Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has publicly admitted to mishandling the abuse scandal that led to his resignation last year. In an interview with the BBC, Welby acknowledged his errors in addressing the cover-up of a 1970s serial abuse case within the Church of England. The scandal, which involved lawyer John Smyth and the abuse of as many as 130 boys and young men, has prompted widespread calls for reform within the Church.

Welby, 68, stepped down from his position after a report revealed that he failed to report the abuses to authorities when they came to his attention in 2013. He expressed regret over his handling of the situation, stating, "The reality is I got it wrong. As Archbishop, there are no excuses." The Church of England, which has approximately twenty million baptised members, has been significantly impacted by the scandal, with regular churchgoers estimated at just under one million.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, 66, has temporarily replaced Welby as the head of the Church. However, Cottrell himself faced scrutiny over his handling of a sexual abuse case during his time as the Bishop of Chelmsford. The future head of the Church, who will be appointed by King Charles III, will be announced in the autumn following a selection process overseen by a former head of the MI5 domestic security service.

The Anglican Church, established in England since King Henry VIII's split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s, faces a challenging period of reform and rebuilding trust in the wake of the abuse scandal.