Bishop Franco Mulakkal has written to the Pope yesterday expressing his desire to step down temporarily from the responsibilities of the diocese and has sought permission for it, the Diocese of Jalandhar says.


Bishop Mulakkal had last week handed over administrative responsibility of the Jalandhar diocese to a senior priest.


In a circular addressed to priests, nuns and brothers of the diocese, the bishop had said, "In my absence Msgr Mathew Kokkandam will administer the Diocese as in the normal practice when I am away from the Diocese".


The bishop claimed there were "several contradictions" in the evidence collected against him by the police probing the case. "I leave everything into the hand of God as I await the result of the findings of the team probing the allegation," he had said in the circular.


The Bishop is due to appear before an investigating team of the Kerala Police on September 19.


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, questioning why the church was "closing its eyes to the truth" when she had mustered courage to make public her suffering.