The Most Reverend Justin Welby has announced his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury. This, together with the reasons that led to the resignation, is a challenging and difficult time for many in our diocese and we will feel a huge variety of emotions as we also remember the survivors of abuse at the heart of these events.
The horror of the scale of abuse which was identified in the Makin report is deeply troubling, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who bravely came forward to tell their story and who continue to live with the impact of the trauma inflicted on them by their perpetrator.
We are grateful to all our clergy for what they are doing at this time to support those with either lived experience of the issues raised in the Makin report or those with grave concerns.
The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover said: “I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Archbishop Justin for the weight of the role he has carried over these past years, for his generosity of spirit and faithfulness to the gospel.”
Please continue to pray for all those affected by these events, and for wisdom and unity as the Church tries to heal and move forward, and keep Archbishop Justin, Caroline and their family in your prayers.
More will be said on the process for appointing the next Archbishop of Canterbury in due course.
Safeguarding support
We are conscious that the high-profile nature of safeguarding being reported in the media can impact on survivors and victims.
The Diocese of Canterbury and Canterbury Cathedral have robust safeguarding measures in place to protect children and vulnerable adults. We have a duty of care and responsibility which is an extremely serious trust, and one of our most important concerns.
If you need support, please contact the Cathedral and Diocesan Safeguarding teams whose details can be found at www.canterburydiocese.org/safeguarding or www.canterbury-cathedral.org/safeguarding/
Additional support is available from:
Safe Spaces, Helpline: 0300 303 1056 (available Monday to Friday 9am-9pm; Saturdays 9am-1pm; Sundays 1pm-5pm)
The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), Support line: 0808 801 0331 (available Monday to Thursday 10am-9pm; Friday 10am-6pm).