Nuns in Fort Worth affiliate with the SSPX; actions called scandalous and schismatic

 

UPDATE: Carmelite nuns affiliate with Society of St. Pius X after yearlong feud with local bishop

Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Texas, and Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach of the Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Arlington, Texas. | Credit: Diocese of Fort Worth; Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity Discalced Carmelite Nuns

by Kate Quiñones

CNA Staff, Sep 17, 2024 / 18:45 pm

After a string of controversies and disagreements with their local Fort Worth bishop, a group of Carmelite nuns in Arlington, Texas, announced on Saturday that they are associating with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist group that is not in full communion with the Catholic Church and has a canonically irregular status.

After making a “unanimous decision,” the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington, Texas, said they have “completed the final steps necessary for our monastery to be associated with the Society of St. Pius X, who will henceforth assure our ongoing sacramental life and governance,” according to a Sept. 14 announcement on their website. 

Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth had offered to reinstate sacramental life at the monastery if the sisters agreed to disassociate themselves from Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a controversial figure whom the Catholic Church excommunicated this summer for schism following his refusal to submit to the pope or the communion of the Church. 

Olson also offered to provide a priest of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) — a group in communion with the Church that is dedicated to the Latin Mass — to offer sacraments for the sisters, provided they also acknowledge Mother Marie of the Incarnation, the prioress of the Carmel of the Most Holy Trinity, as their superior and recognize Olson as their bishop, and remove controversial content from the monastery website.  

Mother Marie is the president of the Association of Christ the King in the United States — an association of Carmelite monasteries that the Vatican tasked with overseeing the monastery in 2023 amid the feud.

Mother Marie of the Incarnation explained in a Sept. 7 statement released by the diocese that she “extended … Bishop Olson’s offer of a renewed sacramental life, according to their preferred liturgical form, but with deepest sorrow I report today that none of the sisters have made any response, either to me or to their bishop.”

Olson made the offer in a July 26 letter, which Mother Marie said she shared with the sisters the following day.

“Over the past six weeks since they received this offer, the nuns have given no indication that they desire the gift of the sacraments, nor have they shown openness to any dialogue with us,” Mother Marie wrote. “In addition to that, they have elected to maintain upon their website certain links and statements which manifest contempt for their bishop and which obscure their claim to being in union with Rome.”

Mother Marie asked the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth “to redouble your prayer and sacrifice for our beloved sisters of the Carmel of the Most Holy Trinity.”

In a statement released on Sept. 17, Olson called the nun’s rejection of leadership “scandalous,” saying it “is permeated with the odor of schism.”  

The monastery also announced that the nuns have reelected Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach as prioress for a three-year term. Olson had dismissed Gerlach from religious life after she was investigated for alleged sexual misconduct with a priest. 

“Sadly, the deliberate and contumacious actions of Mother Teresa Agnes and the other members of the community have taken them further down the path of disobedience to and disunity with the Church and with their own religious order that they began to embark on so many months ago,” Olson said. 

Olson has since clarified that “the attempted elections were illicit and invalid” because they did not follow ecclesiastical law and the constitutions of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.  

Olson has since instructed Catholics not attend the daily Latin Mass at the monastery or offer the nuns any financial support.

“As your bishop I must plead with you … for the good of your souls you do not participate in any sacraments that may be offered at the monastery as such participation will associate you with the scandalous disobedience and disunity of the members of the Arlington Carmel,” Olson said.

The sisters said in their statement that in the past few years they have found “much joy and spiritual renewal in the rediscovery of the riches of the immemorial liturgical tradition of the Church,” a reference to the Latin Mass, the Roman liturgy that was used prior to the New Order of the Mass promulgated by Vatican II.

“The motto of Pope St. Pius X was: To Restore All Things in Christ,” the statement continued. “Such is the case for our community as well, which has prayerfully, over a period of many years, sought to return to the fullness of our Catholic tradition and to restore all things in Christ, in both our liturgical life and in the way we live our Carmelite vocation.”

“We share an affinity with the Society of St. Pius X in its emphasis on training holy, dedicated priests, willing to sacrifice all for Christ, which coincides with our own vocation of prayer and sacrifice at the heart of the Church, pouring out our lives for the Church and especially for priests,” the nuns continued. 

The late French archbishop Marcel-François Lefebvre formed the SSPX in the 1970s to promote the Latin Mass, but in 1988, he illicitly ordained four bishops without the permission of Pope John Paul II, leading to his excommunication along with the four bishops. Pope Benedict XVI lifted this excommunication in 2009 in the hopes of eventually bringing SSPX back into full communion with the Church, though he explained in a letter that SSPX does not have canonical status and therefore “its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church.”

SSPX takes issue with the Second Vatican Council, according to its website, which reads: “[SSPX] is governed by the magisterium of the Church, which found its expression in the councils and teaching of the popes, and in light of which the Second Vatican Council and its subsequent popes must be judged, since what was true until 1965 cannot suddenly become wrong.”

