Faced with huge protests from believers, the authorities of St Mary’s Church at Karakkamala in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Monday withdrew the disciplinary action taken against Sister Lucy Kalapura, who had joined the agitation demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal. Believers barged into the parish council meeting of St Mary’s Church on Monday.

They did not allow parish priest Father Stephen Kottakkal to leave the church until he withdrew the action against the nun. In the wake of the believers’ outcry, the church soon revoked the ban imposed on Sister Lucy. Church vicar Father Stephen Kottakkal said there was no restriction on Sister Lucy and she was free to continue with her catechism classes and various activities of the church.

Sister Lucy Kalapura, one of the nuns who joined the dharna outside the Kerala High Court in Kochi, demanding the arrest of Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, was restricted by the church on Sunday from teaching Bible and performing holy mass at the church. The lifting of the ban comes just a day after the church had banned the Sister from performing her religious duties.

READ | Sister, priest face action for protesting against accused bishop

Ironically, the reason attributed for taking action against Sister Lucy was that the people of the parish were not happy with the Sister taking part in the protests and that they did not want her to train their children about the Bible and faith.

“Devotees are dissatisfied with Sister Lucy for participating in the protest. They have demanded action against Sister Lucy. We just informed this to Sister Lucy through Mother Superior. This is being interpreted as the church has taken action against the sister,” said a press release issued by the vicar of the parish on Sunday.

On Monday evening, around 100 people belonging to the parish barged inside the parish hall demanding to know the reason for taking action against Sister Lucy, from the parish priest. They also wanted to know the names of the devotees who had asked for action against Sister Lucy.

Following the protests by the believers, Father Stephen called a meeting with the parish members and church officials at the Parish hall and at the meeting it was decided to lift the ban imposed on Sister Lucy.

PTI adds from Kottayam: Expanding its probe in the case of alleged rape of a nun by a Roman Catholic bishop, Kerala police on Tuesday issued a notice to the PRO of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation asking her to appear before it over a complaint about releasing a photograph of the alleged victim. The congregation, to which both the alleged victim and accused Franco Mulakkal belong, had openly come out in support of the bishop.

The congregation had released a photo, in which the nun could be seen seated with her alleged tormentor, in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines that prohibit revealing the identity of a victim of sexual assault. Mulakkal was arrested last Friday.

A day after the bishop was sent to judicial custody, the Kuravilangadu police sent the notice to the congregation’s public relations officer Sister Amala asking her to appear before the probe team in seven days. The congregation had put out the photograph in a release issued to the media for publishing the findings of its internal inquiry commission, which went into the nun’s allegations. The congregation, however, had cautioned against publishing the photograph.