Bishop acquitted of raping nun resigns as Indian city's diocese leader

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A bishop acquitted of raping a nun resigned as leader of the Catholic diocese in an Indian city on Thursday.

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of 59-year-old Franco Mulakkal, who was bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese in the northern state of Punjab.

The Vatican did not provide a reason for the resignation or why Francis accepted it. The normal retirement age for bishops is 75.

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The nun accused Mulakkal of raping her multiple times during his visits to her convent in Kuravilangad in Kerala state, in a case that became a major issue amid allegations of sexual abuse in the church.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal greets the media as he leaves a court in Kottayam, India, on Jan. 14, 2022. The bishop, who was acquitted of raping a nun, resigned as leader of the Catholic diocese in an Indian city on June 1, 2023. (AP Photo/File)

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Police charged Mulakkal with rape, illegal confinement and intimidation of the nun. A group of fellow nuns launched unprecedented public protests demanding Mulakkal’s arrest in 2018. He was detained and soon released on bail.

A court acquitted Mulakkal in January last year. The nun has appealed the verdict to Kerala’s High Court.

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Mulakkal was the official patron of the nun’s community, the Missionaries of Jesus, and had influence over its budgets and job assignments.