Court stays expulsion of Kerala nun till Jan

Wayanad(Ker): In a temporary relief to a Kerala nun, who was expelled by her Congregation for disobeying the law of the church, a court here has granted an injunction on her expulsion from her convent till January 1. Sister Lucy Kalappura was expelled on August 7 by the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) for 'failing to give a satisfactory explanation' for her lifestyle "in violation of rules.

Sister Kalappura had published poems, purchased a car and taken part in a street protest by five nuns of the Catholic religious order Missionaries of Jesus, against Former bishop of Jalandhar dioecese, a rape accused.

A Munsiff court in Mananthawadi, which heard the petition by the nun yesterday, granted temporary injunction to the dismissal till January 1.

"Sister had moved the court over her expulsion from the FCC. The move was without even hearing her side. The court had yesterday said it will hear the matter on January 1," a relative of the nun said.

The congregation, under the Roman Catholic Church, had said she was issued "proper canonical warnings", but did not show the needed remorse. The "unanimous decision" to dismiss the nun was taken at the congregation's General Council on May 11 this year.