Petition filed against rape protest nun’s autobiography

A writ petition has been filed to stop the publication and distribution of an autobiography of a nun who was part of protests against rape-accused Indian bishop Franco Mulakkal.

The petition to urgently stop Sister Lucy Kalappura’s autobiography from being published has been filed in the Kerala High Court.

Licia Joseph of the SMI Convent in Kalamassery in Kochi is arguing the contents of Sr Kalappura’s book ‘Karthavinte Namathil’ are ‘highly defamatory’ to the clergy, nuns and the religious.

“(The book) says that the priests and nuns are leading a very immoral life and they are indulging in indiscriminate and unprincipled sexual life”.

“The contents … shell shock all the right-minded persons particularly the Christian believers”.

“It creates a sense of dejection and anger in the minds of the members of the Christian community and the general public … is a naked infringement of public order, decency and morality.”

Joseph’s alleges Kalappura’s autobiography attempts to convey a wrong message by saying present-day clergy and nuns are violating the fundamental principles of Christian doctrine.

Kalappura was at the forefront of protests last year following a nun’s allegations of rape and sexual abuse against former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal.

Kalappura and other nuns went on an indefinite hunger strike outside the high court in Kochi demanding immediate arrest of Mulakkal.

After the protest, Mulakkal was arrested and later released on bail.

His trial began last week.

Kalappura was expelled from her Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) in August  for ‘failing to give a satisfactory explanation’ for her lifestyle in ‘violation of the rules of FCC.’

The charges against her include taking a loan to buy a car, driving a car, publishing a book of poems and writing in anti-Christian newspapers.

All these charges have been widely seen as revenge for her participation in protests against the Church and the rape-accused Bishop.

Kalappura is presently a teacher with a church-run government-aided school.

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