Justin Welby to miss Christmas services before quitting

The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury will not take part in any public Christmas services this year, despite remaining in the post until January.

Justin Welby will instead spend the festive period privately with his family, after announcing in November that he would resign over the Church's handling of one of its worst-ever abuse scandals, Lambeth Palace said.

The Church confirmed this week that the archbishop's former chaplain had "stepped back" from her current role as a bishop following the publication of a damning report into the scandal.

Mr Welby intends to complete all official duties as archbishop by 6 January.

Mr Welby announced his resignation in November, after the independent Makin report found that he "could and should" have reported child abuser John Smyth to the police in 2013.

Smyth is believed to be one of the most prolific abusers associated with the Church, attacking more than 100 boys and young men at Christian summer camps in England in the 1970s and 1980s, and later in southern Africa.

He is thought to have continued his abuse in South Africa until he died in Cape Town in 2018, aged 75.

The report said "several opportunities were missed" to formally report the abuse to police, and named Mr Welby specifically as someone who knew about Smyth's behaviour.

In his resignation statement, the archbishop said "it is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility" for his response after he was first told about the abuse.

"I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England," he added. "As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse."

Rev Jo Bailey Wells, Mr Welby's former personal chaplain, stepped back from her ministry following the publication of the Makin report, the Diocese of London said this week.