By Bob Walsh
Mother Superior Teresa Agnes Gerlach stands accused of violating her vow of chastity with a priest
The main players are Michael Olson, Bishop of the Roman
Catholic Church in Fort Worth and a pack of nuns. The Bishop is trying
to shut down their monastery. He asserts that one of the nuns, who is
in a wheel chair and eats via a feeding tube, has broken her vow of
chastity with a priest. The nuns have told the bishop to piss off (no
doubt politely) and banned him from the property, using Texas law to do
so. The nuns are, at the same time, appealing directly to the Pope in
the matter.
About three
months ago the Diocese (meaning the bishop) publicly accused Reverend
Mother Superior Agnes Gerlach of playing hide the salami with one of the
local priests. The nuns promptly sued for $1 million alleging that the
bishop invaded their privacy and confiscated their electronics while he
"investigated" the alleged violation.
A judge threw out the lawsuit, asserting that it was an internal church matter and not a matter for the civil courts.
IN
the meantime the diocese has barred the priests from hearing confession
or saying mass at the monastery and has attempted to bar the general
public from the premesis. The nuns however have asserted that the
diocese has no authority over the monastery and has reopened it. The
monastery is the property of the Discalced Carmelite Order and there is
in fact some question as to who is the top dog on that property. In
response Bishop Olson ahs threatened to excommunicate the nuns. He also
asserts that he and not the Carmelites runs the show there.
The nuns are now appealing the case via canon law to the pope.
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