Father Jose Mathai, 59, of the Eastern rite Syro-Malabar Kothamangalam diocese in Kerala, approached the Kerala High Court to quash a criminal case registered against him in the central Ernakulam district.
In its Oct. 7 order, the court said, “prima facie, allegations are made out warranting a trial of the matter.”
A single mother filed a complaint in April this year accusing the priest of sexually abusing her multiple times after promising to marry her.
The complaint claims the alleged offenses were committed between November 2023 and January 2024.
According to her, the accused promised her he would give up the priesthood for her but later retracted the promise.
The priest, however, has denied the allegations as “baseless” and urged the court to quash the charges, asserting that he was “innocent.”
The Catholic woman also told the court that she had a child from a Hindu man whom she did not marry.
She alleged that she went to the priest to discuss the possibility of the denial of sacraments to her and her child due to her association with the Hindu man.
However, the priest sexually exploited her under the guise of clearing her doubts, she told the court in the complaint.
Earlier, the woman approached the top court seeking to quash the case she had registered against the priest. However, she later retracted as the priest allegedly refused to fulfill his promise to look after her.
If found guilty, the priest will get a seven-year jail term, which is pronounced on a rape-accused.
The diocese has restrained the priest from all public ministries but has not suspended him, as an internal probe is ongoing.
“The case seems to be a manipulated one with ulterior motives. Therefore, the diocese has decided to hold an internal probe,” a diocesan official who did not want to be named told UCA News on Oct. 9.
The diocese follows zero tolerance towards all forms of sexual offenses against women and children, the official added.
The diocese is awaiting the outcome of the court case as it strongly believes that the priest is a “victim of a conspiracy.”
“I do not want to discuss details as it is pending in the court,” the official added.
Kothamangalam Diocese was established in 1956 and inaugurated in January 1957. Its jurisdiction covers some parts of the hilly areas of Idukki and Ernakulam districts.
Christians comprise 18 percent of Kerala’s 33 million people, while Muslims are 26 percent and Hindus 54 percent.