The superior general of the Fransiscan Clarist Congregation Sister Ann Joseph has conveyed to Sister Lucy Kalappura, formerly a member of the congregation, that the Vatican had rejected an appeal by Sr. Lucy against her dismissal from the religious order.
A letter from the headquarters of the Fransiscan Clarist Congregation near Aluva on June 12 from the superior general said that the appeal by Sr. Lucy against her dismissal was rejected by Apostolica Signatura and that the dismissal had been confirmed.
The letter described Sr. Lucy’s issue as a ‘heart breaking’ one and said: “The almighty God untied the knot of our heart-breaking issue concerning Lucy Kalappura.” The letter went on to say: “Let us raise our hearts praising the Almighty for His unspeakable gift!” as it also thanked everyone for “whole hearted prayer, support.”
Reasons for dismissal
The Clarist congregation, a Catholic religious order based near Kochi, had cited several reasons for dismissing Sr. Lucy from the order in 2019. The reasons included her failure to explain adequately her violating the rules of the religious order and her not wearing her religious habit. She was also accused of obtaining a driver’s licence without permission of the superiors, of buying a car and publishing a book of poetry.
Protest against Franco Mulakkal
Sr. Lucy shot into the limelight with her participation in a protest in Kochi in 2018 September in which priests, nuns and religious personnel from the Catholic Church, joined hands with reform-minded Church members and voluntary groups to demand the arrest Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, who was accused of raping a Catholic nun. The protest was withdrawn after the bishop was arrested.
Sr. Lucy was expelled from the congregation in August 2019 but the Mananthavady munsiff court had given her a reprieve in December of the same year.