Protests held in front of Sister Lucy's convent

Protesters, including women, took out a torchlight procession raising slogans against sister Lucy Kalappura, whose memoir on the goings-on inside the convents of the Catholic Church, is all set to be released this month.

Sister Kalappura said the protesters took out the march on Wednesday night in front of her convent, and raised threats and used filthy language to attack her.

"Lucy go back, some of them shouted. The threats will never weaken me," the nun told television channels.

The Kerala High Court had on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking to stop the publication and distribution of a book penned by the nun on grounds that its contents were "highly defamatory" of the clergy, nuns and the faithful.

Dismissing the petition filed by nun Licia Joseph who claimed that the contents alleged "immoral" life by a section of priests and nuns of the Syro Malabar Church, Justice Ashok Menon, however, said she can approach the police.

If they failed to act on her complaint, the petitioner can move the magistrate court,the judge had said in his order.

The book, a memoir by Kalappura, who had raised her voice against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal and been expelled from her congregation in August this year, is set to be released on December 10.

Excerpts from the work were recently published by certain publications suggesting it to be an account of her life as a nun in the Syro-Malabar Church.

In her plea, Licia alleged that the contents of "Karthavinte Namathil" (In the Name of Christ) would shock all right-minded persons, particularly Christian believers.

Sister Kalappura was expelled by her Franciscan Clarist Congregation for "failure to give a satisfactory explanation" for her lifestyle allegedly in violation of the FCC laws.

Kalappura, who has approached the Vatican challenging the decision to expel her, said her work would narrate her life experience and alleged sexual abuse and harassment faced by nuns in convents.

The book also talks about consensual sexual relationships between priests and nuns, homosexuality among the priests and nuns and misuse of positions held by priests and bishops.