Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will finish his official duties in early January, as he steps down in the face of criticism over an abuse scandal within the Church of England.
Mr Welby announced last week – after days of mounting pressure over failures in his handling of the case of prolific abuser John Smyth – that he would be quitting his leading role in the Church.
Lambeth Palace has said he intends to complete official duties by January 6, and is likely to have “very little public-facing activity” between now and that date.
Archbishop Justin intends very little public-facing activity between now and Epiphany, but plans to honour a small number of remaining commitments
In a statement on Wednesday, Lambeth Palace said: “Following the announcement last week of his resignation as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin intends to complete his official duties by the upcoming Feast of Epiphany (January 6).
“Archbishop Justin intends very little public-facing activity between now and Epiphany, but plans to honour a small number of remaining commitments.
“At Epiphany, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official functions will be delegated to the Archbishop of York – more details will be provided on this in due course.
“The date on which Archbishop Justin formally ceases to hold office will be set in agreement with the Privy Council.”
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is the second-most senior bishop in the Church of England.
