Justin Welby’s resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury is truly unprecedented. No archbishop has ever, in the history of the Church of England, resigned - not even in 1621 when the primate of all England shot and killed a gamekeeper with a crossbow while hunting.
Some are still defending him, either praising the good aspects of his ministry, or even (like Charles Moore in the Spectator) saying that he should not have resigned.
It is a remarkable lack of judgement to praise him now, when people react so strongly not only to abuse but to those who failed to prevent abuse happening. On Radio 5 Live on Wednesday morning for example, Nicky Campbell was adamant that, because of abuse in the Church, he would never, ever consider engaging with the Christian faith.
Church of England: Revitalisation instead of retreat
In the ever-deepening crisis over blessings for same-sex couples – Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) – it is understandable …