Justin Welby 'has lost confidence of the clergy': Archbishop of Canterbury facing mounting pressure to quit for 'ignoring' sex abuse by Church of England's most prolific abuser

Justin Welby is coming under increasing pressure to resign after a report savaged him for ignoring sex abuse by the Church of England's most prolific abuser. The Archbishop of Canterbury admitted last night to having 'personally failed' after an independent review found John Smyth QC's 'abhorrent' abuse of more than 100 children and young men was covered up in the Church for years. The Archbishop of Canterbury admitted last night to having 'personally failed' after an independent review found John Smyth QC's 'abhorrent' abuse of more than 100 children and young men was covered up in the Church for years Smyth died aged 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and so was 'never brought to justice for the abuse' The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, told the BBC: 'I think that it's very hard for the church as the national, the established church, to continue to have a moral voice in any way, shape or form in our nation when we cannot get our own house in order with regard to something as critically important, something that would be asked of any institution - let alone the church, which is meant to have the gospel of Jesus Christ looking out for the most vulnerable in our midst. Following the petition's launch, Mr Welby said he 'reiterates his horror at the scale of John Smyth's egregious abuse, as reflected in his public apology', repeated that he does not intend to resign and said he 'hopes the Makin Review supports the ongoing work of building a safer church here and around the world'. Giles Fraser, vicar of St Anne's in Kew, west London, said Mr Welby had 'lost the confidence of the clergy' He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: There's a petition going round now, which many people are signing and this is from all parts of the church.