despite his apology, three members of the General Synod, the elected body responsible for deciding matters of Church of England doctrine, launched a petition this weekend calling for his resignation. As of Monday, it had collected more than 4,000 signatures. They denounce the “special responsibility” of the Archbishop of Canterbury and we believe that his position “it is no longer sustainable”. The Archbishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, also asked for his resignation on Monday, considering his position. “untenable” and adding that the Church “There is a risk of completely losing credibility”.
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It is not the first time that the archbishop has been questioned within the institution itself. Last year, his support for a reform adopted after heated debates to allow the blessing of civil unions and marriages for same-sex couples sparked criticism. Ordained deacon in 1992 after a lucrative career in oil and finance, Justin Welby has always shown moderate views on social issues that traditionally divide the Church.
In more general terms, this issue once again undermines the Anglican religious institution, already accused four years ago in a previous report of having allowed a ” culture “ allow perpetrators of sexual violence against minors ” hide “ and escape justice. According to this report, part of a broader investigation into several institutions in the country, 390 people linked to the Church of England have been convicted of sexual crimes from the 1940s to 2018.
This summer, the Church had to apologize for its handling of the case of a priest suspected of posing a risk to children and who was offered a large sum to leave its ranks.
