RMC Briefing: 'Seismic shock' as Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns over abuse scandal
11/13/24 • 57 min
The resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury has left the Church of England reeling. There is consensus that he had no option after the publication of the Makin report which exposed the horrific abuse of young men and boys by the barrister, John Smyth, and a decades-long cover-up by the Church of England.
Smyth led Christian summer camps run by the Iwerne Trust which Justin Welby attended as a young man. From the mid-1970s, Smyth groomed boys and then took them back to his garden shed where they were beaten until they bled. The abuse was known about in the church from the early 1980s but was covered up. Smyth left the country and died in 2018, having never been brought to justice.
In a statement, Justin Welby said he was taking personal and institutional responsibility for the failure to act on the John Smyth abuse between 2013 and 2024 and had a profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. His resignation, which is without precedent, has been described as a seismic shock. Roger Bolton hosts this discussion with guests:
- Andrew Graystone, author of Bleeding for Jesus, an account of John Smyth's abuse
- Susie Leafe, Director of Anglican Futures
- Mark Stibbe, survivor, author and former vicar
- Frances Martin, reporter with the Church Times
- Professor Linda Woodhead, King's College, London
- Prof Helen King, member of the General Synod
For further information about RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
The resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury has left the Church of England reeling. There is consensus that he had no option after the publication of the Makin report which exposed the horrific abuse of young men and boys by the barrister, John Smyth, and a decades-long cover-up by the Church of England.
Smyth led Christian summer camps run by the Iwerne Trust which Justin Welby attended as a young man. From the mid-1970s, Smyth groomed boys and then took them back to his garden shed where they were beaten until they bled. The abuse was known about in the church from the early 1980s but was covered up. Smyth left the country and died in 2018, having never been brought to justice.
In a statement, Justin Welby said he was taking personal and institutional responsibility for the failure to act on the John Smyth abuse between 2013 and 2024 and had a profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. His resignation, which is without precedent, has been described as a seismic shock. Roger Bolton hosts this discussion with guests:
- Andrew Graystone, author of Bleeding for Jesus, an account of John Smyth's abuse
- Susie Leafe, Director of Anglican Futures
- Mark Stibbe, survivor, author and former vicar
- Frances Martin, reporter with the Church Times
- Professor Linda Woodhead, King's College, London
- Prof Helen King, member of the General Synod
For further information about RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
Previous Episode
London summit considers how Christian organisations can ‘turbocharge’ their trillions ethically
Ninety financial sector leaders and church leaders from sixteen countries, all of whom oversee significant investment portfolios, are taking part in a meeting in London this week to turbocharge the market for investments that fit Christian beliefs.
The Mensuram Bonam summit, on 11 and 12 November, is the second of its kind and seeks to engage the whole “eco-system” of Christian faith-aligned capital. It is organised by Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, President of the Vatican Bank, along with five international specialist asset managers, and takes its name from a document on faith-consistent investing, which advocates that assets should be invested for the common good, respecting justice and ethical standards.
Mr de Franssu, who talks of “turbo-charging the market”, estimates that Christian funding could be worth as much as $1.75 trillion – a figure that includes the financial investments of religious organisations, charities and individuals as well as dioceses. In advance of the meeting, Mr de Franssu took part in a press conference introduced by Ruth Peacock, and hosted by the Religion Media Centre, explaining to journalists the purpose of the meeting.
For further information about RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
Next Episode
RMC Briefing: Where next for the Assisted Dying Bill?
The Assisted Dying bill was passed in the House of Commons by 55 votes and now moves on for further consideration. In this Religion Media Centre briefing, a panel of religious leaders, academics and hospice chaplains consider the repercussions of the bill after a hotly contested debate that was highly emotional.
Among their issues of concern were what happens to medical staff within the small teams dealing with terminally ill patients, who refuse to have anything to do with it, some on the grounds of their faith. How is palliative care to be improved amid so many other needs in the NHS? How are vulnerable people to be protected?
There were wider issues thrown up in the debate - we need as a society to talk about death and the fear associated with it. What is the place of religion in society now that Christian influence is waning, and will this decision be seen as an act of betrayal by the NHS, destroying trust in a public service which is always there to care and repair except in death. Hosted by Ruth Peacock, the panel included:
- Dr Matthew Doré, honorary secretary of the Association of Palliative Care Medicine for Great Britain and Ireland
- Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues
- Dr Mansur Ali, Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK, University of Cardiff
- Rev Professor Douglas Davies, Dept of Theology and Religion, and Director of the Centre for Death and Life Studies
- Rev Karen Murphy, hospice chaplain for 25 years, now at Weston Hospicecare in Weston Super Mare
For further information about RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
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