Ian Hislop: Jaw-dropping that Welby went to event day after resignation

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby attended a “gathering of the great and good” a day after he announced he was quitting over a Church of England abuse scandal, the editor of Private Eye has revealed.

Ian Hislop described it as “jaw-dropping” that Mr Welby had turned up to the British Museum trustees’ annual dinner last week.

The archbishop released a statement on Tuesday of that week saying he was stepping down “in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse”.

The move followed days of pressure after a review concluded that John Smyth – the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church – might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported him to police in 2013.

Hislop, a team captain on satirical show Have I Got News For You, said he was in disbelief that Mr Welby appeared at the museum event a day later.

In a column, Hislop wrote: “It was a gathering of the ‘great and good’, but as I stood with a drink in my hand, I couldn’t help noticing that the man standing across the Great Court from me was the Archbishop of Canterbury.

“This was the day after he had been forced to resign in disgrace for his role in an appalling scandal and cover-up of monstrous abuse in the Church of England. Like many guests there, I could not believe he would turn up to a public event. It was jaw-dropping.”

He said Mr Welby had approached his group and introduced himself, before looking around and commenting, “isn’t this lovely?”

Hislop went on: “I am afraid at this point I couldn’t contain myself and refused to allow him to use the politeness of the British establishment to get away with what I thought was extraordinarily shameless behaviour. I said, ‘It is lovely that you have resigned.'”

Hislop said Mr Welby looked surprised by the comment.

Lambeth Palace has said it does not comment on private conversations.

Mr Welby intends to complete official duties as archbishop by January 6, and is likely to have “very little public-facing activity” between now and that date, Lambeth Palace said on Wednesday.

Official functions will be delegated to the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell.

The BBC said Mr Welby will not deliver the traditional televised New Year message on New Year’s Day.

A spokesman for the broadcaster said: “Lambeth Palace have confirmed that there will not be a New Year’s message from the Archbishop of Canterbury this year.

“It will resume next year when the new archbishop of Canterbury has been appointed.”

Mr Welby delivered his first televised New Year message in 2014, and each year since then.

The Church of England has not yet confirmed whether he will deliver the Christmas Day sermon from Canterbury Cathedral.