Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welbywhich ends due to its processing of the case of a notorious child abusershas scaled back his public work and will complete his official duties by January 6, Lambeth Palace said.

John Smyth physically, sexually and psychologically abused as many as 130 boys and young men at Christian summer camps in England and Africa for five decades.

The outrage over how Smyth could get away with his crimes came to a head when a independent review concluded that Smyth – the most prolific serial drug addict with links to the church – might have been brought to justice if Welby had reported him to the police in 2013.

Welby resigned after days of pressure to do so, because campaigners noticed scandal “just the tip of the iceberg,” and said more senior leaders in the church should also quit.

He had that initially refused to stand when the report was publishedand said he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse” before 2013, but in admitting the review had found that after its wider exposure that year, he had “personally failed to ensure” it was “vigorously investigated”.

As he announced his departure last week he said he was leaving “in grief with all victims and survivors of abuse” and that the previous days had renewed his “long-standing and deep sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England”.

One bishop, Jayne Ozanne, a prominent LGBT+ campaigner who sat on the Archbishop’s Council, warned that the Church of England was “not a safe institution”.

She said Welby’s resignation must be a “watershed” for the church, telling the BBC: “This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many other abusers who have been covered up for the good of the church.”

Smyth died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018 while being investigated by Hampshire Police, and was “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the independent Makin Review said.

Lambeth Palace said on Wednesday: “Following the announcement last week of his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin intends to complete his official duties for the coming Epiphany (January 6).

“Archbishop Justin intends very little public activity between now and Epiphany, but plans to fulfill a small number of remaining commitments.

“On the Epiphany, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official functions will be delegated to the Archbishop of York – more information will be provided on this in due course.

“The date on which Archbishop Justin formally leaves office will be determined in agreement with the Privy Council.”

The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the second most senior bishop in the Church of England, has appeared to rule himself out of the running to replace Welby.

At 66, he is approaching the Church of England retirement age of 70.