Thiruvananthapuram: The Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala on Sunday took punitive action against one of its nuns who supported a strike by nuns of the Kuravilangad convent, demanding the arrest of Roman Catholic bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal.
Their strike was called off on Saturday, following the bishop’s arrest. Mulakkal is accused of raping a nun at the Kuravilangad convent in Kottayam district 13 times.
Sister Lucy Kalappura, who spoke to media and supported the striking nuns, has been served communication from the mother superior of her convent in Karakkamala in Mananthavady diocese, preventing her from carrying out liturgical duties.
Kalappura has been suspended from her duties of teaching students in the catechism classes at her parish church.
She has also been ordered to desist from serving holy bread and wine during Mass.
“I got the message this morning. I have not done anything against the Church. It would have been good if I was told on what ground I have been banned from liturgical duties,” Kalappura said.
Kalappura had participated in the strike by nuns in Kochi, and she got the message from her convent on her return to her convent on Sunday, from Kochi.
Mananthavady bishop Jose Porunnedom told journalists the action against the nun had been taken not at the diocese level but at the parish level.
Bishop booed
Meanwhile, a crowd that gathered in front of the convent in Kuravilangad, booed bishop Franco Mulakkal as he was taken there by police as part of the investigation on Sunday morning. He was taken to Room 20 of the convent where he allegedly raped the nun.
Reports indicate that the bishop has been uncooperative during the interrogation. There are also indications that the police may subject the bishop to a lie-detector test.
Mulakkal has staunchly denied the allegation that he raped the nun.
Police are also trying to recover the dress, laptop and the mobile phone used by the bishop during 2014-16, the period that he allegedly sexually abused the nun at the convent.
After the verification process at the convent, police took Mulakkal back to the police club in Kottayam where he was being held under police custody for two days. The custody ends on Monday.
Case against actor
In Kozhikode, a case was registered against actor-director Joy Mathew for carrying out a protest march in support of the nuns.
The charge against him is that the march was carried out on Mithai Street, an area where such street protests are banned. Several others have also been included in the case, for participating in the march.
