Archbishop: Scandal-hit Church should 'kneel in penitence'

Welby says it was ‘clear’ he had to quit after abuse report

Justin Welby tells the House of Lords a head had to “roll”, and it was “clear” he “had to stand down” as archbishop of Canterbury after a review criticised him over failures in handling a Church of England abuse scandal. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Justin Welby: A look at his time as Archbishop of Canterbury

Justin Welby has resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury after 11-and-a-half years as leader of the Church of England. It comes after the publication of an independent review into the Church’s handling of allegations of physical and sexual abuse committed by John Smyth at Christian camps in the 1970s and 80s. Welby became Archbishop in 2013, having only served as a bishop for two years. He also became the first Archbishop of Canterbury for 70 years to preside over the funeral and coronation of a monarch. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Bishop calls for more ‘awareness’ after Archbishop resigns

The Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, calls for more “awareness” around sex abuse as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, resigns over the Church of England’s failure to alert authorities to the abuse of boys by John Smyth. Report by Ajagbef. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Athenians and tourists gather in Athens to release Christmas wishes on paper lanterns

On Christmas Eve, hundreds of Greeks gathered outside Athens City Hall to release paper lanterns and make wishes. The annual event in Kotzia Square, overseen by Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, celebrated the city’s spirit. The Municipality of Athens organized the gathering.