Church defends move to include rape accused former bishop Mulakkal’s photo in calendar

Angry believers and church reformers had protested and burnt copies of the calendar at many places in Kerala

The Thrissur Archdiocese of Syro-Malabar church on Monday justified its decision to include the photo of rape accused former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal in the church calendar, saying he was only an accused in the case and was not officially removed from the post.

“Mulakkal is facing some charges and his trial is progressing. As of now, he is only an accused. He continues to be a bishop and only his administrative duties have been divested. Calendar was a routine exercise and there is no room for a controversy in this,” said Father Akkamatathil Raphael, managing editor of the church mouthpiece.

Angry believers and church reformers had protested and burnt copies of the calendar at many places in Kerala on Sunday, after Mulakkal’s photo was printed displaying his date of birth (March 25) and other basic details on the March page. Protestors said glorification of such a person by an official church publication was against human rights and natural justice.

“By trying to project Mulakkal as a person of worthy reverence, church authorities are justifying his actions too. This is against natural justice,” said Augustine Vattoly, former convener of the Save Our Sisters Forum (SOS). SOS was formed in the wake of sit-in protest by five nuns against Mulakkal two years ago in Kochi.

The case against former bishop surfaced in 2018 after a 43-year-old nun complained to the police in Kottayam that he had raped her several times between 2014 and 2016. The nun is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation based in Punjab. Mulakkal denied the charges, saying he was framed after he took action against her for financial irregularities at the convent. Later, a special investigation team of Kerala Police arrested him and he was removed from the post of bishop later. The trial in the case is in its final stage.