The Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington “have no intention” of separating from the Catholic Church and will keep the gates of the monastery open to welcome lay worshippers, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the nuns’ lawyer.
Attorney Matthew Bobo released the statement after Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth warned that Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach and other nuns at the monastery face excommunication for “scandalous and schismatic” action or complicity with it.
“The Arlington Carmelite nuns are not, and have no intention of separating from the Catholic Church despite the incongruous statement by the bishop,” Bobo stated, referring to the threat of excommunication.
“They remain dedicated to the Catholic Church and the Holy See and pray that the Vatican will put an end to this malicious persecution by the bishop,” Bobo stated.
“It is astounding that a bishop has now threatened to excommunicate an entire group of nuns, who have done nothing but serve God’s purpose in the Church since 1958, who are simply inviting people to pray at their chapel and who are standing their ground regarding their right to be treated fairly and without manipulation and abuse by the ministers of the Church,” Bobo stated.
Olson’s reference to excommunication was part of a “Statement to the Faithful,” dated Aug. 19 and issued in response to a statement released by the nuns the previous day in which, the bishop said, Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes “publicly rejected my authority as diocesan bishop and Pontifical Commissary.”
“This has hurt me as a friend and as the bishop because of the deep wound this has cut in our unity as the Diocese of Fort Worth,” Olson stated. “Thus, it is with deep sorrow that I must inform the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth, that Mother Teresa Agnes, thereby, may have incurred upon herself upon herself latae sententiae, (i.e., by her own schismatic actions), excommunication. The other nuns, depending on their complicity in Mother Teresa Agnes’ publicly, scandalous and schismatic actions could possibly have incurred the same latae sententiae excommunication.”
According to the website Catholic Answers, latae sententiae or “automatic” excommunication occurs when someone commits an act that is specifically punished in canon law by a penalty of automatic excommunication.
In the Aug. 18 statement that Olson described as “scandalous and schismatic,” the nuns said they “hereby state that, in conscience, we no longer recognize the authority of, and can have no further relations with, the current Bishop of Fort Worth or his officials and forbid him or any of his officials or representatives to enter our monastery property or to have any contact or relations with the monastery or any of its nuns or novices.”
Bobo’s statement Wednesday is the latest salvo in the bitter and escalating feud between the nuns and Olson, which was ignited by Olson’s initiation in April of an investigation into a report that Gerlach broke her vow of chastity with an out-of-state priest, whom she never met in person.
Olson concluded that she broke her vow of chastity and dismissed Gerlach as prioress of the monastery. She remains at the monastery pending the outcome of her appeal through the canonical legal process.
Bobo acknowledged in his statement that the nuns “recognize the bishop as the local ordinary and his respect his role…a role they have recognized for every single Diocesan bishop since 1958, including Bishop Olson for the past 14 years.
“These powers are definitely laid out in canon law and are very limited powers with regards to the monastery,” Bobo stated. “The Arlington Carmelite nuns do not recognize this bishop’s unwarranted and unauthorized abuse and wielding of the complete power he suddenly is trying to exercise over the monastery.”
Olson did not issue a statement of his own in response to Bobo’s newest statement but reiterated his acknowledgement as Pope Francis’ representative in matters involving the Carmelite monastery.
“Bishop Olson asks the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth and all people of good will to pray for the Carmelites that they will stop their open disobedience,” the diocese said.
By state law, the nuns have the right to determine who is allowed on their property, Bobo said.
“In Texas, private property rights are sacred in custom and in law,” he stated. “No one has the right to tell a private property owner who can and cannot come onto their private property.”
“The Monastery and all of its property belongs to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns Inc. dba Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, a Texas non-profit corporation chartered in 1958,” Bobo said. “The corporation’s board of directors and officers are comprised of the Nuns who live at the Monastery.”
“The bishop obviously believes he is above the law and has the power to dictate what a private property owner can do on their own property,” Bobo said in his statement. “The bishop has tried to isolate the Arlington Carmelite nuns, cutting them off from their longtime supporters and in doing so preventing the lay faithful from attending the church of their choice.”
Despite Olson’s attempts to keep the monastery shuttered to the public, the nuns have re-opened the gates to allow worshippers into the monastery to pray. However, Olson has not sent a priest to conduct mass or confession.
“People are coming regularly to pray,” Bobo said in an interview.
Bobo is a civil lawyer who represented Gerlach and Sister Francis Therese in their $1 million lawsuit against Olson, accusing him of overstepping his authority and invading their privacy by confiscating a cellphone and other electronic devices belonging to Gerlach and copying the information they contained as part of his investigation into allegations regarding her vow of chastity.
