Church of Ireland figures defend Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over serial abuser John Smyth and Makin Review
Church of Ireland figures have defended the integrity of Archbishop Justin Welby after he resigned in the wake of reports of a cover up of a child sex abuse scandal in the Church of England.
In August 2013 Archbishop Welby was made aware of the allegations of serial child abuse by the late barrister and Anglican layperson John Smyth.
The Makin Review has now found that Welby believed the claims were reported to police and the local authority – but this didn’t happen. It found it was “reasonable to conclude” that Mr Welby had been assured that these steps had been taken.
The review concluded that Smyth’s abuse was covered up within the church for years and that he may have been jailed had Mr Welby formally alerted authorities in 2013.
A Church of Ireland, a sister Anglican denomination, said: "We have no comment to make on the resignation of Archbishop Welby – this is an internal matter for the Church of England.
"In relation to safeguarding, the Church of Ireland has robust child safeguarding and adult safeguarding policies and procedures for both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which are regularly reviewed in order to take into account changes."
Canon Ian Ellis, a former editor of The Church of Ireland Gazette, spoke of Welby's honesty and openness when he had interviewed him.
"I have met Archbishop Welby on a number of occasions and interviewed him when I was editor of The Church of Ireland Gazette,” he told the News Letter. “I have always found him to be very genuine, open and honest. I think those character traits have come across in media interviews with him over the past days in particular. I believe his decision to step down in the current circumstances, taking personal and institutional responsibility, is a testimony to his integrity."
Rev Houston McKelvey, the retired Church of Ireland Dean of Belfast, spearheaded early child protection measures in his church in the 1990s.
He said it was difficult to comment on the Welby case as he had not been personally involved.
But he affirmed a statement by the Archbishop of York which said Mr Welby’s resignation was “the right and honourable thing to do".
Mr McKelvey noted that Welby had already done "a considerable amount" in reforming areas of the Church of England – which is many times the size of the Church of Ireland.
He also noted that Welby believed the matter had been passed to the police initially, in 2013.
"It seems as though at that point, Archbishop Welby felt that they were the people to progress it. And there may be an element of him being caught on the horns of a dilemma, thinking that the police would be doing the entire investigation and the follow through."
Asked if Welby might have been protecting the institution ahead of victims, he did not: "I wouldn't see him being that sort of person."
However he had been “impressed” with safeguarding measures in his engagement with CoE education, he added.
Rev Tim Anderson (retired rector of St Elizabeth’s Church in Dundonald, east Belfast) said: “The resignation today of Justin Welby is an opportunity for the church at large to turn back to Christ in repentance and to follow Christ in obedience.
"This has been a very dark and difficult week for all faithful believers and in particular for survivors of physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
"Confidence in safeguarding protocol and processes, and also in senior church leaders, has been dealt a severe blow in recent days and this urgently needs to be restored.
"There is however a larger issue at stake. It is the reputation of Christ himself.
"Despite our failures, Christ has not changed. He is still holy. He is still pure. He still forgives. He still transforms even the worst of us.”