Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Catholic Bishop Council (KCBC) has come down heavily against a cartoon for depicting the rape accused Bishop Franco in a bad light. The cartoon shows the Bishop Franco as a rooster holding the holy stick with an undergarment hanging on it. The Bishop Council alleges that it insulted the priesthood.
The KCBC took offence and blamed the Left Democratic Front for undermining priesthood in a vulgar manner. The Bishops also asked if the LDF was avenging the Catholic community for the failure the party had to face in the recent Lok Sabha election.
The KCBC’s stand has led to tensions in some parts of the state.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Lalit Kala Academy, the government backed cultural body, has decided to re-evaluate the award it had given to the cartoonist, Subash K. K., who drew the cartoon.
Bishop France Mulakkal is accused of raping a Catholic nun repeatedly and also intimidating her to keep silent about it for many years. The Bishop is also accused of trying to influence the witnesses and tampering with the evidence.
Interestingly, there was public outcry against the Left Democratic Front for going soft against the Bishop when the nun gave a formal complaint of rape against the Catholic priest.
