Justin Welby forced to allow Anglican bishops to reject statement on sexuality

Archbishop of Canterbury responds to outcry over declaration that marriage is between a man and a woman'

The archbishop of Canterbury has been forced to allow Anglican bishops from all over the world the option of rejecting a statement on sexuality when they meet in Canterbury this week for the Lambeth conference.

The U-turn from Justin Welby, the leader of the global Anglican communion and the conference president, came late on Monday night, hours before 650 delegates began arriving for the 12-day meeting.