KOCHI: Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) has alleged that some people who oppose the Catholic Church, media persons with vested interests and some aggrieved persons within the community used the strike by the nuns as a cover for destabilizing and maligning the Church. Expressing dissatisfaction over the developments that led to the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, the KCBC , in a statement issued in Kochi, said that the nuns took to the streets giving an opportunity for enemies to attack the Church.The KCBC also termed the strike by nuns as against Christian values, rightful interests of the Catholic Church and the statutes of the religious congregation to which the nuns belonged. “Since the case is sub-judice, the KCBC thinks it is not right to comment on the truth and falsity of it. At the same time, inquiry and the trial of the case should take place impartially and without pressure from any quarters. It is hoped that the truth will come to light and that the accused will get sufficient opportunity to prove his innocence, and that if the accusation is proved right, he will get the due punishment,” the KCBC stated.It further said it was quite obvious that there was a concerted effort to bring in lawlessness within the Church by destroying the discipline therein, obedience to authority and its unity. “The sacredness and integrity of consecrated life is scorned. Even the sacrament of confession is under trial. Nonetheless, the Church in India, with its lakhs of fervent believers, thousands of nuns leading holy lives and hundreds of priests and bishops doing selfless service, has the inner strength to overcome any kinds of crisis,” the council said.It also asked the faithful to discern those people who, under the cover of this case, try to destabilize the Catholic Church. “When similar charges were levelled against those from other spheres including judiciary, legislature and media, no one had attacked those establishments as a whole. But when an accusation of sexual molestation is raised against a bishop of the Catholic Church, some with vested interests and some sections of the media have taken it as an occasion to implicate the Church and the bishops as a whole, without even having the investigation completed,” it pointed out.The complaint of the nun was under the consideration of the police and the court, it was not right from the part of the Church authorities to hastily act on it. At the same time, without waiting for the conclusion of the police inquiry the Church authority removed Mulakkal from the administrative duties of Jalandhar diocese, the council said. “Hence when the nun made a complaint appropriately before the Church authorities due redressing action has come without delay,” KCBC claimed.The association also wondered whether it was jealousy or anger against the Church that made some people unleash scathing attack. “…the Church has been very active in the public sphere by way of educational, medical and social services, not to mention the Church’s unrelenting involvement in the latest flood relief and rehabilitation overlooking caste and creed,” it pointed out.

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