Please take Sister Lucy home: Kerala church body tells kin of nurse who protested against sexual abuse

The Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) on Saturday wrote to the family of Sister Lucy Kalapurakkal, who had protested against Kerala nun rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, to take her back home after she was expelled. Sister Lucy was expelled from the congregation at Manathavady in Kerala for allegedly disobeying the church authorities and on disciplinary grounds.

In the letter dated August 10, the FCC cited multiple reasons for the expulsion of Sister Lucy from the congregation and asked her family to take her back home. The congregation has alleged that Sister Lucy defied the rules of the church by "following a lifestyle which does not abide by the practices of the church", "publishing a book", "buying a car" and not following the transfer order in 2015.

Sister Lucy Kalappura (nun who participated in protest against rape-accused Franco Mulakkal) has filed her appeal before the Catholic Church in Rome against her dismissal from her congregation on disciplinary grounds. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/WJVU6Nb966 ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2019

The letter stated: "She has consistently been defying the laws of the congregation, following lifestyle that does not abide by the practices of the church, did not abide by the transfer order in 2015, published a book and bought a car and travels frequently without the permission of the congregation, not giving her salary to the congregation, let a person stay in her room overnight."

Sister Lucy Kalappura has appealed against the decision before the Catholic Church in Rome. She has appealed the Catholic Church to reconsider and recall the decree of her dismissal from the congregation. Sister Lucy has also alleged that she is being targeted because she took part in the protests against rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

Sister Kalapurakkal had last year supported the nuns' strike in the state demanding the arrest of rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who headed the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar.

In the letter of appeal, Sister Lucy has stated that the sole reason for targeting her is because she showed solidarity with the sisters of the Missionaries of Jesus who protested against the rape accused, Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

"I had only discharged my duty and obligation to console and lend a helping hand to those hapless sisters who had to undergo such trauma in their evangelical journey. This has been misunderstood and misinterpreted as an act of rebellion," Sister Lucy wrote in her appeal.

She further added: "I was so much pained about the plight of the rape survivor and her supporters, I, too, pledged my support to them in response to my conscience according to the teachings of Jesus. The motive behind supporting them was not in any way challenge my superiors or the Catholic Church hierarchy. I sincerely believed that unless the truth comes out, it will damage the image of catholic religious, both nun and priests and also to avoid eroding the faith of the people in the church and its royal priesthood."

"I never did anything wrong. All I did was to lend support to the hapless nuns, who were protesting. What's the problem, if I own a car or write a book?" asked the nun.