Justin Welby resigned as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury at midnight on Monday amid sexual allegations in the Church of England. According to the Telegraph, Welby spent his last day in office in private at Lambeth Palace, where he participated in a lunchtime Eucharist and handed down his ceremonial bishop's crozier during an Evensong service later that day.

Per Church of England rules, Welby can no longer perform priestly duties and lead services without first obtaining permission from a bishop, The U.K. Times reported.

Although former archbishops have been granted this approval, there is no guarantee whether Welby will receive it. A source explained that the approval would not be granted "immediately or automatically" without first undergoing "a period of discernment … in conjunction with a diocesan bishop."

Welby's resignation follows criticism concerning sexual abuse allegations in the Church of England, The Christian Post reports. He was also criticized for blocking a disciplinary case against the Bishop of Derby and for insufficient efforts in investigating allegations against John Smyth, a barrister who was accused of assaulting multiple boys over multiple years.

According to an earlier independent review, Smyth "might have been brought to justice" if Welby had filed a formal police report in 2013.

Prior to stepping down, Welby made few appearances since mid-November and did not give a Christmas sermon at Canterbury Cathedral. He also did deliver a New Year's Day message as he typically would in the past.

As reported by Telegraph, his Christmas donation to The Children's Society was rejected, with the organization explaining that accepting it "would not be consistent with the principles and values that underpin our work."

Three senior Church of England figures will assume key functions of the Archbishop of Canterbury, including the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, and the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, with Cottrell assuming the majority of the duties.

The search for the next archbishop of Canterbury is underway, with an announcement possibly taking place this autumn.

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