Vatican – Itself Riddled With Sexual Abuse Scandals, ‘Temporarily Suspends’ Rape Accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal

Rape accused Bishop from Kerala Franco Mulakkal has been temporarily relieved from his duties by the Vatican, Reuters has reported. A letter posted on Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, the Vatican communicated its decision to accept Franco Mulakkal’s request to be relieved of his duties until the investigation in a rape case. A nun had accused that the Bishop had raped her over a period of two years.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal has written to the Pope seeking his permission to temporarily resign from his responsibilities before participating in the investigation of Kerala Nun rape case. In his earlier letter to the Pope, the Bishop had written that the allegations against him were sad and painful. He said truth would eventually triumph. The letter has been handed over to the Vatican representative.

The case had invited national attention because of the inaction of the Kerala police and the support for the Bishop by the church for months. The church is facing a crisis over allegations of rape at a global level. Earlier in the month, over 44,000 Catholic women had written to the Pope over a ‘sexual abuse crisis’ in the church.

Also read: Pope Francis Accused Of Being Directly Involved In Covering Up Sexual Abuse By Disgraced Cardinal