“Every day more cases were coming across the desk that had been in the past, hadn’t been dealt with adequately… and yes I knew Smyth but it was an absolutely overwhelming few weeks,” he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
However, it is important to note that Welby was very clear that the reason for his lack of judgement was not an excuse: “It was overwhelming, one was trying to prioritise – but I think it’s easy to sound defensive over this.”
In a world where public figures tend to be defined by an unshakable confidence, bordering on delusion, it might almost seem disarming to hear an acknowledgement of limitations. We have seen time and time again, an inability to acknowledge any fallibility from CEOs, politicians and religious leaders.
Welby lamented that we are not prepared to forgive our leaders when they falter. He suggested that society increasingly expects perfection, failing to acknowledge the immense pressures public figures face: “There is an absence of forgiveness; we don’t treat our leaders as human.”
Welby’s farewell speech, which he now claims to regret, did not help. It appeared tone-deaf given what had occurred under his tenure. His defensive and self-congratulatory remarks reinforced the sense that his admissions of struggle have not been accompanied by a willingness to take responsibility for the Church’s failures.
square STEFANO HATFIELD
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There is a fine line between vulnerability and deflection. Welby may not consciously engage in the latter, but his admission is a pre-emptive strike against critics. By admitting he was overwhelmed, he invites sympathy rather than judgment, shifting the focus from what went wrong to how impossible the job was in the first place.
Welby has done something few in his position ever do: he has admitted that the weight of leadership was too much for him. But it cannot and must not become a way to sidestep the valid criticisms of his tenure.
If he is truly intent on leaving the Church of England in a better state than he found it, then he must remain dedicated to addressing the failings he now acknowledges. Honesty is valuable. But action is what really counts.
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