UPDATE 1-Justin Welby resigns as Archbishop of Canterbury over abuse scandal

(Adds statement in paragraphs 3-4)

LONDON, Nov 12 (Reuters) –

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned on Tuesday, saying he stepped down “in sorrow” after failing to ensure there was a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago.

Welby, the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, had faced calls to resign after a report last week found he had taken insufficient action to stop a person it described as arguably the Church of England’s most prolific serial abuser.

“Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury,” Welby said in a statement.

“I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.” (Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by Sarah Young and Elizabeth Piper)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Click For Restrictions – https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html