Months after she filed a complaint with the police alleging a Roman Catholic Bishop in Jalandhar of raping her, the Kerala nun has petitioned the Vatican representative in India on the matter.
Alleging that the Bishop was using his "political and money power" to bury the case, she sought his removal from the post.
In a seven-page letter to Giambattista Diquattro, Vatican's Apostolic Nuncio (a diplomatic mission), the nun said she has turned to the Church authorities for justice.
According to The News Minute, the nun wrote the letter on 8 September, said that despite approaching several authorities, including the police and the Church, none have taken action against the bishop.
Alleging that the Bishop was a predator, she said that he had indulged in similar behaviour with several other sisters as well.
Citing the example of an incident that occured with another sister, the nun wrote:
“One of our young sisters who had a close contact with Bishop Franco was caught by the authority with specific proofs for a serious error in the place where this sister was rendering her service. Then Bishop Franco asked our superiors to send her to another state where we have more than 3 communities, to a place where only junior sisters were there. Then in the same week itself, Bishop Franco made a special visit to this community and stayed there overnight. At night till 12 pm, this sister was alone in his room for ‘spiritual direction’.”
According to TNM, the nun, in her letter, alleged that several sisters had left the church over the last five years owing to the bishop.
She alleged that by continuing in the position of Jalandhar diocese Bishop, Franco Mulakkal and his close associates "are using the wealth of the diocese to divert" the course of the police investigation.
Her missive comes amid protests by group of nuns and others against delay in taking action against the bishop, who has been accused of rape and unnatural sex with the complainant multiple times between 2014 and 2016.
"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," the nun charged.
The letter surfaced as the protest by various Catholic Reform organisations in Kochi seeking justice for the nun entered fourth day on Tuesday, 11 September.
Workers of various organisations continued to visit the protest venue extending their support.
The protesters, including five fellow nuns of the rape survivor, said that 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.
With the police facing heat, a senior official has Monday said the bishop may be summoned to Kerala for interrogation.
Meanwhile, a pro-church outfit Catholic Federation of India alleged "mystery" behind the nun's charges.
Alleging a conspiracy to destroy the Church in Kerala, it demanded a judicial probe into the whole episode.
(With inputs from PTI and The News Minute)
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