1. Things are going from bad to worse for the Catholic Church in Kerala, as it has been left embarrassed by a nun filing a rape complaint against a Bishop 2. In her complaint to Kottayam district police superintendent, the nun alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse 13 times. 3. The rape allegation against the Bishop also comes days after a Kerala man accused five priests of the Orthodox Church of sexually abusing his wife for years. 4. The case was registered following an order of the Kerala High Court on a writ filed by a Catholic layperson. The court had observed that there was prima facie evidence to indicate criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and misappropriation of money in the land deals.

Opinion
     12/07/2018 
       1309.

Sub :-

1. Things are going from bad to worse for the Catholic Church in Kerala, as it has been left embarrassed by a nun filing a rape complaint against a Bishop

2. In her complaint to Kottayam district police superintendent, the nun alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse 13 times.

3. The rape allegation against the Bishop also comes days after a Kerala man accused five priests of the Orthodox Church of sexually abusing his wife for years.

4. The case was registered following an order of the Kerala High Court on a writ filed by a Catholic layperson. The court had observed that there was prima facie evidence to indicate criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and misappropriation of money in the land deals.

Ref :-  Media Reports

1. Kerala Church Hit By A Horrific Sex Scandal, As Nun Accuses Bishop Of Raping Her For Many Years -India Times

2. Kerala police to quiz Jalandhar Bishop after nun’s statement - The Indian Express
The nun had told police that the Bishop had raped her and also subjected her to unnatural sex at the congregation’s convent-cum-mission house at Kuravilangad in Kottayam district for 13 times since April, 2014.

3. Kerala nun accuses Catholic bishop of sexually abusing her four years ago in Kottayam, says Church ignored her complaint - PTI - First Post

4. FIR against Cardinal Alencherry in land deal case - The Hindu

REPORT :-

1.
Things are going from bad to worse for the Catholic Church in Kerala, as it has been left embarrassed by a nun filing a rape complaint against a Bishop -- the first time that has ever happened in India.

The case was filed by a Catholic nun who has worked in Syro-Malabar diocese of Jalandhar in Punjab, headed by Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

According to her complaint Bishop Mulakkal first raped her in 2014 at a guesthouse in Kuravilangad in Kottayam District, when he was visiting a church-run orphanage.

In her complaint to Kottayam district police superintendent, the nun alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse 13 times till 2016.

The nun who belongs to the Missionaries of Jesus Congregation also alleged that she had raised the issue with the church authorities, but no action was taken against the Bishop, which made her to approach the police.

AFP/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

She also alleged that she has been facing harassment by the bishop including removing her from her posts in the congregation. Even though in the past many priests have been accused of sexual misconduct, this is the first time in the history of the church in India that a Bishop has been accused of rape.

Bishop Mulakkal however rejected the allegations and accused the nun of revenge for taking disciplinary action against her and transferring her from the present institution. Refusing to obey the orders, she was raising baseless allegations, the Bishop said in his complaint.

The Kottayam Police which registered a case against Mulakkal and directed a DySP rank officer to probe the allegation however said the Jalandhar-based Bishop had first filed the complaint against the nun.

BCCL/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

“It was the Bishop who made the first complaint. The nun later filed a complaint that he had raped her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. An investigation in both the cases is on,” a senior police officer said.

The serious allegation which has hit the Kerala-based Syro-Malabar church at a time when it is battling for credibility after the Archbishop was accused of illegal land deals. Faced with allegations, the Vatican recently announced the appointment of a new apostolic administrator for the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese to replace Cardinal George Alencherry who was accused of approving the sale of land owned by the Ernakulam archdiocese below market value.

The rape allegation against the Bishop also comes days after a Kerala man accused five priests of the Orthodox Church of sexually abusing his wife for years.

The Kottayam-based church has since suspended the five priests and the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police have began a probe into the allegations.

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2.

The nun, who belongs to Jalandhar-based Catholic congregation Missionaries of Jesus, had told police that the Bishop had raped her and also subjected her to unnatural sex.
Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been booked on charges of rape and unnatural sex, will be questioned by the Kerala police only after the statement of the complainant, a Catholic nun, before a magistrate. The nun, who belongs to Jalandhar-based Catholic congregation Missionaries of Jesus, had told police that the Bishop had raped her and also subjected her to unnatural sex at the congregation’s convent-cum-mission house at Kuravilangad in Kottayam district for 13 times since April, 2014.

Deputy Police Superintendent K Subhash, the investigating officer in the case, confirmed that Bishop Mulakkal would be questioned only after the victim’s statement recorded before a magistrate. Police have moved an application with the court for the same, the Dy SP said, adding: “We haven’t decided on whether the Bishop should be summoned to Kerala or a team should go to Jalandhar.”

