Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Franco Mulakkal, the bishop of the Diocese of Jalandhar in the northern Indian state of Punjab. The bishop had been accused of repeatedly raping a nun over a two-year period in Kerala but was acquitted last year. The Vatican made the announcement on Thursday, providing no additional details regarding the decision.
“Today, 1 June 2023, the Holy Father Pope Francis has accepted the resignation submitted by the Rt Rev Franco Mulakkal as Bishop of Jullundur,” the Apostolic Nunciature (top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See) in India said in a statement.
“In this regard, the Apostolic Nunciature wishes to specify that the Holy See respects the verdict of the Additional District and Sessions Court, Kottayam, Kerala, acquitting Bishop Mulakkal from the allegations concerning him, as well as the appeal against the acquittal, which has been admitted by the Kerala High Court,” it added.
Bishop Franco Mulakkal said that the Holy See has accepted his resignation today, 1 June, 2023.
“Given the still divisive situation about the aforesaid matter in the Diocese of Jalandhar, the resignation has been requested from the Rt Rev Mulakkal not as a disciplinary measure imposed upon him, but as pro bono Ecclesiae, especially for the good of the Jalandhar diocese, which needs a new bishop,” the Apostolic Nunciature’s statement added.
Mulakkal as per reports played victim as he expressed his gratitude thanking those who were by his side to lend him their support. “May our sufferings and pains and the tears I have shed before the Almighty be the reason for the renewal of the church, the strengthening of faith, my own sanctification, and the glory of God,” the bishop said.
Who is Franco Mulakkal?
Franco Mulakkal, aged 59, was appointed as the bishop of the Diocese of Jalandhar in Punjab state in 2013. He gained significant media attention and controversy due to the allegations of sexual abuse made against him.
In 2018, a Catholic nun accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her thirteen times between 2014 and 2016 while he visited St. Francis Mission Home in Kuravilangad town in Kerala. He temporarily stepped down from his position in 2018 after the allegations were leveled against him. The accusations sparked widespread protests and outrage, both within and outside the Catholic community in India.
The nun claimed that the police were neglecting her complaint while focusing on the one filed by Mulakkal against her brother. In a distressing turn of events, the church removed the nun from her position as Mother Superior. Despite these setbacks, she remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice.
In July 2018, the nun provided an in-camera statement to a first-class magistrate in Changanassery, responding to a request from the Special Investigation team (SIT) handling the case.
Shortly after, women leaders from various Delhi-based organizations submitted a memorandum to the Vatican’s ambassador in Delhi, urging the Pope to intervene and remove Bishop Mulakkal from his pastoral responsibilities.
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On August 8, 2018, the SIT initiated an investigation into Bishop Mulakkal. Around the same time, the Bishop’s security guards allegedly mistreated the media and damaged their cameras.
Outraged by these events, the Joint Christian Council staged a hunger strike in Kochi on August 30, 2018, demanding the immediate arrest of Bishop Mulakkal.
Bishop Mulakkal requested Pope to relieve him
In a letter to the Pope two weeks later, Bishop Mulakkal requested to be relieved of his duties to focus on the then-ongoing legal proceedings involving the nun. Following his request, he underwent a seven-hour interrogation at the Thrippunithura Police Women’s Cell office.
Finally, on September 22, 2018, the police arrested Bishop Mulakkal after a three-day inquiry and subsequently remanded him into custody.
Acquitted in Kerala nun rape case
Although Mulakkal was acquitted by a court in January 2022, both the investigating officer and the nun have appealed the verdict. The nun moved the Kerala High Court against the trial court verdict in the case.
Reports from Indian media suggested that Pope Francis met with Mulakkal in February, but the Vatican did not disclose any information about the meeting. It is customary for bishops to submit their resignation upon reaching the age of 75.
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