He was in the eye of a nationwide controversy when a nun hauled him to the police and courts with allegations of rape and molestation
He reminds one of Don Camillo, the hero of ‘The Little World of Don Camillo’, authored by Italian Giovanni Guareschi. The story revolves round Don Camillo, the parish priest of Po, a small town on the bank of River Po in Italy, and his clash with Peppone, the town’s Communist mayor, over the rights of the people. Don Camillo, tall, athletic and well built, had a standoff with the mayor over many issues and won all bouts with sheer intelligence and perseverance. The story takes place in the post-World War-II days and had readers in splits.
Don Camillo is one who believes in the age old saying everything is fair in war and love. This Catholic priest is not one who would allow sins committed against poor and needy to pass off without a grumble. But his monologues with the crucifix in his bedroom and Christ’s reply to the Don made the book a hilarious experience.
Franco Mulakkal, the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Jalandhar may not be as tall or well-built as Don Camillo but he is full of spirit to fight for anybody against any kind of discrimination and victimisation. This Mattam-born spiritual Father was a good basketball player in his student days. Basketball, football and hockey are his favourite pastimes.
He was in the eye of a nation-wide controversy when a nun belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus Convent hauled him to the police station and the courts with allegations of rape and molestation. “Yes, my initial reaction was shock. But I knew very well that I had not done any wrong or sin. But when the media went overboard and a section of society demanded my arrest and conviction, I took a vow that I would not visit the tombs of my parents as well the church in my village till I was freed of the charges. It took three years and here I am, sitting here and praying to Lord Jesus Christ,” said the Bishop.
One of the youngest Bishops to be ordained by the Vatican, Franco is held in high esteem by the laity. The thousands who had gathered in front of the Court in Kottayam to greet him on January 14 when sessions judge G Gopakumar acquitted the Bishop of all charges was proof of his popularity which one cannot ignore. Even as the media in the State continued its trial alleging that justice was derailed, the Bishop rushed to his village, prayed at the tombs of his parents and held a Mass which was attended by thousands.
“Punjab is in my heart,” said the Bishop when he was asked about his life in Jalandhar. “For the last 28 years, I have been working for the welfare of the people in Punjab as one among them,” he said. The resistance shown by people irrespective of caste, community and religion to the Kerala Police team that had gone to Jullundur is unheard of. “They love me and know who I am,” said the Bishop who is on Lent, the Christian fasting days prior to Easter.
He is not the conventional Bishop who resides in the Bishop’s Palace. Franco never hesitates to intervene on behalf of the victims. When a Punjabi woman who had lost her husband approached him seeking a reduction in the monthly fee for her two children who are students in a church run school, the Bishop told her about his helplessness in granting her request. “But I can provide them free education and uniforms throughout their studies in this school,” the Bishop told the mother who was struggling to meet both ends of life.
His ordeal started the day he started a crusade against drug trafficking in Punjab. The bishop has been alerting powers that be and parents about drug trafficking and its misuse by the youth in the State. “Either the authorities overlooked certain shortcomings or the traffickers managed to hoodwink all of us,” he said.
Franco has intervened on behalf of all oppressed and depressed people with the authorities. The reason for his popularity which has cut across all religions? “It is simple. I do not disappoint those who come in search of me seeking some help,” explained the Bishop. He was in the forefront fighting for the rights of not only Christians but Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims.
Jaison Mazhuvancherry, a devote Catholic is of the view that the sexual assault case was foisted on the Bishop by the drug traffickers who felt threatened by Franco’s uncompromising stand against narcotics.
(The writer is a senior journalist with The Pioneer. The views expressed are personal.)