Primate Justin Badi Arama, the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. | Courtesy

The Head of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans Primate Justine Badi Arama said he acknowledged the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over child sex abuse in the church and appeals for respect to spiritual principles.

Welby stepped down after leading the global Anglican Church since 2013 following the release of an investigation into the massive abuse of boys and men by a top Anglican religious leader in Africa and the UK.

The independent report is said to have found inaction from the Church to bring to justice the accused identified as John Smyth, who allegedly seduced up to 30 boys at summer camps in the UK in the 1970s.

Smyth allegedly did the same when he was relocated to Zimbabwe, and later South Africa in the 1980s, where he abused a further 85 to 100 young male children, until he died in Cape Town in 2018.

In his response, Mr Welby said that he took the personal and institutional responsibility for his inaction after he was first told about the abuse.

Reacting to Mr. Welby’s resignation, Primate Justine Badi, who also is the leader of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans described the Makin Report as a great challenge to Welby and his family.

“The Archbishop of Canterbury resigned following criticism in the Makin report published of his failure to respond adequately and effectively to the sustained and uniquely brutal abuse of boys and young men dating back to the late 1970s,” Badi said.

“We would hold in our prayers that many who were scared by this experience and for whom this dramatic turn of events will start up dramatic memories and revisited distress.”

“It is also a time of great personal challenge for the archbishop himself and his family who are now coming under great strain.”

Primate Badi said the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Comunion recognize the observations, findings, and recommendations of the Report.

He stressed the need for the church to uphold it values including those fostering a safe church and implementing oversight over the best safeguarding procedures to protect the vulnerable groups.

“As we proceed with the Cairo Covenant, our fellowship will hold fast to paramount biblical and spiritual principles, including those of fostering a safe church and implementing oversight over the best safeguarding procedures in the interest of all groups.”