Justin Welby said he will forgive the Serial Church of England abuse John Smyth if he is still alive today.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury also repeated an apology to the victims on Sunday and tells of the ‘deep feeling of personal failure’ he feels about dealing with the allegations made against Smyth – considered the most productive abuser associated with the church.
The former most senior bishop in the church, who resigned in November and officially retired in January, said he “didn’t really think enough, to be honest” when he initially refused to stop the Makin report last year, before he did five days later.
The Smyth report found that Mr. Welby did not adequately follow up on reports of the Christian camp leader and advocate. In a damning conclusion, it said that Smyth may have been brought before justice as Mr. Welby formally reported allegations to police in 2013.
In his first interview since his resignation, Mr. Welby asked if he could forgive the now dead minister and tell the BBC’s Sunday with the Laura Kuenssberg program: “Yes, I think if he lives and I saw him.”
He added: ‘But it is not, it is not me who abused. He abused the victims and survivors. Whether or not I forgive to a great extent is irrelevant.
“What is important: are the survivors – and everyone responds differently to abuse – but are the survivors sufficiently loved by the church and are taken care of and are they enabled to rebuild their lives? After that, you can start talking about forgiveness. ‘
Asked if he wants forgiveness from the victims of Smyth, Mr. Welby said: “Obviously it’s not about me. When we talk about protection, the center of it is the victims and survivors. I have never said a survivor,” you must forgive “because it is their sovereign, absolute individual choice. Everyone wants to be forgiven, but to forgive is to abuse again.” “
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