Reverend Mother Superior Teresa Agnes Gerlach accused of breaking her vow of chastity Photo: Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity of Discalced Carmelite Nuns
A group of nuns in Texas ostracized a bishop amid a bitter feud over allegations that their wheelchair-bound mother superior broke her vow of chastity by «having sex» with a priest.
Barefoot Carmelite nuns of Arlington said they «no longer recognize the authority» of Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth and demanded that he «repent» and apologize for his «abusive behavior.»
«No one, who insults us as the current Bishop of Fort Worth is entitled to our cooperation or obedience,” the statement said.
The Reverend Abbess Teresa Agnes Gerlach, 43, was fired in June after a six-week investigates allegations that she had a sexual relationship with a Montana priest. The monastery supported her.
Ms Gerlach, who is being tube-fed due to health complications, was reported to the bishop after allegedly confessing an affair to the Reverend Jonathan Wallis.
She allegedly told the priest that she was concerned that she had period. late.
Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth found nun Teresa Gerlach guilty of breaking her vow of chastity with ' ;sexting' priest. Photo: AMANDA MCCOY/FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Mr Olson took away Ms Gerlach's phone, computer and iPad as part of the investigation and claimed that the alleged relationship included «sexting».
He found Ms Gerlach «guilty of violating the sixth commandment of the Decalogue and her vow of chastity with a priest from outside the Diocese of Fort Worth» in June.
«Even a nun can fall»
A lawyer representing Ms. Gerlach claimed Mr. Olson orchestrated the attack because he was targeted at the monastery's 72-acre estate.
In June, the nuns filed a $1 million (£785,000) civil lawsuit against Mr Olson, alleging they had been slandered and intimidated.
The court heard a 40-minute recording of a conversation between Ms Gerlach and Mr Olson. , during which Ms Gerlach was reportedly heard to confess to a «terrible mistake» by saying, «Even a nun can fall.» She also said it happened “over the phone” and not in person.
Mr Olson also told the court that a nun told him about the “sexting” between Ms Gerlach and the priest.
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Convent of the Barefoot Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Trinity, Arlington, Texas Photo: NBC 5 NEWS
Sister Francis Teresa told Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the priest sent an SMS “with a request for prayers” and “somehow, during the exchange of texts, something inappropriate was said. It was never personal.”
“When she realized this, she was very upset. She is religious, she is a consecrated woman and takes her calling very seriously. She didn't resolve it in her mind without advice. Innocently, she went to Father Wallis.»
The judge later dismissed the lawsuit, saying it was a matter for the church.
According to the latest reports, the nuns on Friday released a statement saying, that they «no longer recognize authority and can have no further relationship with» Mr. Olson or his officials.
They claimed to have «been offended by the private and public behavior of a man who, in pursuit of his unspecified personal goals, is not afraid to yell at or humiliate the nuns in private and in public when they protest the violation of their rights.» were ignored.»
«Spiritual Manipulation»
Declaring that Mr. Olson and his associates are waging a war of «intervention, intimidation, aggression, personal and public humiliation and spiritual manipulation,» they said they «forbid» them to enter «the property of the monastery or have any contact or relationship with the monastery or any of its nuns or novices.»
They accused Mr. Olson of a «grossly unfair and unbearably destructive» insult and stated that «we cannot allow this diocesan bishop to continue his abusive behavior towards us.»
They added: «For our for our own spiritual and psychological security and justice, we must remain independent of this bishop until he repents of the insults to which he subjected us.”
Flowers left by supporters at Holy Trinity Convent, where barefoot Carmelite nuns from Arlington, Texas live and pray. the personal and moral integrity of their Mother Superior and her leadership.»
Apologizing to family and friends upset by the events of recent months, they said: «If we are true to our calling, if we live, we have no other choice».
'Corrupt hierarchy'
In an accompanying statement, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former Vatican ambassador to the United States, called a «corrupt hierarchy» and compared the Arlington nuns to those who faced the guillotine after the French Revolution.
Response, Mr. Olson released a statement, which states that Mrs. Gerlach may be excommunicated «because of her own schismatic actions», adding that the convent will remain closed to public access until he «publicly renounces these scandalous and schismatic actions of the Mother Teresa Agnes.»
«This touched me as a friend and as a bishop because of the deep wound it inflicted on our unity as the Diocese of Fort Worth,» he wrote.
Diocese Fort Worth issued a statement condemning the «dangerous insurrectional decision» and urging «the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth and all people of good will to pray for the Carmelites to end their open defiance.»
Ms Advocate Gerlach's Matthew Bobo has previously stated that the allegations against his client were false and «insulting».
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