The Archbishop of Canterbury's Resignation Won't Solve Church Crisis, Warns Cabinet Minister

Crisis in the Church of England

The Archbishop of Canterbury's resignation won't be enough to solve the crisis shaking the Church of England, a Cabinet Minister has warned. Wes Streeting insisted the Church must face up to "deep and fundamental issues" in the way it handles abuse allegations.

Call for Change

Mr Streeting said, "This is happening time and time and time again. So it is right that the Archbishop of Canterbury has taken responsibility for his failures and the failures of the church overall." He urged other leaders to take safeguarding seriously.

Mounting Pressure

The Archbishop faced mounting pressure to resign over his handling of the John Smyth abuse case. Smyth, a lay reader associated with the Church of England, was accused of abuse and died without facing justice.

Resignation Announcement

Justin Welby announced his resignation, acknowledging his failure to ensure the abuse case was investigated energetically. He expressed sorrow for the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England.

Renewed Commitment

As Mr Welby steps down, he emphasized the Church's commitment to creating a safer environment and meeting the needs of abuse victims. The Archbishop has struggled to introduce improvements over the past 12 years.

Private Conversations

Private words were exchanged between King Charles and Archbishop Welby before the resignation announcement. Public statements from the King will be released when Mr Welby officially leaves his role.

Historic Abuse Revelations

The report revealed that John Smyth abused as many as 130 boys and young men over five decades. Smyth should have been reported to the authorities, including Mr Welby in 2013, but this did not happen.