“The forensic examination at the convent and the room, identified as the place of occurrence, did not give any evidence to substantiate sexual abuse. The reported incidents had taken place at least two years ago. We have so far no solid evidence for rape, other than the statement of the nun,” police sources said.

Records with the convent, however, have revealed the Jalandhar Bishop was present at the place on the days he had allegedly abused the nun. The Bishop was the first to officially move a complaint with the police alleging threat to his life from the relatives of the victim and other nuns in Kottayam. However, it was revealed that the Bishop moved the complaint after attempts to pacify the nun had failed.

The victim’s parish priest in Ernakulam district told media that representatives of the Jalandhar Bishop had sought his intervention to “settle the issue”. The priest said he had convened the victim and other nuns from the Kuravilangad house to discuss the issue. “I have advised them to settle the matter as the Church is already deep in scandals, but the Jalandhar diocese representatives failed to act before the end of June, the deadline fixed by the nuns,” said the priest.

On Wednesday, the family members of the victim told reporters that last year they had complained to the superiors of the Congregation about the “exploitation at the convent”. Besides, the Jalandhar diocese representatives had recently met them to discuss about the issues.

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3.

Kottayam: A nun has filed a police complaint against a Catholic bishop of a diocese in north India, alleging that he had sexually abused her multiple times at a small town near Kottayam in Kerala four years ago, police said on Friday.

In her complaint to Kottayam district police superintendent, the nun alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse 13 times.

REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

She said that she was abused for the first time in 2014 at a guest house near an orphanage in Kuravilangad region in the district, they said.

The nun claimed that she had then complained to the church authorities about the abuse, but no action was taken.

She said the unfavourable approach of the Church authorities towards her grievances forced her to lodge a police complaint in the matter, police said.

Supporters of the bishop have rejected the charges against the priest.

They said the nun filed the police complaint after a priest, who is also an official of the Jalandhar diocese, lodged a complaint with police against her relatives on the charges of threatening the bishop.

Meanwhile, the bishop has filed a counter petition against the nun with the police. In his complaint, he has alleged that the relatives of the nun threatened to kill him after he ordered a probe against her on the basis of a complaint by wife of a person.

Based on the complaints of the nun and the priest, the police have launched an investigation. The district police chief has directed a DSP rank officer to launch a probe into the incident based on both the complaints.

The priest, a Keralite, has been serving as bishop of the Jalandhar diocese in north India since 2013.

There was no immediate reaction from the Church authorities on the allegations.

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4.

Case registered following an order of Kerala High Court.

The City police have registered a case against Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and head of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, and three others in connection with a series of land deals that reportedly resulted in financial loss for the archdiocese.

The case has been registered under IPC Sections 120B, 405, and 415 police sources said.

The case was registered following an order of the Kerala High Court on a writ filed by a Catholic layperson. The court had observed that there was prima facie evidence to indicate criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and misappropriation of money in the land deals.

The court issued the orders last Tuesday and the police had waited to get details of the court order before proceeding.

The police would probe the role of archdiocesan functionaries Fr Joshy Puthuva and Fr Sebastian Vadakkumpadan and a lay person Saju Varghese, who reportedly acted as the middleman in the land deals.

The registration of the police case adds a twist to the land deal scandal that has divided the members of the archdiocese into camps opposing and supporting the Major Archbishop and the senior church functionaries named in the police FIR.

A senior priest and member of the Presbyteral Council, a canonical body, told The Hindu that the archdiocese was now straddled with a loan of around ₹90 crore in place of the ₹60-crore loan it had set out to settle when the land sales were initially planned. The Major Archbishop owed an explanation on this.

In a more strident voice, the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, comprising lay persons, has said it will prevent the Major Archbishop from taking part in public functions organised under the archdiocese.

The Presbyteral Council, reflecting the sentiments of the vast majority of priests in the archdiocese, wants the Major Archbishop to step down until his name was cleared. But a forum calling itself the faithful of the archdiocese (Syro Malabar Vishwasa Sangamam) has alleged a conspiracy to unseat the Major Archbishop, blaming the auxiliary bishops for the mistakes now being heaped at the doors of the Major Archbishop.

The land deal scandal relates to efforts by the archdiocese to settle a loan of around ₹60 crore by selling three acres under its possession in Kochi.

The archdiocese did not receive the entire money it was to have received as proceeds from the sale even an year-and-a-half after the transactions. Out of a total of ₹27 crore it was to receive, the archdiocese had got only ₹9 crore so far.

