by David Virtue, VOL
The appointment of London Bishop Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury—making her the first woman to lead the worldwide Anglican Communion—ranked among the top religion news stories of 2025. However, her upcoming consecration is facing opposition over allegations of safeguarding failures during her tenure as Bishop of London.
Petition Calls for Consecration to be Halted
A petition on Change.org, initiated by Church of England priest the Rev. Paul Williamson, is calling for Mullally’s consecration at St. Paul’s Cathedral to be stopped. The petition hopes to garner 10,000 signatures.
Williamson raises questions of accountability regarding the death of the Revd Alan Griffin, who died by suicide while serving under Mullally’s episcopal oversight. According to Williamson, a coroner’s inquest revealed concerning details about how allegations against Griffin were handled.
“She kept a file of false sexual allegations about Revd Alan Griffin for two years,” Williamson stated, citing testimony from Coroner Mary Hassell. He alleges that Mullally did not investigate the claims to determine their validity, yet treated them as factual. Williamson further claims that Griffin’s confidential medical information, including HIV status and records of suicide attempts, was improperly shared, along with a statement that police were investigating him—which Williamson says was untrue.
“He was truly vulnerable,” Williamson said. “He should have had first-class care and support. He could not cope. There was no pastoral or professional support provided. He committed suicide.”