Sister Lucy Kalappura, who had raised her voice against Bishop Franco Mulakkal in a case regarding the bishop’s sexual assault of a nun, has alleged that she is being starved by the Church as part of expelling her from her convent.
Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, Sister Lucy said she had been made to starve by the convent authorities at Karakkamala, near Vellamunda, in the district for the past many months. The nun of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) under the Syro- Malabar Church was expelled from the order on August 7 for ‘failing to give a satisfactory explanation’ for her lifestyle ‘in violation of rules.’
“The hostile attitude of the convent authorities started after a four-member team of nuns, including a superior, took charge of the convent a few months ago,” Sr. Lucy said.
“They always behaved rudely with me and tried to expel me from the convent. One of the nuns told me recently that I had no right to live in the convent as the Church had expelled me,” she said.
There are five residents in the convent, including Sr. Lucy. She said many a time her food was locked up. Earlier there was a servant to prepare food for the residents. When the new team had arrived they expelled the servant first, she said. “They will not allow me to touch even the sewing machine that I had used to stitch my clothes,” she said.
Appeals rejected
“I appealed thrice to the higher Church authorities in the Vatican, but two of them were rejected. Though I had submitted the last appeal to the Supreme Tribunal of the Signatura Apostolica three months ago, they are yet to consider it,” Sr. Lucy said. She had lodged complaints against the convent authorities and a priest, but the police were yet to act, she said.
“All my rights are being deprived here,” she said adding that she had drafted letters to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission to restore her privileges in the convent.
