Franco Mulakkal resigns as Jalandhar Bishop; Church says not a disciplinary measure

Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was temporarily relieved of his pastoral responsibilities by Pope Francis in 2018 following allegations of rape by a nun, has resigned from the Jalandhar Bishops post, the Vaticans representative in India said on Thursday.

His resignation, which came one-and-a-half years after he was acquitted by a local court in Kerala last year in the rape case, will pave the way for the appointment of a new bishop to the diocese, a church official said.

In a video, the bishop confirmed that the Holy See accepted his resignation today. “Today, 1 June 2023, the Holy Father Pope Francis has accepted the resignation submitted by the Rt Rev Franco Mulakkal as Bishop of Jullundur,” the Apostolic Nunciature (top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See) in India said in a statement.

“In this regard, the Apostolic Nunciature wishes to specify that the Holy See respects the verdict of the Additional District and Sessions Court, Kottayam, Kerala, acquitting Bishop Mulakkal from the allegations concerning him, as well as the appeal against the acquittal, which has been admitted by the Kerala High Court,” it said.

The nun, who says she was raped by the bishop, has moved the Kerala High Court against the trial court verdict in the case.

“Given the still divisive situation about the aforesaid matter in the Diocese of Jalandhar, the resignation has been requested from the Rt Rev Mulakkal not as a disciplinary measure imposed upon him, but as pro bono Ecclesiae, especially for the good of the Jalandhar diocese, which needs a new bishop,” it added.

The present status of Franco Mulakkal is Bishop Emeritus of Jalandhar, which does not imply canonical restrictions on his ministry, the Apostolic Nunciature said.

In the video, Mulakkal thanked those who stood with him during his difficult time.

“May our sufferings and pains and the tears I have shed before the Almighty be the reason for the renewal of the church, the strengthening of faith, my own sanctification, and the glory of God,” the bishop said.

A church source said the Vatican has informed the bishop that his resignation is not going to be treated as a disciplinary action against him.

Considering his service to the diocese, the church will make sure that it is not an unceremonious exit for the bishop, and he will be permitted to bid an official farewell, the source told

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