Sister Lucy Begins Hunger Strike Against Alleged Harassment By Wayanad Church

Sister Lucy Kalappura is sitting on hunger strike at Franciscan Clarist Congregation, Karackamala in Wayanad district after the Kerala High Court dismissed her petition against being expelled from the convent for alleged violations of its rules.

Sister Lucy claimed life is being made difficult for her for the past year as she was barred from being given food inside the convent. She bought an induction cooker and cooked once a day as the kitchen or dining area was closed.

In a fresh charge of harassment, she said the light switchboard she has been using was destroyed. She also claims she had approached the police regarding the matter but no action has been taken, promoting her to sit on a hunger strike.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed to a munsif court to take a decision expeditiously in three weeks on her plea for police protection. The court said that since the matter is still in the civil court in Wayanad district, it would not be proper to enter into the finding on the rights of the people residing in the convent, as requested by the petitioner.

Justice Raja Viajayaraghavan observed that her apprehension regarding threats from known and unknown persons appears genuine and ordered CCTV visuals in and around the convent where she is currently staying be preserved and protected.

The court had also directed police to investigate and accord protection to her if she approaches them with complaints of threat while residing elsewhere other than the convent in Karackamala.

The nun alleges she was expelled for supporting protests by nuns belonging to Missionaries of Jesus Congregation seeking the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in August 2019. The FCC under the Roman Catholic Church had expelled her “failing” to explain her lifestyle, which allegedly violated church rules.

In June, the Vatican had rejected Sister Lucy’s third appeal against the decision of FCC. The congregation in its disciplinary notice against the nun had termed Sister Lucy possessing a driving licence, buying a car, taking a loan for it and publishing a book and spending money without the permission and knowledge of her superiors and the Vatican as “grave violations”.

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