Justin Welby makes kids’s charity donation and sends ultimate Christmas card – after resigning as Archbishop of Canterbury over CoE’s worst youngster abuse scandal
Justin Welby has made a donation to a children’s charity to accompany his last annual Christmas card before departing his role over the Church’s worst child abuse scandal.
The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury raised eyebrows with the gesture after he was forced to quit over a damning report which found he had failed to act properly in the case of serial child abuser John Smyth.
The card from Dr Welby and his wife, Caroline, states that a donation has been made to The Children’s Society, which they noted ‘works with children affected by criminal and sexual exploitation, abuse’.
The couple said they had chosen to make a donation to a charity which ‘restlessly pursues its goal of a society built for all children’.
The donation was welcomed by clergy last night. Janet Fife, a retired priest and campaigner for victims of abuse in the Church, said she was glad that Dr Welby had donated to ‘such a good cause’.
Justin Welby (pictured) was forced to quit over the damning report
John Smyth (pictured) QC is believed to be the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England
The outgoing Archbishop donated to The Children’s Society noted for its work with ‘children affected by criminal and sexual exploitation’. Pictured: Children’s Society’s HQ in London.
The card from Dr Welby and his wife, Caroline, highlights the work done by the Children’s Society to combat ‘children affected by criminal and sexual exploitation, abuse’
She added: ‘I wish he’d done more to protect children and vulnerable adults while he was in office, and to help survivors of abuse within the Church of England.
‘And I note that Jesus told us to keep our charitable giving private, and not make a public show of it.’
It comes after Dr Welby was forced to apologise earlier this month after his final speech in the House of Lords, which was criticised by clergy and survivors of abuse as ‘tone deaf’.
The Archbishop said he ‘did not intend to overlook the experience of survivors, or to make light of the situation’ after joking that ‘if you pity anyone, pity my poor diary secretary’ for having next year’s events cancelled following his resignation.
Archbishop Welby will formally step down from his role on 6 January and is not expected to take part in any public Christmas services before then, including the traditional Christmas day sermon.
