Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns over abuse scandal

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.

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