he 2021 calendar issued by the Trichur (Thrissur) Archdiocese under Syro Malabar Church, has come under criticism for printing photo of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal in it. The photo of the Franco Mulakkal who is accused of raping a Kerala nun, is printed in the March month’s page in the calendar. Protesting against this, a group of believers under the Catholic Church in Kollam burned the calendars in front of the Kollam Bishop House on Sunday.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal, is accused of raping a 44-year-old Kerala nun of a Missionaries of Jesus convent in the state, multiple times between 2014 and 2016. He was arrested in September in 2018, but is now out on bail. The controversial calendar was being issued to houses under Trichur Archdiocese since the past many days.

According to protesters, every year the church issues calendars to houses of believers for a nominal charge. However, since the last two years, photo of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal was being printed in March month’s page. “In the past years also people had raised objections against this and had even burned calendars. But this year also it has been repeated,” said Riju Kanjookaran, convenor of Save Our Sister, the group which backed the protest of five Kerala nuns against Franco Mulakkal.