The Vatican officials had applied for visa in mid-December
The Pope appointed Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bombay Agnelo Rufino Gracias as the Apostolic administrator of the diocese of Jalandhar with immediate effect, a CBCI statement said.
The verbal duel between the Congress and BJP over the controversial 'love and narcotic jihad' remark by Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt, intensified on Sunday with the former saying it does not want the Sangh parivar to gain foothold here while the latter claimed that both CPI (M) and Congress were cornering the Bishop over the issue.
The clergyman has been shifted to the sub-jail in Pala after completing his medical examination at a government hospital.
'If this (victory) remains a beautiful memory in a dark moment or if instead it becomes a symbol of rebirth depends only on us.'
The nun alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse 13 times.
As the controversy over Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt's remarks refused to die down, the chief minister said the Kerala society as a whole has not agreed with the Bishop's statement and expressed hope that he would "respond", sensing the stand of the public on the issue.
The KCBC, in a statement, said that even the United Nations reports have made it clear that money earned from drug trafficking is being used for terrorist activities.
Father Tom is safe and efforts are on for his release as early as possible.
A group of nuns of Kuravilangad convent in Kottayam district of Kerala, who have been standing with the survivor in her fight, were on the verge of tears when they said they were yet to believe such a verdict came out from the court and they did not know what has happened.
Police had said the nun was subjected to rape and unnatural sex by the accused at the guest house of St Francis Mission Home 13 times between 2014 and 2016.
The bench observed that if a hasty investigation was conducted, the accused would be allowed to go scot-free.
The Bishop will have to surrender his passport and his entry to Kerala will be restricted.
She alleged that by continuing in the position of Jalandhar diocese Bishop, Franco Mulakkal and his close associates "are using the wealth of the diocese to divert" the course of the police investigation.
"I am on the side of the bishops' conference," Francis said.
Father Uzhunnalil, 58, who hails from Kerala, was abducted in March last year by the terror group.
The nun had accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016.
The Kerala priest was released recently after more than one-and-a-half years in captivity in Yemen.
The synod of Syro-Malabar Church has alleged that scores of women from Christian community from Kerala were being lured into the trap of Islamic State and used in terror activities. The VHP welcomed the Church statement.
Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam, meanwhile, 'rejected outright' the NCW's recommendation
Kerala Catholic Bishop Conference president Archbishop Soosa Paikam said the verdict was "painful" and would have disastrous consequences.
The Centre on Friday rejected West Bengal government's request for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the gang rape of a 71-year-old nun at a convent school in Nadia district, a day after the CID achieved a breakthrough in arresting two suspects 12 days after the heinous crime took place.
The nun had recently sought urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the bishop's removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese.
Police have initiated action against independent MLA P C George who had levelled derogatory charges against the victimised nun.
While the state's decision to take the road to Prohibition has been given a communal twist, there are several political imperatives of the move
'The BJP had ruled earlier too, but nothing of this sort happened then... I don't say the government is behind the attacks, but they don't do anything to stop the attacks.' 'The prime minister has to tell the perpetrators that it is not in the interest of the government that such incidents happen.' 'When somebody says all Indians are Hindus, responsible people should ask him to stop and assure the country that this is not the opinion of the government. But it is not happening and it is quite unfortunate,' Cardinal Baselios Cleemis tells Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com in an exclusive interview.
Secretary general of CBCI Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas on what he doesn't like about the new education policy.