KOCHI: The Syro Malabar Church headquarters has clarified the phone conversation between Major Archbishop Cardinal Mar George Alenchery and the nun who levelled sexual abuse allegations against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal was being circulated on various platforms to create confusion.
“The phone conversation is original. However, the nun did not complain she was being sexually abused. She only referred to the problems faced by her within the congregation. All the things were clarified via a press release earlier,” Alenchery’s office said in a statement.
“The nun did not inform the Cardinal about any criminal activity which required police intervention. Under such circumstances, the Cardinal asked her to contact the diocese under which she was working, the Apostolic Nuncio or the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI),” the statement said. It said the phone conversation was being circulated with an intention to mislead the laity and the general public.
Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement vice-chairman Joseph Varghese said the organisation will hold a dharna in front of Alenchery’s office at 11 am on Saturday demanding the removal of Bishop Franco Mulakkal from the Church.
