Quotes
The culture of cover-up has been part of the problem on serious abuse allegations for far too long and I’m glad that the Archbishop of Canterbury has taken responsibility,
It’s hard, but I can’t begin to imagine what it feels like to be a victim or survivor of abuse,
It’s about culture. It’s about leadership, it’s about theology. So, yes, abuse matters. But the whole context is what needs to change.”
It now shows that he’s taken some action. And I think it also means that the focus can be turned on other people who knew and haven’t done anything about it,
I was unable to get away from a sense of God calling.
As for his own vocation, his explanation for the fundamental switch in his life is simply to say The effect on innocent young employees like Justin Welby when the truth emerged must have been enormous
A lawyer involved in the scandal said If the farmers want to go on the streets, we can do to them what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners … It’s an industry we can do without.
With thousands preparing to descend on London in protest at the imposition of inheritance tax on agricultural properties, Mr McTernan said I understand that there were further actions I could have taken following my reporting of the disclosures made to us in the Diocese of Ely about John Smyth.
Bishop Conway apologised following the review, saying We asked for the Archbishop of Canterbury, who we knew knew about the abuses in 2013, and the Bishop of Ely and other senior figures in the CofE to do the right thing, and Justin Welby has done the right thing.
Mark Stibbe, an ex-vicar and author, said A lot of us can see that if Welby ends up becoming the sacrificial lamb then it's not healthy for the Church, it's not healthy for him and it's not healthy for survivors
The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England,
As lead Bishop for safeguarding for the Church of England, I have been acutely aware of the impact of the Makin report and the retraumatizing effects of its publication on victims and survivors of John Smyth's awful abuse
The Bishop of Stepney Joanne Grenfell said He was the person in a position to stop John Smyth, bring him to justice and he fundamentally failed.
The man, who was not named, told the BBC of Bishop Conway It is unsurprising that Welby has resigned because of the immense pressure on him to do so given his involvement in the Smyth case
Alan Collins, a partner at law firm Hugh James, which represents a number of Smyth's victims, said As I read the Makin Review last week and reflected on the terrible abuse perpetrated by John Smyth and shamefully covered up by others, I am, first of all, moved by the accounts of victims and survivors that we have heard from so powerfully
We expect more resignations to follow
The House of Survivors, which was set up by two survivors of Church of England abuse to help others, said We recognise that many institutions fail catastrophically, but the Church is meant to hold itself to a far, far higher standard and we have failed terribly. For that the Archbishop apologises unequivocally and unreservedly to all survivors,
I thank God for Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's leadership and for all in the US who are striving for racial justice and reconciliation."
Welby shared these comments on Twitter, now known as X, and wrote God calls us as Christians to love our neighbour and seek the flourishing of all in our communities, societies and nations. I join the urgent call of faith groups and others for President Trump not just to remove these tweets, but to make clear his opposition to racism and hatred in all forms,
I think it feels like he prioritised his position and the reputation of his church above the plight of the victims and, because Smyth was still alive at that time, above other potential victims as well.
Speaking out shortly before Welby stood down, he said
