To think Justin Welby shouldn't have to resign?

[Gatecrashermum]

It sounds like he was told the police had been informed. I'm not sure he's personally responsible for this.

YABU he is right to resign
YANBU he didn't need to resign

Fortunately, Jesus doesn't answer to people like you.

The problem is people dont get 'cleared'. The police in many cases simply take no further action. And thats not a criticism of the police, sometimes they simply cant go any further and an investigations closes. That doesnt mean someone is cleared.

YABVU

He knew about Smyth when he became A of C.
He knew all about it and did nothing.
That makes him complicit.

He should have resigned a long time ago.

Yes you can, you can tell if someone is dodgy, untrustworthy, poses a danger etc. it’s called instinct, which you clearly lack. You probably thought Jimmy Saville was a stand up guy then by your reckoning, luckily most of us knew he was an utter creep.

In a way, his level of moral responsibility is irrelevant - the relevant fact is that people had lost confidence in him as a senior church figure - his authority was gone - so he had to leave.

My take on things. (Atheist, and a fan of secularism)

Welby was more concerned about PR and money over safeguarding, no doubt. If you are coming from an industry which historically has not given humans much thought, and where there are big bucks to be made, then you much later become AoC/CEO of the Church of England with all its own wealth, you kind of see where Welby puts his priorities.

The Church will NEVER change because of the tenets and teachings of the Bible. The Church want people to suffer, because Jesus suffered, and associated with that is the renouncement of sins as we suffer so we may go to Heaven. It's the same with the Assisted Dying Bill. Bishops telling the country how things should be based on suffering, sinning, forgiveness. It's medieval.

Welby said he quit because it was best for the Church. No thoughts for Smyths victims, then?

I'm enclosing the secular standpoint from the NSS. https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2024/11/cofe-clergy-call-on-welby-to-resign-over-smyth-abuse-scandal

No. The whole Welby thing, all the safeguarding issues are about power, status and looking right, as you said "PR and money over safeguarding". Nothing to do with the Bible and certainly not the teachings of Jesus, which can figure very little in organised Christianity, sadly.

The Church will NEVER change because of the tenets and teachings of the Bible.

Hm ...there may be more verses urging parents to beat their children than there are ones urging kindness

I do not think that he should have to resign. He informed the police. As far as safeguarding he has put in place safeguarding measures within the church.

The crimes committed were horrendous. What is is being disucssed is whether the Bishop of Canterbury should resign and that is a different issue.

I wonder how many other abusers he has protected over the years? I have no idea why anyone is sticking up for him - he was aware of the abuse, he ignored the victims and clearly put the PR of the church first. Not very Christian is it?

He should have been fired.

I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.
For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the

I can't help noticing that his dear love of the Church of England is listed before Jesus and God

of course he should not have resigned. He should have been sacked.

I suppose what puzzles me from a basic, is that having had allegations against him, how did the abuser (or another abusers in the church) pass DBS checks?

So even if the police didnt or werent going to take action, that allegation and report is there on someones file. An enhnaced DBS for when you're working with vulnerable groups is required, so how does someone pass that?

Its obviously up to an employer whether they appoint someone with various convictions/intelligence/alegations on their records, perhaps thats where it went wrong? The church employed Smyth nonetheless?

He disgusts me.

The Diocese of Newcastle produced guidance for churches on how to better support victims of abuse. The project was titled “If I told you, what would you do?” and is a series of resources to help churches respond better. Included in the resources (which are actually very good and made in conjunction with survivors) are a series of short videos, and Justin Welby features in a number of them - he speaks about the importance of believing victims, of responding well.

Watching them back now I feel sick.

When people told HIM, what did he do?

HE DID NOTHING He ignored the victims and allowed abuse to go on.

https://www.newcastle.anglican.org/safeguarding/if-i-told-you-what-would-you-do-/

OP, do you care to tell us why you think turning a blind eye to child sexual abuse is no big deal?

This is what HE says.

A report I heard earlier on the radio said there were indications that he'd known a lot longer, including about the covering up of an internal enquiry.

If he's jumped ship, he knows there is evidence.

Hopefully not to people like Welby, either!

He knew about allegations of child abuse and chose to do nothing about. It's utterly indefensible, as someone said if it was someone in a job like a school or social work you wouldn't think twice to call for their resignation.

I can't believe it's taken him so long to resign once it came to light. To know about something as utterly appalling as sexual abuse and to do nothing about it is absolutely criminal.

Mike Pilavachi.

Justin Welby should have stripped him of his bishop title but never did. The way the Church of England has handled this is a disgrace.

If you watch the Matt Redman ( very famous charismatic Christian worship leader) you’ll see just how appalling what Pilavachi did. Not on the same level as this other guy, but absolutely disgusting behaviour to young boys who disclosed sexual abuse.

Matt Redman video on Mike Pilavachi.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YVZkgdt32u8

I’m a Christian, I grew up going to those festivals, it was clear from what glimpses I saw at 18 that things were deeply wrong - Pilavachi used to run his hands all over the face of one of the male worship leaders called Tim who I think was barely 18 at the time, but NO ONE in the church leadership did anything about it. Welby never denounced him.

There were lots of others who turned a blind eye too. Mostly upper middle class white males… it tells you all you need to know about the culture at the top of the Church of England. Privileged, out of touch, pale, stale and male.

They all turned a blind eye because none of them have a truly Christian bone in their bodies. It just happens to be an easy career path for feeble, talentless posh boys.

Every single one of those named in the Makin report should be cast out. No pension, no severance, just shame.

He should be prosecuted.

The man he protected was the perpetrator of the most horrific abuse.

Bet some dirt has been dug up on his own activities that's made him finally go

I wouldn't be in the least surprised - or failing that, someone may have held the proof that he knew about this well before 2013 and that he'd lied

A bit odd to see suggestions that Charles may have acted against him though.
Since both men are on record as enabling paedophiles I'd have thought it more likely he'd empathise

I can't help noticing that his dear love of the Church of England is listed before Jesus and God

More likely a love of his own privileged position within it, @whatwouldyoudoifisangoutofkey

On which subject there's a well written piece here below. I'm not too keen on tthe source, but some of the points are spot on
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/12/how-woke-welby-was-undone/

He should be arrested!!!!!