Several Vatican statements in past years have cautioned Catholics against attending SSPX Masses except in serious circumstances, including 1995 and 1998 letters by Monsignor Camille Perl, then-secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. 

“The Masses they [SSPX] celebrate are also valid, but it is considered morally illicit for the faithful to participate in these Masses unless they are physically or morally impeded from participating in a Mass celebrated by a Catholic priest in good standing,” read the 1995 letter by Perl. 

A 1998 letter by Perl reiterates: “It is precisely because of this schismatic mentality that this pontifical commission has consistently discouraged the faithful from attending Masses celebrated under the aegis of the Society of St. Pius X.”

The nuns in April defied a Vatican decree by asking a judge for a restraining order against the parties that the Vatican had tasked with overseeing the monastery, an association of Carmelite monasteries and Olson. The April decree had entrusted the monastery to the Association of Christ the King in the U.S. and its president, Mother Marie. The Vatican instructed the nuns to accept Olson’s authority, as they made a statement earlier this year rejecting his authority.

The tensions with Olson followed investigations into the monastery. Olson investigated the Reverend Mother Superior Teresa Agnes Gerlach over alleged sexual misconduct with a priest and she was dismissed from religious life by the bishop. Gerlach allegedly admitted to inappropriate sexual conduct occurring via phone and video chats but later recanted the confession saying she was recovering from surgery and medically unfit at the time she was questioned.

The monastery filed a civil lawsuit in May 2023 against the bishop that was eventually dismissed by a judge. The bishop banned daily Mass and regular confessions at the monastery, which led to the nuns to issue a statement that appeared to reject his authority in governing the monastery. 

The Vatican’s letter required the monastery to accept Olson’s authority and thanked Olson for his service to the Church. In June 2023, the diocese released two photographs purported to show cannabis products inside the monastery. The monastery attorney denied the allegations, calling them “ridiculous.” 

“I invite the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth to join me in prayer and sacrifice for the nuns, for the restoration of order at the Arlington Carmel, and for the return to sober obedience and union with the Church by the members of the community,” Olson said in his Sept. 17 statement.

This story was updated Sept. 18, 2024, at 11:17 a.m. ET with information on the Sept. 17 statement from Bishop Olson.

Courts decides with Bishop over nuns and monastary in Fort Worth soap opera

 

Judge dismisses Texas monastery’s lawsuit against Fort Worth bishop

By Shannon Mullen

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 1, 2023 / 10:45 am

A Texas judge has dismissed a Carmelite monastery’s civil lawsuit against Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson.

Without comment, Tarrant County District Court Judge Don Cosby, sitting in Fort Worth, issued a ruling June 30 granting the Fort Worth Diocese’s motion to dismiss the monastery’s complaint, which accused Olson of theft, defamation, and abuse of power.

In response, Matthew Bobo, attorney for the Carmelite nuns of the Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Arlington, Texas, said his client would appeal the decision.

“We are shocked, extremely disappointed, and respectfully disagree with Judge Crosby’s decision,” Bobo said in a statement.

“This decision indicates that anyone who goes into a Catholic church in Texas can be required to turn over his mobile device, the church can make a copy of all of its contents, keep them for an indefinite period of time, trounce private citizens’ constitutionally-protected civil liberties, and that the Catholic Church may do all of this without any practical justification whatsoever,” he said.

“And not only that, but that a Catholic bishop may publicly defame a Catholic to the media multiple times, and Catholic priests may freely manifest Catholics’ alleged sins to the entire world without any repercussion, either from the Vatican or the civil justice system.”

In a statement, Bishop Olson said he was “grateful” for the judge’s ruling.

“The decision vindicates our steadfast belief that this is a private Church matter that does not belong in the courts,” Olson said. “This matter will continue to proceed through an established canonical process.” He also asked for “continued prayers for the diocese, Mother Teresa Agnes, and all of the nuns at the monastery.”

A diocesan spokesman told CNA Saturday that the Arlington Police Department has also ended its investigation into the diocese's actions against the monastery.

"Following a thorough and extensive review by APD detectives, and in consultation with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, we have determined probable cause does not exist to file criminal charges against any of the individuals involved. The case is now considered closed," the police department said in a statement the diocese shared with CNA.

The status of a separate police investigation into the diocese's allegations concerning "the use of marijuana and edibles at the monastery" wasn't immediately clear Saturday.

The dispute between the monastery and the diocese began in April when Olson launched a canonical investigation into an alleged sexual affair between the monastery’s prioress, Reverend Mother Teresa Gerlach, and a priest. The priest has since been publicly identified as Father Philip Johnson of the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Gerlach admitted to sexual misconduct with the priest in a recorded April 24 interview with Olson that was played in court on June 27.

Gerlach, 43, has been a nun at Holy Trinity Monastery for 25 years and is currently suffering from serious medical issues that have confined her to a wheelchair, according to her attorney. 

On June 1 the bishop issued a decree dismissing Gerlach from religious life, giving her 30 days to appeal the decision. 

