Kerala Nun approaches Vatican envoy for justice in sexual abuse case

Kottayam/Kochi/Kannur/Jalandhar, Sep 11 (PTI) The nun, who has accused a Roman Catholic Bishop of raping her, has petitioned the Vatican representative in India to sack the clergyman, claiming he was using "political and money power" to 'bury' the case even as the Kerala government Tuesday assured "justice will be done".

Making a fervent plea for urgent intervention, the nun, in a scathing letter, also sought to explain her silence before coming out against the bishop, saying she had "tremendous fear and shame" and wondered why the church was "closing its eyes towards the truth".

As the issue snowballed with continued protests seeking action against him, Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese in Punjab rejected the charges as "baseless and concocted" and said he was open for probe.

"If I am found guilty, which I am not, I am likely to be punished...I will appear before police if I am summoned. I am a law-abiding citizen," he told television channels in Jalandhar.

Accusing the nun of 'blackmailing' him, Kerala the priest also hit out at those protesting against him. Senior Kerala minister E P Jayarajan rejected allegations of attempts to sabotage the probe and asserted it was proceeding in the "right direction."

"A very strong investigation is being carried out in the case. It is proceeding in the right direction. No accused would be allowed to escape the clutches of the law," he told reporters in Kannur. The minister also said there was no pressure on the government to act against the bishop.

The day also saw "Missionaries of Jesus", the congregation to which the nun belongs, coming out against the nun and five fellow nuns, protesting in Kochi seeking justice, accusing them of "spreading blatant lies" against the Bishop.

The protesting nuns rejected the charge and said they will continue their agitation till justice was done. In the lengthy letter to Giambattista Diquattro, Vatican's Apostolic Nuncio (a diplomatic mission), the nun, who has accused Bishop Franco of rape and having unnatural sex with her multiple times between 2014 and 2016, said she has turned to the Church authorities for justice. She demanded removal of the Jalandhar Bishop, alleging that while continuing in the position, Franco and his close associates "are using the wealth of the diocese to divert" the course of investigation.

"Seeking your urgent intervention in this case as the a representative of the Holy See in India," the nun said, knocking at the Vatican's door. In the September 8 letter, a copy of which was available with the media Tuesday, she alleged that the Bishop and his associates were 'luring' people to take a stand supportive of the clergyman by promising them properties and other forms of wealth.

"They are arranging people to attack us and Bishop Franco is using his political power and money to get higher authorities of the investigation and the government to bury legal proceedings that I have filed against him," she alleged.

Noting that she had filed the complaint against the Bishop two months ago, the nun claimed even though the Special Investigation Team probing it was convinced of the proof, it was not able to arrest him because of his political and economic clout.

"I beg the church authorities to kindly make a speedy inquiry about this case and remove Bishop Franco from his responsibilities as the spiritual leader of the diocese," the nun said.

Noting that she felt the Catholic church was still doubting her over the argument as to why she allowed him to sexually abuse her multiple times, the nun said she had tremendous "fear and shame" to bring the matter out into the open. She also feared 'threats' her family.

The nun wondered why the Church was closing its eyes to the "truth when I have mustered courage...." "Your Highness, I would like to ask: Will the Church authority -who stand to protect Bishop Franco and safeguard the dignity of the Church by hiding his wickedness- be able to give back what I have lost?" she asked in the letter.

Copies of the letter were sent to 21 others, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) president Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Delhi Metropolitan Archbishop Anil Couto. The letter surfaced as the protest by various Catholic reform organizations in Kochi seeking justice for the nun entered the fourth day on Tuesday.

Workers of various organizations continued to visit the protest venue to lend their support.

The protesters, including five fellow nuns of the rape survivor, said they would continue their agitation till action was taken against the Bishop.

They have alleged that top police officials were trying to sabotage the probe. The Missionaries of Jesus congregation Tuesday said it was planning to implead itself in a case being heard by the Kerala High Court. In a statement, the congregation questioned the character of the nun and alleged she had an illicit relationship with one of her relatives.

It said bringing out the real truth in the case was their "moral and divine" responsibility. The agitation by the nuns was part of an agenda to destroy the Church and the congregation, it charged.

With the police facing the heat, a senior official had said Monday the Bishop may be summoned to Kerala for interrogation.