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Justin Wilby BBC told him that he forgives a serial aggressor at the heart of a scandal that resigned as head of the Cantirberi bishops.
In his first interview since then Resignation in November last yearWelby said that the forgiveness of John Smith – which can be said to be the most abundant aggressor associated with the Church of England – was “unrelated” and it was important to help the victims “rebuild their lives.”
Smith, who died in 2018, attacked more than 100 boys and young men in the United Kingdom and Africa for decades.
A Cursed 2024 review Wilby found “could” “must” do more to bring Smith to justice, which the former bishops said he felt “deep failure.”
Speaking to Sunday from BBC with Laura Quinespberg, Willby said that there was “absolute failure” on Smith and:
- He said he was “deeply shy” from a speech he gave shortly after the resignation, as he shed light on his exit
- He expressed his frustration with the inability to obtain the Church Management Authority to introduce a fully independent protection or equality for women and gay couples
- He said that it will be a “tragedy” of the Church to divide between England and other parts of the Anglican company
- Warning that the growing UK increasingly must create a “coherent” society
forgiveness
Since the 1970s, Smith was a prominent figure in a movement related to the church, and he used his position to catch sustainable strikes in order to satisfy his sexual on the boys and young people who were fleeing them in Christian camps and schools.
Smith, who later lived in Zimbabwe and South Africa, continued abuse after leaving the United Kingdom. But he did not face justice in the United Kingdom or abroad before his death, 77 years old.
the 2024 McCain Report He said that “brutal abuse” was “on an industrial scale” and concluded the chances of investigating Smith due to his abuse – including when evidence was provided to Willby in 2013.
In response to a question from the BBC if Smith will forgive, Willby said: “Yes. I think that if he is alive and saw it, but this is not an abuse.
“He was offended by victims and survivors. So, whether you forgive or not, to a large extent, is not related.”

Welby said it was important that “the victims were interested in … liberation to rebuild their lives” by the Church instead of talking about forgiveness.
Click on how the victims react, Willby said he would never suggest that they should also be forgiven.
In response to a question about whether he wants to forgive Smith’s victims, Willby said: “Everyone wants to forgive, but demanding forgiveness is to offend again.”
While the majority is essential to faith and meets for life, Smith’s forgiveness may sit uncomfortable with some survivors, who accused him of failing to deal with them.
One of Smith’s victims, known as Graham – who filed a complaint in 2013 – BBC would not be forgiven.
He said: “I said before that, if I called us in 2017, he said,” I will come and apologize personally, I’m sorry, I have spoiled, “I would have forgiven him immediately – but he had never had these conditions.”
When asked if he could forgive Welby, Graham said: “Not if he continues to empty and refuse to tell us the truth. We are victims, and we deserve to know what happened and we have not yet done.”
In response to Willby, saying that he was overwhelmed by the size of allegations in the church, Graham said: “You may be immersed in other cases, but if this situation is not somewhat close to the top of the pile, what was it?”
He claimed that the church was still mired in cases and “is not better in dealing with it” now.
“Deep shy”
Wilby first met Smith in the late 1970s in a Christian camp, but he always insisted that he did not realize any claim of abuse against Smith until 2013.
McCain’s report said it was “unlikely”, even if the full image was still not clear to Welby.
He was asked about this result, Welby said: “You can believe or do not believe, I had no idea.”
He pushed him to the reason that he did not do more while he was in office. Welby said that the police told him “under any circumstances, are you involved because you will pollute our inquiries.”
He added: “I must be exposed to them to be honest, and I see that now.”
Earlier in the interview, Wilby BBC told it that he was “completely steeped” the size of the abuse allegations inside the church.
He said: “I did not do this task in protection … We are supposed to be herds of the herd, and this is one of the expressions that Jesus uses … and I failed to do so.”
It took several days to resign and meet after the publication of the report, and at this stage Before “personal and institutional responsibility”.
When asked about his initial decision not to quit smoking, Willby said that he was “arrested” when the results of the report appeared early on what was expected, and he did not really think about it, “before he decided that he should resign from the respect of the victims.
Welby said, “I made this decision myself.
Welby caused more controversy in December 2024 when he was Accused of shedding light on the crisis of ill -treatment in the church During the Speech of the House of Lords, the victims of the comments said that the victims said to them “Darb” and “disgusting”.
He said that he “feels deep shy” from the speech and “he was not in a good place at the time,” adding: “It is one of those moments that, when I think about it, I just Roy.
Where is the next to the church?
Last month, the General Senodes – the ruling body of the Church – Refuse a proposal that would make protection completely independentWhat the supporters say will increase accountability, but critics say it will delay the reform.
Wilby BBC told him that he was “fully supportive” of independent protection, but he could not persuade the Synod to his adoption. He said that the head of the bishops: “Not the CEO of England PLC – you cannot make this change by saying,” This will happen now. “
Welby also expressed his frustration with the Synod’s refusal to give greater equality to gay couples and female clerics.
“I liked to be able to wave magic stick and get everything well … but this is not the reality and I did not have the voices,” he told the BBC.
In response to a question about whether cultural divisions in a global church of 85 million people could lead to a division, Willby said: “I can see it happens. I think it will be a complete tragedy because when families are divided, they always leave great damage to everyone.”

The 1921 census in England and Wales found that less than half of the population described themselves Christians for the first time ever, while the Muslim and Hindu population increased, although Willby indicated that the church “has grown over the past few years.”
Welby said that the generation of “social cohesion” is scheduled to be the “largest challenge” in the country.
“Whether you are in favor, against or neutral, we are definitely at the top or three, perhaps the most diverse nation on the face of the earth … which occurred in half a century and the challenge of practicing who we are.”
“People want a coherent society. They want a society in which we know who we are and what we can and where we go – and this is where the church plays its role.”
Interior Minister Effitte Cooper said that Willby’s interview was “a reminder not only the size of the sexual assault on children and their exploitation, but also the scale of failure in a series of institutions – not only the Church of England but also other institutions – to take these horrific crimes seriously.”
She said that the plans of survivors and victims will be announced next week to ensure that more actions are taken at the national level regarding sexual assault on children and exploitation.
The government has already said it will provide the obligatory duty to report to those who work with children to report sexual assault. Change would make the crime of preventing reports.
In response to a Welby interview, a spokesman for the England Church said it would be “a reminder to Smith’s survivors of the terrible abuse and its life -long effects.”
They repeated the church’s apology to the victims and said that anyone who is advancing “will hear and respond carefully and comply by the protection of professionals.”
A statement continued: “In the past ten years, the church has developed, enhancing its protection policies and practices, and making significant improvements in training, national protection standards and external audits, and continues to do so.”