THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has resigned from his post amid mounting calls for his resignation a year after he visited the Isle of Wight.

The Guardian's Political Editor Pippa Crear posted on X today, formerly known as Twitter, a statement from Welby: "It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.

"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.

BREAKING: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned.

"As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse. "The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England.

"For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done."

Read more: Archbishop of Canterbury to visit the Isle of Wight

The Most Rev Justin Welby visited the Island as recently as October 13, where he met churchgoers and non-churchgoers, and visited local schools, where pupils were given the chance to ask him questions.

He also meet those who offer Christian ministry in churches, prisons and care homes.

A petition by some members of the General Synod – the church’s parliament –  gathered more than 1,500 signatures urging Justin Welby to stand down over his “failures” to alert authorities about John Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse of children and young men.

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The call was strengthened by a bishop’s public statement saying Mr Welby should quit, describing the church as being “in danger of losing complete credibility” on safeguarding.

The Makin review into Smyth’s abuse, published last week, concluded that he might have been brought to justice had the Archbishop of Canterbury formally reported it to police a decade ago.

Smyth died aged 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and so was “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the review said.