According to Gerlach’s attorney, she immediately appealed the bishop’s decision to remove her from religious life. 

Following the diocese’s investigation, the nuns filed a civil lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages for defamation, theft of private property belonging to the monastery, and abuse of power.

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has formally recognized that Olson has authority over the nuns, the Fort Worth Diocese has said. 

CNA reporter Peter Pinedo contributed to this story.

The drama and scandal in Fort Worth keep playing out for all to see

Bishop Olson: Carmelite prioress admitted 5 times to breaking chastity vow

By Tyler Arnold

Washington D.C., Jun 12, 2023 / 15:05 pm

Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth in a statement shared on YouTube denied that he abused his authority when investigating a prioress of a Carmelite monastery and alleged that she admitted, on five separate occasions, that she had broken her vow of chastity. 

The dispute between the monastery and the diocese began in April when Olson launched a canonical investigation into an alleged sexual affair between the monastery’s prioress, Reverend Mother Teresa Gerlach, and an unnamed priest from outside the diocese. 

The diocese has called the alleged misconduct “grave” but has not publicized the exact nature of the affair. On June 1 the bishop issued a decree dismissing Gerlach from religious life.

Following the investigation, the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity and Gerlach filed a $1 million lawsuit against the bishop and the diocese. The lawsuit alleged that in the course of the diocese’s investigation into Gerlach’s conduct, the bishop demanded access to phones and computers and subjected the nuns to lengthy questioning in late April.

The diocese filed a response with the court, which argued that this is an internal Church matter investigating alleged violations of the Sixth Commandment and should not be subject to the civil court system. 

On May 31, the Vatican formally recognized the bishop’s authority over the monastery and the investigation. The monastery has continued its civil lawsuit and in early June filed theft and defamation charges against the bishop and the diocese.

The bishop’s statement on YouTube

In an eight-minute-long YouTube video released by the diocese on Sunday, June 11, Bishop Olson said he decided to make a public statement because “others” had brought the matter into “inappropriate venues” such as the media and civil courts.

“These attempts on the part of others have asserted baseless and false claims into the public mind, causing confusion among you, the faithful,” Olson said. “A confusion that I would like to clarify for you at this time.”

In the video, the bishop alleged that Gerlach admitted to violations of the vow of chastity on four separate occasions before Olson came to the monastery to request access to phones and computers as part of the investigation.

He said Vicar General Father Jonathan Wallis and Sister Francis Therese of the monastery were present when Gerlach made these admissions.

“She voluntarily made these admissions on four different days with clarity and consistency, but without naming the priest,” Olson said. “To be clear, she made these admissions outside of the sacrament of confession.”

Olson said she admitted for a fifth time April 24 to breaking her vow of chastity and provided the name of the priest with whom she allegedly violated her vow of chastity.

The bishop said she made the admission in front of him, Sister Francis Therese, Chancellor and Moderator of the Curia Msgr. E. James Hart, and Director of Safe Environment Sandra Schrader-Farry. 

The reverend mother’s lawyer has claimed that she never had sexual relations with a priest and that she was under the influence of pain medication after an operation when the bishop questioned her and does not remember the admission. Olson is now saying that this conversation took place before she had the operation.

“This conversation took place the late afternoon of the day before she had surgery; not after the surgery,” Olson said. “She was not under the influence of anesthesia. She was clear and lucid and had normal use of her physical and mental faculties at that time. Claims to the contrary are false and baseless and untrue.” 

Olson also contested the monastery’s characterization of the events, claiming that the phone and computers “were requested calmly and given freely by Mother Teresa Agnes for purposes of the internal inquiry into this matter.”

The bishop said he reported the priest to his superiors after being given his name and said the priest refused to either confirm or deny the allegations. He said the priest is not currently assigned and has restricted faculties. The reverend mother has been dismissed from religious life. 

Olson also denied allegations that he is seeking information about the monastery’s donor list and said that accusations that he and the diocese are spying on the monastery are “baseless, ludicrous, and not true.”

Amid the investigation, Olson further alleged that individuals closely associated with the monastery have come to him with information about illegal drug activity, but did not elaborate on specifically who is accused of possessing the drugs. The diocese also released photos, which they claimed show marijuana edibles in the monastery.

“I want you to know that this evidence and information was immediately reported and turned over by the Diocese of Fort Worth to the Arlington Police Department,” the bishop said.

While the bishop’s investigation is ongoing, he has put restrictions on the monastery, which prevent the nuns from accessing daily Mass and regular confession. The restrictions also prevent lay participation in the Mass. The monastery requested that the bishop lift these restrictions, but he said they will stay in place as long as the civil lawsuit remains in place.

Olson also requested that the Dallas Carmelite Auxiliary halt a fundraiser that is intended to help the monastery with its legal funds. He accused the auxiliary of being “complicit in rebellious disobedience.”

The bishop also asked for prayers for the diocese, the monastery, the reverend mother, and for himself.