In view of the alleged attempts to escalate the pressure on the six nuns who were part of a public protest against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun, the Save Our Sisters (SOS) has warned of another wave of public protest against the Church.
Addressing mediapersons here on Thursday, SOS Action Committee leaders said a public convention to mark the next phase of protest would be organised in Kottayam on Saturday. The event, slated to begin at the Old Police ground by 2 p.m, is being staged with a demand to withdraw the orders to transfer five of the six nuns from St. Francis Mission Home at Kuravilangadu, in addition to defrocking the accused bishop.
Urgent intervention
If these demands are not met on a priority basis, the SOS is resolved to open new fronts of protest against the Church, it warned. They also called for urgent intervention by Cardinal Oswald Gracious, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. “The accused bishop, using the power enjoyed by his current position, is doing everything to harass these six nuns, both physically and mentally,” noted Shaiju Antony, a leader of the outfit.
‘SC rule violation’
Holding that the decision to transfer the nuns would amount to violation of a Supreme Court’s direction on protection of witnesses, the organisation urged the Catholic Church to demonstrate the democratic spirit of the Church as upheld by the Second Vatican Council. “Defrocking the accused, who is in a position to influence the investigation, should be the primary condition in ensuring a fair and transparent investigation,” added Mr. Antony.
Meanwhile, the SOS has also approached the Church authorities to ensure the participation of the protesting nuns in the convention on Saturday.