Sister Lucy Kalapura from Kerala has been sacked permanently and stripped of her ‘sisterhood’ by the highest judicial body of the Catholic Church, Apostolica Signatura of the Vatican, for daring to protest against rape accused ex-Bishop Franco Mulakkal and upset the patriarchal Papacy.

The Vatican Papacy, instead putting all their weight behind rape survivors and nuns who protest against sexual violence has decided to shockingly harass and punish them for complaining instead of the accused Franco Mulakkal.

Sister Lucy has received a letter on June 12th from the Franciscan Clarist Congregation stating that the appeal of Lucy Kalapura is rejected by Apostolica Signatura and dismissal is confirmed. With this decision the Vatican has dismissed Sister Lucy permanently from the Catholic Church.

Pertinently, Lucy was earlier dismissed and made to vacate the premises by the Church in August 2019 for seeking justice for the rape victim and survivor in the Franco Mulakkal Rape Case. She was targetted, harassed and dismissed for participating in protest against Franco Mulakkal in support of the rape victim in September 2018.

The Republicworld reports that Sister Lucy reacted to her dismissal by the Vatican by stating, “I don’t know what is happening. I am going to tell the truth to the world. The Vatican did not even conduct a trial in my case. I will stay here in the Convent. I don’t know how this is happening”.

Ex-Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar Diocese has been accused by a nun of raping her several times, including forcibly having unnatural sex, from 2014 to 2016 at the Kuruvilangadu convent in Kottayam, Kerala. She had complained against Franco several times to the Church authorities but was stone walled and silenced, she later mustered courage to lodge a police complaint of rape against Mulakkal despite tremendous pressure from the Church. Several nuns of the congregation came forward to support the victim. The nuns who came in support of the victim were acted against by the Church and their voices were muzzled.

After a lot of public outcry Mulakkal was arrested and soon released on bail by the Kerala High Court on unconditional bail in October 2018. Since then another nun has accused Mulakkal of sending her lewd messages and inappropriately pressurising her to come to his room and stay here. He had reportedly told her, being ‘Brides of Jesus’ ( as the nuns are called) she should satisfy him and serve him as he was the ‘Shepherd’ (alluding to Jesus). Sister Lucy is the 14th witness against Franco Mulakkal in the rape case.

Sister Lucy has been actively voicing against sexual abuse of nuns in Church and encouraging the victims to speak out and lodge complaints against their perpetrators. There is severe criticism against this unjust treatment and harassment by the Church, from decent people within the community. Adv. AM Sodder, expressed his disappointment with the Church and asked, “Is this what Christianity is all about? The superior general is rejoicing at Sr. Lucy’s dismissal. Better if such people are not (appointed) as nuns forget about being Superior Generals.”

He further said that it was a sad day for Christians across the world and wondered why was not the letter written by the Vatican in a language understood by all (i.e. English rater than Latin) and also asked why did the letter reach after a year of being issued.

Sister Lucy became a target of smear campaign by the Franciscan Clarist Congregation from the time she protested against rape accused Franco Mulakkal and was dismissed in August 2019 on the grounds of ‘indiscipline’ and ‘failure to provide a satisfactory explanation for her lifestyle in violation of rules’.

Sister Lucy had also lodged a police complaint and stated that she was illegally confined by a convent in Karakkamala at Mananthavady in Waynad district. In her complaint she said that the gates of the convent were locked from outside preventing her from going out of the premises and attend Church mass. The locks were allegedly opened by the police when she called them up for rescue.

The Church establishment pressurised Sister Lucy to withdraw her complaint and threatened her to issue an unconditional apology if she wants to continue living at the convent.

The Church and the convent harassed her to the extent of denying her food in January 2020 for daring to stand up against sexual atrocities in Church. She stoically said then that she would not vacate the convent even if she has to die out of starvation.

Pertinently, Sister Lucy released an autobiography titled, ‘Karthaavinte Naamathil’ (In The Name Of The Lord) in December 2019, giving details about the rampant sexual abuse of nuns in convents after which she has suffered more harassment and untold misery from the Church.

News input and image sourced from: Republicworld

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