CNN —Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the most senior leader in the Church of England, has resigned over his handling of a child abuse case, according to his official account.
“Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury,” Welby said in a statement on Tuesday.
Pressure had been mounting on Welby in recent days, following an independent review into “sickening abuse” committed by John Smyth, a deceased British lawyer considered the worst serial abuser linked to the Church of England.
The pair exchanged Christmas cards and Welby donated small sums of money to his “missions” in Zimbabwe.
Until now, there’s been no historical precedent for an Archbishop of Canterbury resigning over child abuse.
Persons:
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Organizations:
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Locations:
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