Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, Who Faced Rape Charges, Resigns

Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of rape, has officially stepped down from his position as the Bishop of Jalandhar. The resignation submitted by Mulakkal has been accepted by Pope Francis.

In a statement issued by the Apostolic Nunciature in India, it was stated,"Given the ongoing divisive situation surrounding the aforementioned matter within the Diocese of Jalandhar, the resignation has been requested by Rt Rev Mulakkal, not as a disciplinary measure, but for the betterment of the Diocese, which is in need of a new bishop."

The resignation of Mulakkal, who was acquitted by a local court in Kerala last year in the rape case, was requested by the Vatican not as a disciplinary measure imposed upon him, but for the good of the Jalandhar diocese, which needs a new bishop, the source told PTI.

His resignation will pave the way for the appointment of a new bishop to the diocese, the source said.

In a video, the bishop confirmed that the Holy See accepted his resignation today.

The present status of Franco Mulakkal is Bishop Emeritus of Jalandhar, which does not imply canonical restrictions on his ministry, the source said.

Mulakkal had met the Pope on February 8 this year, 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.

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 a nun.

Despite being acquitted by the local court in the sensational case, Mulakkal was not given any new responsibilities in the church.

The Vatican had earlier accepted the court's decision, acquitting him of rape charges.

The nun, who says she was raped by the bishop, has moved the Kerala High Court against the trial court verdict in the case.

She had accused Mulakkal of raping her multiple times during his visit to a convent in Kottayam in Kerala between 2014 and 2016, when he was the bishop of the Jalandhar diocese in Punjab.

The nun is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, a diocesan congregation under the Jalandhar Diocese.