What happens now that Justin Welby has resigned - and who could replace him?

It could be quite some time until the new Archbishop of Canterbury is selected, ITV News' Correspondent John Ray reports

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Cantebury, announced his resignation on Tuesday afternoon, following a damning review into his handling of one of the church's worst abuse scandals.

The Makin report concluded that barrister John Smyth QC had abused more than 100 children and young men in the UK and Africa over five decades. Smyth died in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police.

Welby said the report's findings "renewed my long-felt and profound sense of shame" about Church of England safeguarding failures, and accepted his "personal and institutional responsibility" for not formally reporting the abuse.

The process of finding a new archbishop has already begun, with Welby seeking the King's permission to begin the resignation proceedings.

ITV News explains what else we can expect now that Welby has stepped down - and who could replace him.

Who will appoint the new archbishop?

One of the King's roles is the defender of the faith and supreme governor of the Church of England, and appointing archbishops, bishops and deans falls under this responsibility.

But first, the appointment must be recommended to the King. This is done by the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), which has 17 voting members.

Welby stood down following a damning report into abuse cover-up in the church. Credit: AP

These include an Anglican in public life chosen by the Prime Minister, a bishop, the Archbishop of York, three representatives elected from the Diocese of Canterbury, six from the General Synod – three ordained and three lay – and five Anglican communion representatives.

Once the CNC is established, it examines the candidates, holds interviews, and puts forward a name to the Prime Minister, who then passes it to the King.

The King then approves the chosen candidate and, if they have indicated a willingness to serve, 10 Downing St will announce the name of the archbishop-designate. The college of canons of Canterbury Cathedral then formally elects the new archbishop.

Who could it be?

Dame Sarah Mullay is the current bishop of London. She was previously the youngest person to be appointed chief nursing officer for England and was made a Dame in 2005 for her contributions to nursing and midwifery.

Stephen Cottrell, the current Archbishop of York, may also be in the running to replace Welby. He spent a brief spell in the film industry and also at St Christopher’s Hospice in south London before being ordained a deacon at the age of 25.

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Another potential candidate is Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford. Born in Iran, her family fled the country in the wake of the Iranian revolution in 1980. She is currently also the lead bishop for housing for the Church of England.

Dame Sarah Mullally (left), Stephen Cottrell (centre), Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani (right) Credit: PA

The church's lead bishop on the environment, Graham Usher, became the 72nd Bishop of Norwich in June 2019. He is an ecologist and keen beekeeper.

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Michael Beasley is a former epidemiologist, and is the Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was a member of the Church of England’s Covid task force in the pandemic, and may replace Welby.

Another bishop who could take over from Welby is Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester. he studied chemistry at the University of Sheffield and then worked with the Crown Prosecution Service.

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What will happen to Justin Welby?

The Archbishop said he would honour his existing “constitutional and church responsibilities”, so exact timings for his departure will be decided “once a review of necessary obligations has been completed”.

Previous archbishops have received a life peerage to sit in the House of Lords. Welby has also said he is committed to meeting with survivors of Smyth's abuse.

One of them, Mark Stibbe, a former vicar and author, told Channel 4 News said he wants to see the archbishop dedicate "the rest of his life" to reforming the Church of England.

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