Nearly a month after Sister Lucy Kalappura, a nun from Kerala, appeared in the High Court to fight her own case, a Munsiff Court in Wayanad allowed her to continue staying at the convent of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC). Sister Lucy had been expelled by the congregation after her protest against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a fellow nun. She had since been fighting for her right to stay at the convent and the High Court had asked the Wayanad court to dispose of the matter within three weeks.
The Munsiff Court said on Friday that Sister Lucy could stay at the convent until the matter before it is disposed of, reports Live Law.
It was on July 14 that Sister Lucy stood in the High Court all by herself, after the lawyer representing her withdrew from the case. She told the court that she had been a nun for 39 years and she wanted to continue as a nun, and to not be thrown out on the street.
The High Court had allowed interim police protection to her earlier but had to discontinue it once she got evicted by the congregation. Even the Vatican Catholic church had rejected her appeal against the eviction. The court however said that she can get police protection if she chose to live elsewhere and not reside in the convent. But Sister Lucy said that she didn’t have another place to go to and had to continue living there.
After she took part in protests against Franco Mulakkal, the FCC expelled Sister Lucy, citing violation of canonical laws through her lifestyle, such as writing poems and learning how to drive. It also refused to pay her the remuneration and benefits for the work she had done while she was a member of the congregation.
Even as her appeal was pending at the Vatican church, Sister Lucy had filed a suit at the Munsiff Court in Wayanad, against the eviction. Later she approached the High Court.