Justin Welby to live at Lambeth Palace despite quitting as archbishop after report into Church safeguarding failures
7 February 2025, 18:55 | Updated: 8 February 2025, 00:19
Justin Welby has been given permission to live at Lambeth Palace with his family until early summer, it has been disclosed, despite quitting as archbishop of Canterbury after a damning report into Church safeguarding failures.
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Mr Welby's last official day as the most senior bishop in the Church of England was January 6, but it has been confirmed he has been allowed to stay at the London palace's private quarters for up to six months.
A report in November concluded that Christian camp leader John Smyth, thought to be the most prolific serial abuser associated with the Church, might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported allegations to police five years before the barrister's death.
Mr Welby initially said he would remain in post but, after days of pressure including a petition and a call from a bishop to step down, he announced he would resign.
At the time, he said he was quitting with a "long-felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England", saying that he had to take both "personal and institutional responsibility".
A month later he had to issue a further apology after giving his final speech in the House of Lords, which was criticised as "tone deaf" by some abuse survivors.
He said his comments "did not intend to overlook the experience of survivors, or to make light of the situation and I am very sorry for having done so".
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In papers published on Friday ahead of the Church of England's General Synod, also known as its parliament, next week, the living arrangements were disclosed.
Asked by a Synod member what the financial and other benefits were for Mr Welby, the First Church Estates commissioner Alan Smith said that an agreement was in place for he and his family to stay at Lambeth Palace.
Mr Smith said: "The Archbishop of Canterbury's departure from office was not subject to a settlement agreement.
"He has received the financial payments to which he is lawfully entitled as a clergy office holder.
"His departure from office on January 6 2025 is not the subject of any confidentiality agreement.
"With the commissioners' agreement, the Welby family is staying in the archbishop's private quarters at Lambeth Palace for up to six months ahead of their relocation to their new home."
A public consultation was launched on Friday for Mr Welby's replacement. The process is expected to take months and an announcement is possible in the autumn.
