Bishop Franko Mulakkal, the Jallandhar based chief of the Jesus Congregation, and facing trial in a Kerala court for alleged sexual exploitation of a nun, is back in the news. This time, a section of the laity came out in the open on Monday morning and burnt copies of the 2021 calendar that featured picture of the controversial bishop issued by the Thrissur Archdiocese.
It is customary on the part of the Thrissur Archdiocese to publish the annual calendar every year that features photographs of bishops hailing from the Archdiocese. Since Bishop Mulackel hails from the archdiocese, “Catholic Church”, its mouthpiece had included his picture in the page featuring March 2021. All the 12 pages in the calendar has pictures of bishops who were born in the respective months.
But Father Raphel Akkamattathil, managing director of the publication, told media persons that there was nothing abnormal in publishing the photograph of the Bishop. “He is still functioning as the head of the Jesus Congregation in his position as bishop. Well, there is a case against him in a Kerala court. But the court has not pronounced it’s verdict. So there is no need to remove his picture from the calendar,’ said Fr Akkamattathil.
Jaison Mazhuvancherry, a Catholic youth based in Pulluvazhi said till the Bishop is declared as an accused by the court, it was not proper to stage demonstrations of this kind. The copies of the calendars were burnt under the auspices of the Catholic Church Reforms Committee, Church Act Action Council and United Christian Movement.
Bishop Mulakkal declined to make any comments on the issue. “I am facing charges in a court. Let the court declare its verdict. Till then it is not fair on my part to make any comments on this issue. All I could say is that let God Almighty save everybody,” he told The Pioneer.