Vatican rejects Sr Lucy's second appeal against her expulsion from Church

Sister Lucy has supported the survivor nun in the Bishop Franco Mulakkal rape case and had even given a statement against him.

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The Vatican on Sunday rejected Sister Lucy Kalappura's second and final appeal against her expulsion from the Catholic Church, for failing to explain her lifestyle 'which allegedly violated church rules'. Sister Lucy Kalappura has actively participated in protests against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun and even gave a statement against him.

A few months ago, Sister Lucy's first appeal against the 'disciplinary action, from the church was rejected by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Vatican. On Sunday, the nun received a communication in Latin, from the Vatican, stating that her second appeal too was rejected, according to reports. In both the appeals, she had argued that the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, to which she belongs, had deliberately dismissed her for supporting the survivor nun in the Bishop Franco Mulakkal case and for giving a statement against him.

According to reports, Sister Lucy had also requested to appear before the Supreme Tribunal of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Vatican. Her request was, however, rejected.

It was in August 2019 that the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) dismissed the nun from the church stating that her lifestyle - which included writing and publishing poems and buying and driving a car - were violative of the rules of the church. When the nun challenged the order in court, the church authorities went on a smear campaign, claiming that she 'was staying at hotel rooms, attending meetings and going with people who wished to cause a disturbance within the congregation'.

With the second and final appeal rejected, authorities at Mananthavady diocese of the FCC said that Sister Lucy will no longer be able to stay in the church. However, the diocese said that they had received no information of the communication from Vatican, and that the nun would have received it directly as she had not appealed through the system within the church.

However, Sister Lucy will continue fighting against her dismissal from the church through the courts in India, said George Moolachelil who is the media spokesperson for the nun.