KOTTAYAM: The Catholic Church has confirmed for the first time that Vatican was looking into the rape allegations raised by a nun against Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal.
Catholic Bishops' Conference of India(CBCI) president and Mumbai Archbishop Cardinal Oswald Gracias said that Vatican had already begun an inquiry and will ask the Apostolic Nuncio of Vatican to India to give a report on the allegations.
The Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation of Evangelisation of People, Fernando Filoni, will study the charges and hand over the recommendations to Pope Francis soon.
Cardinal Gracias said that during his visit to the Vatican recently, he had met Cardinal Filoni and communicated the seriousness of the issue. "Cardinal Filoni will seek a report from the nuncio on the issue. I have advised him to take up the matter with 'utmost seriousness' and for that I have approached him directly," he told Deccan Chronicle.
The action to be taken against the bishop will depend upon the report given by the nuncio to Cardinal Filoni. As Cardinal Filoni is in charge of the bishops in charge of India and mission regions, he has the authority to recommend action against the bishop belonging to the Latin rite, he said.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India presidentcame to know about the ground situation only from the media, he said and added that he was not officially informed by anyone till September 8 when he received a copy of the letter raising the allegations by the nun against bishop Franco Mulakkal. He also discussed the issue with the Apostolic Nuncio of Vatican to India, Giambattista Diquatro, and sought his immediate attention.
He only knew through the media regarding bishop Franco's letter seeking the Pope's permission to hand over charge of the diocese to another priest, he said.
Cardinal Gracias is a member of the Council of Cardinals (C9), the group of nine cardinals chosen by the Pope to advise him on his reform efforts.
