Justin Welby served as the Archbishop of Canterbury for 12 years, leading the Church of England as its most prominent and visible churchman.
He resigned this week following sustained criticism over what several fellow Church of England clergy have called his lack of initiative in addressing and attempting to resolve specific sex abuse cases within the Church.
In announcing his resignation, Archbishop Welby apologized for his lack of action since the scandal broke in 2013. He also said the Church of England needed to confront change and to work towards creating safer environments in the future.
The now former Archbishop of Canterbury has always been a strong supporter of ecumenism. Last year he accompanied Pope Francis on a pastoral visit to South Sudan, the first of its kind by a leader of the Church of England and a Roman Catholic Pope.
GS
