ST. PAUL'S, LONDON: Church of England Priest Disrupts Archbishop's Ceremony

Ejected priest files assault charges with police

By David W. Virtue, DD

www.virtueonline.org

January 30, 2026

The Rev. Paul S. Williamson deliberately disrupted proceedings at St. Paul's Cathedral, where Bishop Sarah Mullally was being formally recognized as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, denouncing failed safeguarding actions, including those involving a priest who committed suicide.

When he spoke up denouncing the proceedings, he was quickly confronted and escorted unceremoniously from the cathedral.

"Actions speak louder than words," he told VOL. "I want the whole truth told from a victim's perspective regarding her safeguarding failures.

"I entered a verbal objection at St. Paul's Cathedral as an impediment on safeguarding grounds—especially concerning the failures of Sarah Mullally and her part in the suicide of the Rev. Alan Griffin.

"In common law and precedent—as in a wedding ceremony in a church—if an objector states that there is an impediment (such as the marriage of John and Mary cannot proceed because he is already married to Jane in Truro), then there is a stop on proceeding until it is proved or cleared by document and law. The same applies to the confirmation of the election of an archbishop.

"The media commentators clearly understood and stated that there was a church service with a pause for the legal actions to take place. St. Paul's is both the House of God and a court. I did not interrupt the church service. John Bannon, sometime churchwarden, is a witness.

"At the time of the legal proceedings, Timothy Briden, vicar general, was wearing a long wig, and the various others in legal dress and the bishops reconstituted themselves as a court for legal purposes. I carefully waited until a verbal pause occurred so that no one was speaking. I chose the point where it was openly stated in the written program, and in speaking, that there were no objections.

"As this was not true, I stood up and stated that 'I objected.' In a court, there are two sides which present their case in the matter before a judge or jury. How can this be a fair hearing in a court if only one side is allowed to speak? This is contrary to more than a thousand years of legal precedent and the explicit provisions of the Magna Carta, as well as the court procedure rules enacted by Parliament.

"Only one side spoke at St. Paul's. I continued by stating that there was a major safeguarding failure by Mullally that resulted in the suicide of Alan Griffin. I stated that this was an impediment. I was speaking not just for Griffin and myself but for all the victims of Mullally's safeguarding failures.

"It is apparent to me that most of these have never been satisfactorily handled either legally or pastorally. 'N' has left the UK. 'O' cannot cope. Others are afraid to stand up in public. I am not. Mullally was a senior nursing officer of the NHS with remit and stated job specification of safeguarding lead. She cannot therefore claim ignorance of correct procedure.

"Scott, the St. Paul's senior security officer, had introduced himself to me (my picture was on a photo identity sheet with others) before I entered the Cathedral. He placed two guards behind me and one at each pillar on the right-hand side aisle when I had taken my seat in the nave. He positioned security guards around me.

"While I spoke, the security guard used physical force to hasten me out of the Cathedral. I protested that I had a walking difficulty. I was using a stick as an aid. Outside the door, he put his hand on my back as if to push me down the extremely steep steps. I felt his hand. I said, 'Can't you see I have a walking stick?' I grabbed the handrail. I nearly fell very badly and could have been seriously injured, if not killed, if my head had hit a granite step during the tumble downward.

"I am complaining to the Dean and Chapter and making a charge of assault to the City Police. John Bannon confirms that he witnessed this as he was behind me at the time."

Williamson said that a whole year elapsed following his complaints without any action—and then Mullally was appointed despite her safeguarding history of failures, hurt, harm, and suicide. Mullally had said on ITV News that "the Church must listen to the people."

"Why is she ignoring her own dictum? People are leaving because of safeguarding failings. The Church does everything it can not to allow any criticism of the bishops. No actions called Clergy Discipline have ever succeeded or been allowed. Justin Welby, former Archbishop of Canterbury, dismissed mine about Mullally with 'no case to answer'!

"The Church acts like a dictator. The Church uses gagging orders called 'non-disclosure agreements.' How very Christian. It cannot face criticism. It is 'Putinesque'—saying what we should believe and what it wants us to accept, purporting that this is the truth in the face of evidence to the contrary. It believes its own falsehoods.

"WHO WILL ACT TO PROTECT US AND DEAL WITH ACCOUNTABILITY—PAST AND IN THE FUTURE?"

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