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Updated: Aug 25, 2019 06:16 IST

The Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) on Saturday issued a notice to expelled nun, Sister Lucy Kalapura, asking her to withdraw two cases she had filed against the convent and tender an unconditional apology if she wanted to continue staying in the convent.

The 51-year-old nun, who was expelled last week on grounds of “serious indiscipline”, had filed two cases – one against a superior who allegedly locked her up inside the convent and another over a defamatory video allegedly circulated on social media by a public relations team member. Sister Lucy was in the forefront of last September’s protests in Kochi against deposed Jalandhar bishop Franco Mullakkal, who is facing charges of raping a Kerala nun several times in 2014.

In Saturday’s letter, the FCC emphasised that action was taken against Sister Lucy not for participating in the 2018 protests against Mullakkal but purely on “disciplinary grounds.” It denied charges that she had been locked up in the convent and insisted that if she wanted to stay on at the convent, she would have to follow canon laws and convent rules in letter and spirit. The letter also said her “behaviour” was affecting other inmates in the convent.

Sister Lucy has, however, refused to apologise and termed the move a “blackmailing tactic”. She told reporters she had appealed her expulsion before Pope Francis, the supreme head of the Catholic Church, and would stay in the convent till she got a reply from the Vatican.

“There have been many attempts to smoke me out of the convent. Since I have filed an appeal against my expulsion, I will not leave the convent till I get information from the Vatican. I am expecting more such trouble,” she said.

Two days ago, the police booked a priest of the Manathaway diocese, Father Noble Thomas, and five nuns for allegedly circulating a video portraying Sister Lucy in bad light. In the video, Father Noble, who works in the diocese public relations team, is seen criticizing the nun and claiming that she brought two men to the convent through the kitchen door.

But later it came to light that the men were journalists who had come to collect information about her being locked up in the convent. She said that since the convent front door was locked by authorities, she had recently begun using the back door. “It was a deliberate attempt to portray me in bad light. It is nothing but character assassination,” she said.

Later, Vellamunda police registered a case under Section 509 of the IPC (insulting the modesty of women) and Section 500 (defamation).

Father Noble said he had simply forwarded a video sent by nuns of the convent and it was not intended to hurt anyone.