Kerala Nun Rape Case: Pope relieves Bishop of diocese duties

The development comes after a Kerala nun alleged that Bishop Malakkal raped her on several occasions between 2014 and 2016

Senior Catholic priest, Franco Mulakkal, has been temporarily relieved of his pastoral duties by Pope Francis. A statement issued by the Apostolic Nunciature, the representative of the Holy Sea in India, stated that "The Holy Father has received the request of Rt. Rev. Bishop Franco Mulakkal to be temporarily relieved of his pastoral responsibilities in the Diocese of Jullundur. Having considered all circumstances the Holy Father has accepted this request of Bishop Mulakkal.

The move comes days after the Bishop, who allegedly raped a nun, wrote to the Pope, the highest authority in the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, expressing his desire to 'temporarily step aside' from the responsibilities of the diocese, allowing him time to fight his case and repeated travels to Kerala, where the case is lodged.

The statement from the Nunciature added that Titular bishop of Molicunza and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Bombay, Agnelo Rufino Gracias will stand for Bishop Malakkal in the latter's absence.

The development comes after a Kerala nun alleged that Bishop Malakkal raped her on several occasions between 2014 and 2016, a charge that the prelate denied, terming them "baseless and concocted".

The senior priest is in Kerala after the state police summoned him for questioning related to the case.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!