Lockdown has made my life miserable, says expelled Kerala nun

Had supported agitation against rape accused deposed Jalandhar bishop Mulakkal, says convent wants her to leave

Catholic nun sister Lucy Kalapura, who was expelled from the Franciscan Clarist Congregation last year, said on Saturday that lockdown has made her life miserable and she was denied even basic needs, including food at the convent, and she even fears for her life.

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Kalapura, 55, was expelled from the congregation last year citing “serious indiscipline” but the nun said she was victimised for supporting the agitation for the arrest of the deposed bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, an accused in a rape case. Last year, Kalapura’s autobiography, ‘Karthavinte Namathil’ (In the name of Christ), had ruffled many feathers in the church.

“The convent kitchen was closed to smoke me out. Since hotels are closed at times, I go without food these days. Sometimes people who know me bring food. It is strange the church is doing a lot of charity outside, but keeps one of its own tribe starving at the convent. It is inhuman and blatant violation of rights,” she told the Hindustan Times over phone from Mananthawady in Wayanad district.

“I fear for my life. I have given a couple of complaints to the police, but no action was taken. Recently, I noticed some strangers near the convent. A section in the church wants to silence me somehow. But I will continue my fight till my last breath,” she said adding she will continue to stay at the convent at Karakkamala. Earlier, the Pope had turned down her plea to revoke her suspension.

But the congregation denied these allegations saying she was flouting discipline of the convent quite often and it is finding difficult to go ahead like this. “She continues to flout discipline and raises wild allegations quite often. She was expelled from the congregation but she continues to stay there as an intruder. With her presence, we find it very difficult to maintain discipline and decorum of the convent,” said Jyoti Maria, provincial of the convent. She said last week, parishioners have prepared a mass memorandum urging authorities to vacate her from the convent.

But Kalapura said she worked for the congregation for 35 years and she will remain at the convent. She also said a local court had stayed the move to evict her from the convent. But the provincial said they moved a higher court to vacate this stay.

Kalapura said her harassment increased after her controversial autobiography was released in December last year. She alleged in her autobiography that sexual abuse and assaults take place in convents and seminaries and called for institutional reforms to cleanse the system. She was among many nuns who staged a sit-in protest in Kochi two years ago after police failed to arrest Mulakkal who was accused of raping a nun who later filed a complaint. The trial in the case began in a court in Kottayam in January.