KOCHI: Finding her faith strengthened by the ordeal rather than shaken by it, Sister Ranit said her experience had made her realise that the Church institution and its authorities were not God, though she had once looked up to them as such.
Responding to a question on how she continued to retain her faith despite facing opposition from her congregation after speaking out about the sexual assault she suffered at the hands of former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, she said the experience had only deepened her faith.
She was speaking at ‘An Evening with Sister Ranit’, organised by the Raising Our Voice (ROV) Foundation at KMA Hall in Kochi on Saturday. Sr Ranit said some of her deepest hurt came from fellow nuns and the community who questioned why she had endured the abuse on multiple occasions and why she had not filed a complaint earlier.
“What do they know about a small convent like ours to ask such questions? While people might imagine that 40 to 60 nuns live in a single convent, our congregation has only around 80 sisters in total, with just two or three in each convent,” she said.
She said the verdict in the actor assault case was what finally inspired her to speak publicly about her experience. The survivor actor's appearance at a state government event within days of the verdict left a deep impression on her.
Though the actor had filed a complaint the first time she was assaulted, she did not receive judicial justice. Yet she continued to face the situation and move forward.
“That inspired me a lot. I thought that whatever happens, whether people stand by me or leave me, I must move forward,” Sr Ranit said. She wanted fellow sisters and priests to understand that several convents and congregations faced problems that those outside them knew little about.
She also recalled receiving letters of support after the actor assault case verdict, with people urging her to stay strong.
Sr Ranit, who joined the congregation in 1994, said the pressure to remain silent had been immense. As the seniormost person, she felt compelled to act as though nothing had happened and put on a happy face so that she would not let her fellow sisters down.
She said she could not imagine leaving the congregation, as religious life viewed the loss of chastity as its end. This fear had kept her silent.
She eventually confided in four fellow sisters who assured her that they would not allow such incidents to happen again. She then pursued complaints through various levels within the Church, writing to the Apostolic Nuncio in Delhi and sending letters to Rome.
A priest in Kuravilangad informed the Bishop of Pala, who said the accused was of equal standing with him and that he would forward the complaint to Cardinal George Alencherry, then Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
Sr Ranit said she also sought the transfer of the sisters to a different congregation in Bhagalpur. Instead, a case was registered against them alleging that she had threatened suicide and issued death threats against the accused.
The police took her complaints seriously after she produced copies of the representations submitted to Church authorities. During the trial, she learnt that the Apostolic Nuncio's office had acknowledged receiving her complaint.
However, when she sought a copy of the acknowledgement to submit as evidence, a fellow sister refused. “She told me that she considered the institution important and not its members.
That shattered me,” Sr Ranit said. While the defence had copies of everything. The case also affected the livelihood opportunities of the sisters who supported her.
Sr Ranit said several were denied MSW internship opportunities at organisations because of their association with the case. When some work offers came their way, she decided to take up stitching to earn a living.
This led to the launch of StandByMe, a self-funded clothing and lifestyle venture started by Sr Ranit and her companions, Sister Alphy and Sister Ancitta. The three reside at St Francis Mission Home in Kuravilangad.
Sr Ranit said the venture gave them the strength to stand on their own and reinforced her decision not to leave the place where she had lived for 34 years.
Sister Ancitta said she was convinced there was truth in Sr Ranit's account and decided to stand by her. Sister Alphy, Sr Ranit's blood sister, said sisters should remain close to one another.
Sr Ranit said she felt proud of herself for finding the strength to appear in public and was equally proud of the companions who stood by her. She credited the support of society and the media for giving her the courage to continue.
