The 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, 68, resigned on Tuesday, five days after the Makin Report criticised him for mishandling the abuse allegations by John Smyth, a volunteer at Christian summer camps. This dates back to the 1970s.

Who Is Justin Welby?Justin Welby had an 11-year-long career in the industry before he was ordained in 1992. Afterwards, he spent his first 15 years in Coventry diocese. In 2022, he was made a Conon of Coventry Cathedral, where he led international reconciliation work. He also worked extensively in Africa and the Middle East (West Asia).From 2007 to 2011, he was the Dean of Liverpool and for one year till 2012, he was the Bishop of Durham. In late 2012, he was announced as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. In a service at Canterbury Cathedral on March 21, 2013, he was installed as the Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Apologised For The Violence Committed By British ForcesFrom August 31 to September 10, he spent his time in India, as he was invited by the United Churches of North and South India. In his 10-day visit, he also paid a visit to the Jallianwala Bagh memorial. At the site, he apologised "in the name of Christ" for the 1919 massacre at Amritsar in India. What Is the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?On April 13, 1919, British troops open fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in an open space in Amritsar. Colonel Reginald Dyer had imposed Section 144 to ban people from assembling in groups in Amritsar. However, people from neighboring cities arrived there to celebrate Baisakhi, a spring festival. The place was completely enclosed by walls and only had one exit. Seeing so many people, Dyer and his soldiers arrived and sealed off the exit. Without any warning, the troops opened fire on the crowd. Many also jumped into a well, in a hope of saving their lives. After they ceased firing, the troops withdrew from the place, leaving the dead and wounded behind. Archbishop's ApologyProstrating himself at the memorial, he said, "The souls of those who were killed or wounded, of the bereaved, cry out to us from these stones and warn us about power and the misuse of power. I cannot speak for the British government … but I can speak in the name of Christ and say this is a place of both sin and redemption because you have remembered what they have done and their names will live, and their memory will live before God. And I am so ashamed and sorry for the impact of this crime committed here.Also Read: He Married Prince Harry and Meghan MarkleIn May 2018, he led the service of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding and also befriended the couple. Some Palace sources also claimed in 2023 that he had "completely fallen under their spell".He also baptised the then-bride-to-be in early March of that year. As per reports, the baptism took 45 minutes and was attended by Prince Harry, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Markle herself had "two sponsors" present. Though the ceremony was not compulsory, it was a tradition. This meant that Markle would no longer have any restrictions on what she participated in once she became part of the royal family. Welby called it, "beautiful, sincere, and very moving". In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said that the couple exchanged vows three days before their official wedding and that they had been secretly married. However, Welby clarified that he did not sign the marriage certificate as it would have been "committing a serious crime". However, he did agree that he met the couple in "private and pastoral setting" beforehand. Why is he resigning?Welby announced his resignation "in sorrow", and took "personal and institutional responsibility" for a lack of action on the "heinous abuses" which were allegedly committed by the late John Smyth. Welby said that he was first informed of the allegations in 2013 when he was just appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury, and that he had told the police. However, the investigation found that Welby failed to inform the authorities about serial physical and sexual abuse.He also apologised for failing to ensure that the accusations were "energetically investigated" and thus he stepped down taking institutional responsibility. He said, "I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse."