Ranchi: Missionaries of Charity acquitted after a long legal battle
After eight years, the trial against the Sisters has ended. In 2018, far-fetched child trafficking charges were laid against them, sparking worldwide media coverage. The High Court's verdict declared them not guilty. For Bishop Mascarenhas, “after years of suffering, prayer and perseverance, truth has prevailed.”
Delhi (AsiaNews) – In a historic ruling that puts an end to one of the most painful legal battles faced by the Church in recent years, the Ranchi Civil Court (Jharkhand) acquitted a member of the Missionaries of Charity and two other people tried in connection with a 2018 child trafficking case.
The religious order founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta was caught up in the case, with huge media coverage, with then superior, Sister Mary Prema, speaking out against the "many myths”, the “information distorted, and false news” and “baseless innuendos" that surrounded the nuns.
The legal case, which resulted in one nun being sent to prison, ended with a verdict declaring her and her co-defendants not guilty after a legal battle that lasted nearly eight years.
The case centred on the allegations that a 14-day-old baby was sold for 50,000 rupees (us$ 530) from a home run by the Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi.
The allegations led to the arrest of Missionaries of Charity Sister Concilia and sparked an intense investigation into the congregation's facilities across the state of Jharkhand. Sister Concilia spent three years in prison before she was granted bail.
Commenting on the ruling, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas of Daltonganj, a former general secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), called the court’s decision a triumph of truth, perseverance, and faith.
“This has taken eight years to get cleared,” Bishop Mascarenhas said. “Today, after years of suffering, prayer and perseverance, truth has prevailed.”
The bishop, reports the Indian online platform Catholic Connect, said that the charges had “far-reaching” consequences for the pastoral work of the congregation.
Following the arrests, the authorities closed a second Missionaries of Charity home in Hinoo, which housed 24 newborns, while several other facilities run by the congregation were reportedly investigated and harassed.
“The police had widely publicised the allegations, and the repercussions were felt in almost every house run by the Missionaries of Charity,” he said.
Despite the hardships, Mother Teresa's nuns continued their work for the poor, the abandoned, and the vulnerable, even while the case was pending in court.
Bishop Mascarenhas noted that getting Sister Concilia out on bail was in itself a long battle.
"It took," the prelate said, "three years," adding that he personally followed the legal process over the years, together with Sister Sebastino MC and other supporters.
Pending the publication of the ruling, along with the reasons behind it, the court delivered its verdict today, 18 June, acquitting Sister Concilia and her two co-defendants, dismissing the charges brought against them.
In a statement released after the verdict was read, Bishop Mascarenhas expressed gratitude to God and thanked lawyers Sunil Shrivastava and Anil Kant, Sister Sebastino MC, Vepul Kaiser, the other members of the legal team, and the many supporters.
Many Catholics and non-Catholics stood by the nuns and the Indian Church throughout this long legal battle.
The prelate also acknowledged the steadfast leadership of Sister Prema MC, then superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, and Sister Joseph MC, the current superior, for guiding the congregation through years of uncertainty and media pillorying.
Many within the Church welcomed the ruling as a significant moment of vindication for the congregation founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Church leaders across the country are resolute in saying that the ruling restores faith in the congregation's longstanding commitment to serving the most vulnerable in society.
For the Missionaries of Charity and all their supporters, the verdict marks not only the end of a difficult chapter, but also a reaffirmation of faith in justice after years of trial and active resistance.
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