The nuns also claimed in the lawsuit that they were defamed by the bishop, who accused them of using of illegal drugs at the monastery. Olson also alleged that Gerlach abused prescription medication.
Gerlach suffers from a chronic medical condition that has kept her wheelchair-bound and dependent on a feeding tube and a central catheter.
A civil court hearing in Fort Worth was settled with a ruling from 67th District Court Judge Don Cosby that he did not have jurisdiction in the case and that it was a matter for the church to resolve.
On the witness stand in June, Olson testified that he went to the monastery on April 24 to confront Gerlach about reports that she broke her vow of chastity with a priest, a report that he heard from Father Jonathan Wallis, vicar general of the Diocese of Fort Worth.
Wallis had testified that he learned of the relationship months earlier directly from Gerlach, who she confided to him in a non-confessional setting on several occasions that she had broken her vow of chastity.
No further details about how she broke her vow were revealed. In an audio recording played in the courtroom, Gerlach could be heard saying her interaction with the priest was “on the phone” and never in person. The priest was later identified as Father Philip Johnson of the Diocese of Raleigh in North Carolina, who was reportedly suspended.
The contentious battle between the bishop and the nuns prompted dueling complaints to the Arlington Police Department but an investigation was dropped without charges.
Bobo said the nuns dropped plans for an appeal of Cosby’s ruling based on “written promises” by the bishop that mass and confession would be reinstated once civil litigation ended.
“He has lied about that promise,” Bobo stated. “The Arlington nuns chose not to appeal the jurisdictional ruling by the civil court because the Vatican made clear that the canonical process would not proceed until the civil litigation had concluded.”
“It was not because they (the nuns) considered the judge’s ruling fair,” Bobo stated.
Bobo’s complete statement follows:
“Bishop Olson continues his vindictive personal war against the Arlington Carmelite Nuns. First, the Arlington Carmelite Nuns are not, and have no intention of, separating from the Catholic Church despite the incongruous statement made by the bishop. They remain dedicated to the Catholic Church and the Holy See and pray that the Vatican will put an end to this malicious persecution by the bishop. The Arlington Carmelite Nuns recognize the bishop as the local ordinary and respect his role therein, a role they have recognized for every single Diocesan Bishop since 1958, including Bishop Olson for the past 14 years. These powers are definitively laid out in canon law and are very limited powers with regards to the Monastery. The Arlington Carmelite Nuns do not and will not recognize this bishop’s unwarranted and unauthorized abuse and wielding of the complete power he suddenly is trying to exercise over the Monastery.
“Second, the bishop has made numerous written promises that Mass and Confession would be resumed for the Nuns and the lay faithful after the civil litigation ended. He has lied and broken that promise. The Arlington Nuns chose not to appeal the jurisdictional ruling by the civil court because the Vatican made clear that the canonical process would not proceed until the civil litigation had concluded. Based on that, the Arlington Carmelite Nuns made the decision to end the civil litigation. It was not because they considered the judge’s ruling to be fair.
“Third, the Arlington Carmelite Nuns decided to open their gates and allow the lay faithful to come and pray at the Monastery’s chapel. In response the bishop ordered the gates closed and stated that no persons were allowed into the Monastery without his prior permission. The Monastery and all of its property belongs to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns Inc. dba Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, a Texas non-profit corporation chartered in 1958. The corporation’s board of directors and officers are comprised of the Nuns who live at the Monastery. In Texas private property rights are sacred in custom and in law. No one has the right to tell a private property owner who can and cannot come onto their private property. The bishop obviously believes he is above the law and has the power to dictate what a private property owner can do on their own property. The bishop has tried to isolate the Arlington Carmelite Nuns, cutting them off from their longtime supporters and in so doing preventing the lay faithful from attending their church of choice. Of course, through his spiteful acts he can of course prevent priests from performing Mass and hearing Confessions but he cannot prevent private citizens from going on private property. The Arlington Carmelite Nuns invite their lay faithful to come and pray at the Monastery’s chapel.
“Fourth, when they posted a statement on their website to protest his abuse of authority in their regard, the bishop has now threatened to excommunicate all of them. It is astounding that a bishop would threaten to excommunicate an entire group of nuns, who have done nothing but serve God’s purpose in the Church since 1958, who are simply inviting people to pray at their chapel and who are standing their ground regarding their right to be treated fairly and without manipulation and abuse by the ministers of the Church.
“The nuns place their hopes and prayers on a just and fair review of the canonical case by the Vatican to ensure that acts taken by Bishop Olson will be reversed and they will be completely exonerated, allowing them to return to their prayerful contemplative life without further unlawful interference by Bishop Olson. The nuns also welcome the faithful to pray in our Chapel and to take part in the Sacred Liturgy as Our Lord, in His goodness, will provide.”
