by David Virtue, Virtueonline
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.