Nuns protest against rape-accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal in Kochi in October 2018. (Express Photo: Vignesh Krishnamoorthy) Nuns protest against rape-accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal in Kochi in October 2018. (Express Photo: Vignesh Krishnamoorthy)

A nun belonging to the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) of the Catholic Church in Kerala has been expelled nearly a year after she waged a hunger strike along with other nuns demanding the arrest of rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

In a letter, dated August 5, and addressed to Sr Lucy Kalapura, Sr Ann Joseph, Superior General, FCC, has intimated the dismissal from the Catholic Church, but doesn’t state any reasons for the same. The letter underlines that Sr Kalapura was given the required canonical warnings in the past and yet did not show the needed remorse or a satisfying explanation for her lifestyle in violation of the norms of the FCC. Hence, the General Council of the FCC unanimously voted to dismiss the nun. Further, the dismissal was confirmed by the Apostolic See in the Vatican. Read in Malayalam

The letter goes on to state that Sr Kalapura has the right to make recourse to the decree within ten days of receiving the communication.

In January this year, the FCC had issued a canonical warning with the threat of dismissal to Sr Kalapura. The letter then had questioned the nun’s actions ranging from participating in the protest against Bishop Mulakkal to publishing articles in non-Christian newspapers without taking prior permission from the Church and taking part in news channel discussions.

The Superior General of the FCC also counted among other offences the nun’s decision to publish a book of poems, learn driving, obtain a driving license and buy a car. “These are grave violations of the vow of obedience,” the letter reads. “You cannot live your own beliefs, ideologies and convictions in FCC without respecting and keeping the values and traditions of FCC.”

Explained: Sexual assault charges against Christian priests in Kerala

On her part, the nun stuck to the line that this was revenge for her participation in the protest against the rape-accused Bishop. She also said that she has done nothing wrong and continued to appear in television debates on the matter.

Sr Kalapura had been residing at the FCC convent in Wayanad.

Mulakkal, who is currently out on bail, is accused of raping a nun belonging to the order of Missionaries of Jesus several times between 2014 and 2016. Though Mulakkal was divested of his pastoral duties at the Jalandhar diocese in Punjab, the Church leadership has steadfastly backed him.

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