Bishop Franco Mulakkal met Pope Francis on 8 February, his first meeting after being acquitted in the rape case last year.
Bishop Franco Mulakkal. (Creative Commons)
Former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was acquitted by a sessions court in the Kottayam district of Kerala last year over rape charges by a nun, met Pope Francis at the Vatican last week, said a church source on Tuesday, 14 February.
Mulakkal met the Pope on 8 February and it was his first meeting with the pontiff after being acquitted by the Additional District and Sessions Court I, Kottayam in the rape case, a source close to Mulakkal told PTI.
“The Pope was happy to see him, was glad to hear that we won the case and consoled him for his suffering by encouraging him to join his (Pope’s) suffering with that of the Lord,” he said.
The pontiff requested him to pray for him too, the source said.
In September 2018, the bishop was temporarily relieved of his responsibilities of the diocese by Pope Francis after Mulakkal was questioned by the Kerala police over rape charges levelled by the nun.
Despite being acquitted by the local court in the sensational case, Mulakkal has not got any new responsibilities in the Church.
Asked whether the bishop had requested the Pope to provide him with pastoral or administrative responsibilities, the source said he did not speak about it during his meeting.
“He will obey whatever the Holy Father decides,” the source said, adding that since the bishop is directly under the command of the Pope, the authority of fixing his responsibilities rests with the Vatican itself.
The Vatican had earlier accepted the court’s decision, acquitting him of rape charges.
The nun, who claims to have been raped by the bishop, has moved the Kerala High Court against his acquittal in the case by the trial court.
A nun from Kerala in 2018, filed a complaint with the Kottayam police that Mulakkal raped her several times between 2014 and 2016 when he was the bishop of the Jalandhar diocese.
The nun was a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, a diocesan congregation under the Jalandhar Diocese.
However, Mulakkal denied the allegations claiming that the case was falsified after he took action against her for financial irregularities in the convent.
A special investigation team formed to probe the case arrested Mulakkal in September 2018. He was sent to jail for about 40 days and was granted bail on several conditions.
The FIR against him listed various sections of IPC including 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 377 (unnatural Sex), 376 (c)(a) (sexual intercourse by person in authority), 376(2)(k) (indulging in sexual intercourse by exhorting authority), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
On August 13, 2020 the Supreme Court dismissed a plea by Mulakkal seeking to discharge him from the case observing that there was evidence to put the case to trial.
The trial of the case began on 17 September, 2020.
On 14 January, 2022, the former bishop, Franco Mulakkal, was acquitted by a sessions court in Kottayam, after examining the evidence, and statements of 39 witnesses, the accused, and the victim.
“In view of my findings… accused is found not guilty of the aforesaid offences punishable under sections 376(2)(k), 376(2)(n), 342, 377, 376-C, 354 and 506(ii) of IPC and is set free,” said the judge in the verdict.
(With inputs from PTI)
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