it of bishops other than her —— it suggests a degree of complicity. an apology would be a good start. complicity. an apology would be a good start-— a good start. let's bring on narrow news _ a good start. let's bring on narrow news corresponding a good start. let's bring on i narrow news corresponding to has been following this story throughout with further reaction to the resignation of the archbishop of canterbury. this statement coming from lambeth palace. he said he had sought gracious permission from his majesty the king and the process is the archbishop of canterbury cannot just process is the archbishop of canterbury cannotjust resign canterbury cannot just resign or choose canterbury cannotjust resign or choose to retire, he has to write to the king and ccn the prime minister and asked permission from the monarch in order to resign. and justin welby saying that permission has been granted. he has decided to resign. he said that it has been clear that i must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and re—traumatising period between when he was told of the abuse

thatjohn smyth committed. he is a former barrister who ran christian camps in the uk in the 70s and 80s thatjustin will be attended as a young man. justin welby said he was told of smyth's abuse, that was netted out on dozens of young boys, teenagers in the uk in the 19705 and 805 and there are many more in zimbabwe and south africa. justin welby wa5 many more in zimbabwe and south africa. justin welby was told of that abuse in 2013, but the abuse continued right up until smyth's death in 2018, before smyth's death in 2018, before smyth could face justice. and he said the exact timing5 smyth could face justice. and he said the exact timings of his resignation and departure will be decided, but he says i hope this decision make5 will be decided, but he says 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. a5 commitment to creating a safer church. as i step down, i do so in sorrow with all victim5

church. as i step down, i do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse. in the last minute or so the archbishop of york, the second most senior figure in the church of england, i suppose his number two in that sense, has also released a statement, ju5t released a statement, just reading it now. he said as a church we continue to work towards a a more victim centred and trauma informed approach to safeguarding, he said there had been much progress in the last ten years underju5tin welby a5 archbishop, but he goes on to say thatjustin has decided to take his share of responsibility for the failures identified in that report into john smyth's abuse last week, and the archbishop of york said i believe this is the right and honourable thing to do. he said it is a difficult day for justin but i pray they will be an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the many positive aspects of his ministry and his cute commitment to the church of england, the anglican communion and above all the gospel. that statement coming in the last

minute or so from the archbishop of york, the church of england's number two, following on from that statement from lambeth palace that confirmed justin welby will resign, and has sought permission from the king, which has been granted. and he will resign as archbishop of canterbury after nearly 1a years in charge. canterbury after nearly 14 years in charge.— canterbury after nearly 14 years in charge. just remind us ofthe years in charge. just remind us of the pressure _ years in charge. just remind us of the pressure that _ years in charge. just remind us of the pressure that was - years in charge. just remind us of the pressure that was on - years in charge. just remind us| of the pressure that was on the archbishop of canterbury to come to this decision, the different people who had come out and called for his resignation.- out and called for his resianation. , , , ., resignation. the pressure had been mounting _ resignation. the pressure had been mounting over- resignation. the pressure had been mounting over the - resignation. the pressure had been mounting over the last i resignation. the pressure had i been mounting over the last few days, last thursday, this report came out, heavily critici5ing, notjust the wider institutional church of england re5pon5e institutional church of england response but also specifically justin welby personally, for his own response, his failure to do more, to make sure that the allegations he was told about in 2013 were followed up on, that they were being properly investigated. it turns out they were not. it is worth saying there were other failures from the police and

the members of the clergy, who also did not act properly when they were told of the abuse of john smyth, but i suppose that personal criticism on the archbishop of canterbury in that report had led to increasing calls for him to resign, as a result. we heard most significantly yesterday from the bishop of newcastle, speaking to a religion editor, who said that the archbishop's position was in her view untenable, and she said that his resignation would not solve all the issues, but would be a line in the sand in the church's response and would show it was taking it seriously. there have been others, we heard from one of john smyth's victims, who echoed the calls for him to go and said if he did resign, it would be doing so alongside the other victims. many clergy and

bishops had been raising their concerns. we are in uncharted territory, but do we know what will happen next? there is a lengthy statement, he said it is my duty to honour constitutional unchecked responsibilities. the archbishop of canterbury isn't just ahead of the church of england, but has wider constitutional rules in the fabric of the nation. the exact timings of his departure will be decided. it is worth saying it is a long process for choosing the next archbishop of canterbury. there will be a commission that takes in the opinion is right across the church of england and the wider anglican that body of around 85 million anglicans along the world. there will be a committee that is formed to choose the next archbishop, and the local people for interview. the b will expect the process to take six months, so it is not imminent there will be another archbishop in place at the next few weeks, it will

take at least six months. it is a lengthy and drawn—out process and one that isn'tjust a matter for the church, but given the archbishop of canterbury's wider constitutional role in the country but there is international responsibilities, as part of the anglican community, it will be a long process. in terms of safeguarding, what lives has the church made in recent years to improve it safeguarding policies? to improve it safeguarding olicies? , ., policies? the first and foremost _ policies? the first and foremost thing - policies? the first and foremost thing to - policies? the first and foremost thing to say | policies? the first and i foremost thing to say is resources. it wasn't that long ago that the church of england had one part—time person responsible for safeguarding at the national level, that has now been multiplied many times and there are now dozens of safeguarding officers employed in the church of england at the national level and that each diocese, that is the first thing to say. there have been multiple reveals into multiple different failures of safeguarding over the last ten years in particular in the church of england, multiple

calls for the church of england to make it safeguarding independent from the church, and that has not happened. that has been a key demand for many victims and victims groups for many years now, that the church should fully make its process independent and be completely dependent from any bishops or church oversights, and i suppose those calls will continue, but in the last ten years or so sincejustin welby became archbishop, there has been a significant increase in resources into safeguarding and it has changed in many ways, and in fact that was noted in the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, that nationwide inquiry, when a little church of england it noted improvements have been made beside many more were needed to come and that is what we will hear in the next few days from victims and other abuse survivor groups. that while justin welby abuse survivor groups. that whilejustin welby did implement many changes to

safeguarding they were more more steps to be made. we continue — more steps to be made. we continue our _ more steps to be made. we continue our coverage of this breaking news. the head of the anglican church, the archbishop of canterburyjustin welby has resigned. i am going to bring you the statement we have had from lambeth palace in the past 45 minutes or so. having sought the gracious permission of his majesty the king, i have decided to resign as archbishop of canterbury. the makin review has exposed a long constraints of silence about the heinous abuse ofjohn smyth. when i was informed in 2013 until the police had been notified, i believed wrongly inappropriate resolution would follow. it is very clear i must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and re—traumatising period between 2013 and 2024. it is my duty to honour my constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary

obligations has been completed, including those in england and including those in england and in the anglican communion. 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. a5 commitment to creating a safer church. as a step down i do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse, the last few days have a need my long felt a profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the church of england. forthe failures of the church of england. for the last 12 years i struggled introduce improvements, it is for others tojudge what has improvements, it is for others to judge what has been done. improvements, it is for others tojudge what has been done. in the meantime i will follow through my commitment to meet victims and i will delegate my other responsibilities for safeguarding into the necessary risk assessment safegua