Wayanad: The autobiography is named ‘Karthaavinte Naamathil’, which means, ‘In the name of God’. This autobiography is unique because, through this book, Sister Lucy Kalappura, one of the nuns who raised voice against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal has opened up about the various facets of her life, including the sexual abuses from priests and bishops. She calls it a fact that everybody knows, but nobody talks about!
Speaking to ANI about the book, she said that she started writing the book between 2004 and 2005, after experiencing mental torture from the congregation. “I thought it will be better to keep a record of all that. So I started to write little by little,” Sister Lucy said. Narrating the incidents of “sexual abuses and torture faced by the sisters”, she said that even church leaders who supported the sisters, the victims of sexual abuse, have now started supporting the accused.
“Catholic Church leaders, who supported the sisters – the victims, have now started talking against them and are supporting the accused. It is against the teachings of Jesus Christ. It pained me and I thought this should be published, whatever is happening,” the Sister said.
Sister Lucy was expelled by the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) in August this year for “grave violations”, stating that she is buying a car on loan, possessing a driving license, publishing a book and spending money without her superiors’ permission. However, she dismissed the charges, saying many of them were a “deliberate attempt to paint her in bad light.” In January this year, she was served the first warning letter by the Superior General of the Congregation, followed by two more in February and March for violating the vow of obedience.
Bishop Mulakkal, a senior member of the Roman Catholic clergy in India, was arrested last year following allegations by a nun that he repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her at a Kuravilangad convent between 2014 and 2016, a charge that he denies.
(Inputs from ANI)
