The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar / Jullundur (Latin: Iullunduren(sis)) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church, located in the city of Jalandhar in the ecclesiastical province of Delhi in India.
Diocese of Jalandhar Dioecesis Iullundurensis जालंधर के सूबा | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary's Cathedral | |
| Location | |
| Country |  India |
| Ecclesiastical province | Delhi |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 51,120 km2 (19,740 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2015) 19,296,682 113,259 (0.6%) |
| Parishes | 110 |
| Information | |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral | St. Mary's Cathedral |
| Patron saint | Blessed Virgin Mary (Nativity), St. Francis of Assisi |
| Secular priests | 89 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | vacant |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Anil Joseph Thomas Couto |
| Apostolic Administrator | Agnelo Gracias |
| Bishops emeritus | Franco Mulakkal |
| Website | |
| jalandhardiocese.com | |
History
edit- 17 January 1952: Established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Jalandhar from the Diocese of Lahore
- 6 December 1971: Promoted as Diocese of Jalandhar
Leadership
edit- Bishops of Jalandhar (Latin Church)
- Bishop Franco Mulakkal (4 August 2013 – 1 June 2023)
- Bishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto (16 April 2007 – 30 November 2012)
- Bishop Symphorian Thomas Keeprath, O.F.M. Cap. (18 March 1972 – 24 February 2007)
- Prefects Apostolic of Jalandhar (Latin Church)
- Fr. Alban of Blackburn, O.F.M. Cap. (31 October 1952 – 1971)
Sexual assault case
editIN 2021, a court ruled Bishop Franco was not guilty. On 14 January 2022, the Additional Sessions Court acquitted him of all charges. In 2018 a rape complaint against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, the police received a copy of the victim nun's statement, given to Changanasseri, Kerala Judicial First Class Magistrate under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC, India).[1] Kerala Police arrested Franco Mulakkal for allegedly raping a nun multiple times between 2014 and 2016.[2] The arrest was made in September 2018 in Kochi, India. He was interrogated by the Kerala Police for three days before arrest.[3] Vijay Sakhare, inspector general of Kerala Police said "After our investigation, we have enough evidence that the bishop, prima facie, has committed the crime."[4] On September 20, 2018, Pope Francis accepted Mulakki's request for a leave of absence.[5][6]
On 8 October 2018, Bishop Agnelo Gracias took office as apostolic administrator sede plena et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the diocese, after Mulakkal's arrest.In 2022, the trial court found Bishop Franco not guilty and free from all the charges.[7]
References
edit- ^ New indian express rape news (7 July 2018), Rt. Rev. Dr. Franco Mulakkal, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, Punjab, India, retrieved 7 July 2018
- ^ "Kerala Police arrested Franco", Asianet News, retrieved 21 September 2018
- ^ "Bishop Franco Mulakkal arrested in Kerala nun rape case". indiatoday. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ "Catholic bishop in India arrested after being accused of raping nun". CNN. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Vatican Accepts Bishop Franco's Resignation. YouTube.
- ^ "Pope names administrator as Indian bishop investigated for alleged rape". 20 September 2018.
- ^ "Apostolic Administrator - Diocese of Jalandhar". jalandhardiocese.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018.