Advertisement

Indian Catholic bishop accused of raping nun steps down

Click to play video: 'India named most dangerous country for females'
India named most dangerous country for females
WATCH ABOVE: Women living in India describe their experiences of harassment and the constant fear they feel following a poll that named the South Asian nation the most dangerous country for females – Jun 26, 2018

An Indian Catholic bishop accused of raping a nun has written to the Vatican asking to step down as protests grow in India’s Kerala state for him to be arrested.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal wrote a letter to Holy Father Pope Francis expressing his desire to step aside temporarily and requested to be relieved from the administration of the Diocese,” the Diocese of Jalandhar, which he heads, said in a release issued over the weekend.

Kerala police have called Mulakkal for a new round of questioning on Wednesday in the southern Indian state. The bishop has denied wrongdoing.

The nun had accused the bishop of raping her repeatedly over two years from May 2014. She had sent a detailed letter to Pope Francis last week demanding action against the bishop.

Story continues below advertisement

WATCH BELOW: A look at celibacy and the Catholic Church

Click to play video: '‘Celibacy is not the problem’: Catholic Church sex scandal insight'
‘Celibacy is not the problem’: Catholic Church sex scandal insight

The Vatican had no comment on the situation in India.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The case comes at a time when the Christian community, which accounts for 19 per cent of the state’s population, is reeling under an erosion of trust as sexual abuse cases involving the clergy pile up.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal, middle-right, is shown with nuns and clergy members of the Missionaries of Jesus in India in 2016. Missionaries of Jesus

A group of Catholic nuns launched a rare street protest more than a week ago in Kochi, the state’s financial hub, demanding justice for the nun. The protest has gathered momentum with Christian bodies, activists, writers and locals joining in.

Story continues below advertisement

The group spearheading the protest in Kochi will stage more such protests in various other districts on Tuesday, said Father Augustine Vattoli, coordinator of the Save Our Sisters Action Council.

WATCH BELOW: Catholic Church under pressure over damning sex abuse report in Pennsylvania

Click to play video: 'Protest held outside Washington D.C. clergy as pressure builds on Catholic church in wake of scandal'
Protest held outside Washington D.C. clergy as pressure builds on Catholic church in wake of scandal

“We have started the protests demanding the arrest of the bishop. We will not end it without him submitting himself to the law,” Vattoli told Reuters, expressing doubts over whether the bishop’s offer to step aside was voluntary or at the direction of the Vatican.

The Vatican does not disclose when bishops offer their resignation but only when resignations are accepted by the pope and become official.

Sponsored content

AdChoices