Kerala nun accusing bishop of rape seeks Pope's intervention, alleges pleas to Vatican went unanswered

The nun who has accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her has written to the Apostolic Nunco, the permanent diplomatic representative (head of diplomatic mission) of the Holy See , seeking the intervention of Pope Francis, according to documents with Firstpost.[caption id="attachment_5162961" align="alignleft" width="380"] File image of Bishop Franco Mulakkal. ANI[/caption]The nun recently sought urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the bishop's removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese, and questioned why the church was "closing its eyes to the truth" when she mustered courage to make public her sufferings. In a scathing letter to the Vatican that was made available to the media Tuesday, the nun also asked if the Church be able to return what she has lost.She alleged that Bishop Franco Mulakkal was using "political and money power" to bury the case against him. She accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016. The bishop had, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted", insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.Mulakkal, on the other hand, has denied all allegations made against him, claiming there was a "conspiracy" against him and that the case was a tactic to pressure the government.