Church alleges planned attacks on convents

Giving a new colour to the murder of a Catholic nun at a convent in Pala, the Church has formally alleged that this could be part of a planned and concerted effort implemented with an agenda.

The allegation has been raised by Fr. Mathew Chandrankunnel, official spokesperson of the Pala diocese of Syro-Malabar Church, to which the deceased nun Sr. Amala belonged.

She was found dead in her room last Thursday.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, Fr. Chandrankunnel said there had been similar attacks on nuns in convents during the past many months.

Senior nuns attacked

“These convents house senior nuns and most of the victims were above the age of 70 years. Often, the inmates considered these injuries as suffered during fall as most of the victims could not recollect what happened,” he said. These were seen as minor incidents by the nuns and had not been referred to the police.

“However, when we look back in the light of the grievous attack at Pala, we see a method, though authorities think the perpetrator of the Pala murder can be an emotionally disturbed person,” Fr. Chandrankunnel said. Even after the murder, stones were thrown at the CMC Convent, where Sr Amala died.

He said a similar attack was reported by the nuns of a convent at Chettuthode, near Erattupetta, a few weeks earlier. In another case, an elderly resident of Saranaalayam, run by the sisters at Thidanad, was attacked.

Another incident at Vadakara, near Koothattukulam, was reported to the police but no one had been arrested.

Fr. Chandrankunnel said the Pala diocese had about 3,500 nuns, the majority of them above the age of 50, serving various institutions and staying at nearly 15 convents. All together, nearly 3,500 people housed at old-age homes, orphanages, and houses for the destitute, and 4,000 residents of students’ hostels were being served by them.

Along with bringing the culprits to book, the convent authorities and the police had to work together to remove the sense of fear from the minds of the convent residents, he said and added that special care should be taken in this regard.

Fr. Chandrankunnel says there had been attacks on nuns in convents during the past many months.