Nuns protested fellow Nun’s rape by a Bishop and are now asked to leave the convent in return

Nuns protested fellow Nun’s rape by a Bishop and are now asked to leave the convent in return

Guwahati: Four Nuns working in the Missionaries of Jesus congregation who had taken part in a protest against a bishop, who had allegedly raped a fellow Nun of them last year, are now asked to leave the convent by the church authorities. The convent is in Kerala and the nuns have received letters asking them to go back to the previous vocations that they were engaged in.

The four nuns include Sister Alphy Pallasseril, Sister Anupama Kelamangalathuveliyil, Sister Josephine Villoonnickal and Sister Ancitta Urumbil. This is also notable that even though the church authorities have ordered them to leave the church but they too are adamant to not to leave the convent based in Kuravilangad, Kottayam. They are of the opinion that the church authority’s issuing of this order is a part of a series of attempts to weaken the case against the former bishop. The rape charge alleged by the nun was made against Franco Mullakkal of the Jalandhar diocese.

One of the nuns, Sister Anupma stated, “Though we are leading a secluded life in the convent, we don’t have any plan to move out. It is a plan aimed at isolating us and weakening the case. Convent authorities have made our lives miserable but we will not dump our fellow nun and will go ahead with the case.” She also added that other three nuns too have received similar letters by saying, “There were many attempts to smoke us out. The latest is one of them. But we will remain in the convent and take the case to its logical end.”

It was in June, last year when 43-year-old Mother Superior had complained of bishop Mullakkal raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. Followed by this complaint by the sister, five nuns staged a sit-in protest in Kochi demanding an arrest of the bishop. This was followed by a special investigation team apprehending him in September and later he was granted bail after three weeks in judicial custody. However, the trial for the case is yet to start and it is only in last week that the government appointed a special prosecutor when the nuns threatened to resume protests.

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com