The police action follows legal opinion they received from Advocate General C.P. Sudhakaraprasad on Monday morning. Ernakulam Central CI Ananthalal is heading the investigation.

While maintaining that all the accused will be interrogated, officials said the Cardinal would not be summoned for questioning. “If the charges are found during the initial round of interrogation, further course of action will be initiated. Otherwise, the investigators may file a report of the inquiry before the court,” they said.

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NOTE :-

1.
Supreme Dharmam, is the knowledge of the Truth or Substratum of the Jeeva – Jagat – Ishwara. One may call the truth by any name which indicates its true meaning. The Truth by its very nature is one. It must logically be free from time, space and causation, therefore birthless, deathless and eternal. Hence the Supreme Dharma is called Sanatana. It manifests with creation and gets absorbed at the time of dissolution eg the law of gravity manifests with the matter governed by the law and would go into unmanifest condition along with the said matter. Hence Sanatana Dharmam is the only dharma of creation and all beings in it. This may sound fanatic but one should try and look on it with an unprejudiced mind. Sanatana Dharmam is now callled Hindu Dharmam. The word Hindu was given by the persians to the people who lived on the banks of the river Sindhu.

2.
Now let us understand the word Sampradaaya. Sam + pra +daaya =Sampradaaya.

That which is well and clearly given is sampradaaya. A sampradaaya must mainly have the following characteristics:- a) It comes into being at a particular period of time due to various reasons., b) it is inspired or founded by an individual or a set of individuals, c)it follows certain scriptures inspired by or propounded by the individual, d) it follows a particular code of conduct.

3.
A sampradaaya deals with one or many aspects of dharma. The one who establishes it may or may not belong to a sampradaaya eg. Jesus was a Jew. A sampradaaya is established due to a) the need of the time; eg Mohammed established Islam to bring a semblance of decency into the warring nomadic tribes, b) due to decadence of the moral values in the society eg. Christianity emerged when Roman society was steeped in indulgence and pleasures, c) as a reaction against another sampradaaya eg. the protestants were against the traditional Roman Catholic Church, d) so as to make the knowledge of dharma easily understandable and followable to even the common man eg. Swami Sahajananda started the Swaminarayana Sampradaaya which is easy to follow even by the illiterate.

4.
"Now we shall try to think about the two words – Dharma and Sampradaaya together. Dharma is
...................................................................................................................................................................
one,
Sampradaayas can be and are many. Dharma is not founded by an individual – it is beginningless.
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A sampradaaya is founded by an individual. It is born and therefore shall perish.
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(“jaatasya hi dhruvo mrtyuh”). That which is born shall perish- Geeta."
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5.
"Dharma is eternal – Sanatana . From the above discussions it can be clearly realised that all of us have one common Eternal Dharma. Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Christianity, Swaminarayana, Pushti Marg etc, are all sampradaayas and not dharma. They have one inspirer or founder eg Jesus, Mohammed etc. They follow a particular text eg the Bible, Koran etc. They follow a particular code of conduct eg Sunday Mass, Baptism, etc."

"Dharma by its very nature is “bin sampradaayaik’ ( secular). Dharma however has the capacity to accomodate countless sampradaayas. It is the very base of all of them. No sampradaaya has the capacity to encompass the entire dharma in all its aspects."

6.
Now we enquire – if dharma includes philosophy and religion, do we really need sampradaaya? Why create differences to know the one? This has already been touched upon. In the vast scope of dharma the common man gets confused and is unable to make the right choices for his individual progress nor does he have the vision of his role in the complex world around him. The masses need to be guided with simple, healthy views and rules to help their progress. Eg. since the Hindu was given a choice of going to the temple, yogasanas, puja, dhyana, japa, etc as their daily early morning routine , in sheer indifference or confusion they chose none , or sometimes not according to their temperament. They deprived themselves of the great spiritual benefit of these sadhanas and in the process almost lost their rich heritage. Hence a sampradaaya does guide an individual or society towards progress and unity.

7.
"One must finally uplift oneself towards that Truth beyond sampradaaya which is called Parama-
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Dharmam."

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OPINION :-

1. The religious heads ( priest class ) live  luxury life, handling lot of money, flowing from the west as well as from rich christian community of Kerala;

2. Religious conversions, lobby the west for finance, lobby the Govt by christian political influence and major participation from the community;

3. As vote banks of Congress and communists, use minority status to get things done from the Govt influence;

4. Both Islam and Christianity are Sampradaya, these two soon perish, already visible in west, soon these two just disappear from Bharatham by their own character, deeds, violence and sins. 

Latin rite provinces and dioceses of the Catholic church in India. The dioceses making up a province have different shades of the same colour

JAIHIND

VANDEMATHARAM