Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced his resignation Tuesday, taking “personal and institutional responsibility” after an inquiry found he failed to promptly report abuse allegations against a Church of England volunteer.

Calls to resign had grown louder since Thursday, when a new 251-page independent review revealed that Archbishop Welby had known in 2013 about the abuse committed by John Smyth, a former Christian camp leader who preyed on young men and boys for decades.

“I believe stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England,” Archbishop Welby said, calling it a difficult but necessary decision.

Since the report’s release, more than 1,800 people signed a Change.org petition by three members of the General Synod, the church’s governing body, calling for Archbishop Welby’s resignation.

As recently as Thursday, the archbishop had told journalists that though he’d considered resigning, he had ultimately decided against it.

“In effect, three and a half years were lost, a time within which John Smyth could have been brought to justice and any abuse he was committing in South Africa discovered and stopped,” the report reads.

• Emma Ayers can be reached at eayers@washingtontimes.com.