Other than similar sounding surnames, is there anything in common between these two? They are as different as chalk and cheese. Former bishop of Jalandhar diocese, Franco Mulakkal, nicknamed Frightening Franco, is a familiar name to Indian Catholics. A lower court in Kerala has acquitted him of charges of multiple rape of a religious sister under his control.
An appeal has been proffered in the High Court. But a cursory reading of the lower court judgement indicates that there were multiple sexual encounters, duly catalogued by the trial judge. He acquitted the bishop because he felt that he could not rely on the testimony of the victim nun. He did not consider her a “sterling witness” in the eyes of the law. He seemed to indicate that these encounters were consensual sex rather than criminal acts of rape. Be that as it may, if even consensual sex is established, the bishop cannot get an honourable discharge. He needs to be stripped of his priesthood and episcopate, instead of living an “honourable” life in an ashram, where he is purportedly counselling people.
In a recent interview to The News Minute he went to the extent of saying that women were no longer needed because, in an AI generated world, men could have sex with virtual toys! Let alone being a priest or bishop, is this man even human, or a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Enough of Mulakkal. What of Mullally? She is Dame Sarah Mullally, the Anglican Bishop of London who last week was chosen to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury; the head of the 85 million strong Anglican Communion. She is the 106th person to assume that office since St Augustine of Canterbury arrived in Kent, England, in 597.
The selection process is initiated by MI 5, the domestic intelligence agency of the Government. The name is then forwarded to the Prime Minister for approval, before confirmation by the King himself. The post fell vacant because the present incumbent, Abp Justin Welby, had to resign because of his role in the cover up of the crimes of a sexual predator, Rev John Smyth, several years ago.
It is for this reason that I have clubbed Mullally and Mulakkal. There are some similarities as both cases have been the consequence of clerical sexual abuse. There the similarity ends. Even when Mulakkal was an under trial he was travelling around in a BMW car. He had hired expensive lawyers to delay his hearing by petitioning the Supreme Court. How did a disgraced bishop have so much money? Secondly, why would an innocent person delay his own trial? Would he not have wanted to be exonerated at the earliest?
The other contrast is the selection of bishops. I just mentioned the process for Mullally. What of the Catholic Church? It’s all hush-hush. Bishops send a list of probables, called the Terna, to the Papal Nuncio, who then forwards the names to the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome. Incidentally, this was the position held by Pope Leo before his election.
The Indian laity has no voice in this selection. The recent removal of three scandalous bishops, Franco himself, Gallela Prasad of Cuddappah and K.A. William of Mysore, force us to question if their selection was the work of the Holy Spirit or an unholy nexus within the church? William the Conqueror was brazen enough to refuse a paternity test ordered by Cardinal Tagle of Propaganda Fide on 15/8/2020. This, despite an impassioned appeal by Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai. The recording of the telephonic conversation is in the public domain. Surely the Catholic Church can learn something from the Anglican Communion.
Mullally is married, with two children. She says that her family is supportive of her episcopal vocation. Before being ordained she was the Chief Nursing Officer of the U.K. Government, exercising control over 420,000 nurses. So she brings vast administrative experience to her new role. She became a Christian as a teenager, influenced by one of her peers.
Initially she had wanted to be a doctor, but opted for nursing instead, because it involved greater human interaction, care and compassion. Aren’t these admirable qualities for a bishop? It reminds one of Pope Francis’ comparison of the church to a field hospital.
In an interview after her appointment Mullally said that it had a message for the church and the world. She would like to see the Church as a safer place, especially for victims of clerical abuse. In contrast, how has the Catholic Church treated Mulakkal’s alleged victims? In their own words – like scum. Every trick in the book was used to browbeat them into submission; though some say that this isn’t entirely true.
Let’s move beyond the two M’s, including MI 5. What about ordination of women in the Catholic Church? What about equal rights and dignity? Never mind bra-burning feminists. Their first fight was for voting rights – woman’s suffragacy. The movement began in New York in 1848, but it was granted 72 years later in 1920. A long haul. The USA was beaten to it by New Zealand (1893), Australia (1902), Finland (1906) and Norway (1913). In the USA two women stood for President and lost – Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. They were unable to shatter the glass ceiling.
Third world countries have faired better with Presidents and Prime Ministers – our own India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Taiwan and most recently Nepal and Japan. In India a woman is also in line to be the Chief Justice. Today women are even in combat roles or fighter pilots. Are they then unworthy or unfit to be priests?
We make much of our Marian devotions. This could be a clever ploy by an all male clergy to keep women out. They point to Mother Mary and say “See what an exalted position we have given her”. Despite the strident call for women’s ordination all we have got so far is girl altar servers. Peanuts.
Is the priesthood a ritual or a sacrament? If it is just a ritual then Jesus himself was not a priest. If it is a living sacrament then Mother Mary is also a priest. Let’s examine her life.
At the Annunciation she receives and incarnates the Word of God (Lk 1:38). At the Visitation she proclaims the Word Incarnate (Lk 1:41), which is why she is called the Queen of Apostles. Is she then not an apostle herself? At the Presentation she is told that a sword will pierce her heart too (Lk 2:35). That is why she is sometimes called the co-mediatrix. When the “ritual” apostles abandoned Jesus at the cross she stood by him (Jn 19:25). While the “ritual” apostles were befuddled about the Resurrection, she had no need to run to an empty grave. Having shared in Jesus’ passion and death she had already experienced his resurrection too.
Since she was now in the care of John she accompanied him everywhere. She was there when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Jn 20:22). She would also have been there at the first Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Scriptural evidence points to Mary being a sacramental priest.
This is why Jesuit theologian Joseph Mattam wrote in the New Leader: “I personally do not see how the exclusively male priesthood claiming to come from Jesus can be justified and sustained. The Biblical Commission itself had told Pope John Paul II that it cannot be defended on the basis of scripture … nor on the tradition of the first two centuries closest to apostolic times … The hierarchy must recognise that its claims and position are not founded on Jesus, but on the Roman Empire”. Strong words.
Vatican II should also cause us to think. Its Dogmatic Constitution on Sacred Scripture states that the “Teaching office of the church is not above the Word of God” (DV 10).
Yet Pope Paul VI had quoted St Thomas Aquinas saying that a sacramental symbol (like Priesthood) represented what it signified by natural resemblance, in this case a man. I counter by asking how many modern day priests have a “natural resemblance” to a dusty, sweaty, long haired and bearded Semitic man who had no where to lay his head?
There are two intriguing texts that merit attention. “There is neither Jew nor gentile, male or female, all are one in Christ” (Gal 3:28). “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are they given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Mat 22:30). These texts indicate that the Kingdom of Heaven is not based on gender. That being so, why is the Catholic priesthood gender exclusive?
With the appointment of Mullally as the Archbishop of Canterbury I hope and pray that it will give fresh impetus to junk the likes of Mulakkal and warmly welcome women to the sacramental priesthood.
Leave a Reply