ARLINGTON, Texas — Even after a civil case against Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson was dismissed, an Arlington monastery is still challenging him as they announced they no longer recognize Olson's authority, forbidding him from entering their property or contacting them.
The announcement, made Friday by the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, also forbids any of Olson's officials or representatives from entering the property, or allowing any of them to contact the monastery or any of its nuns or novices.
This comes after Olson initiated an investigation into Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, whom Olson accused of violating her vow of chastity with a priest from outside the Diocese of Fort Worth. The monastery had filed a civil suit against Olson, challenging his authority over the nuns and accusing him of theft and defamation, but a judge dismissed that case at the end of June.
"No one who abuses us as has the current Bishop of Fort Worth, has any right to our cooperation or obedience," the monastery's statement reads.
The statement from the nuns said they must remain independent from Olson until "he repents of the abuse to which he has subjected us, apologizes in person to our community for it and accepts to make due public reparation."
Should that not happen, the statement said they hope the bishop's successor will be "a God-given instrument of that reparation and healing," which they say is due.
Despite not recognizing Olson's authority, the statement said the monastery still remains faithful to the doctrine of the Catholic Church and affirm that the Pope and the Bishop of Fort Worth, whomever it may be in the future, will always be prayed for.
"This is no rejection of any article of Catholic faith or morals," the statement reads. "Rather, it is a statement that, in these particular and peculiar circumstances, in conscience before Almighty God, we cannot permit this Diocesan Bishop to continue his abusive behavior towards us any longer."
The Diocese of Fort Worth released a response where they called the monastery's statement a "dangerously rebellious decision by the dismissed prioress and the other nuns" to formally reject the authority of the Pope, who they say had previously named Olson as acting superior of the Arlington monastery with duties of oversight from an alleged papal decree.
"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 statement reads.
The statement concludes saying Olson and the diocese stand with Pope Francis and will remain faithful to the canonical process underway involving Gerlach.
Carlo Maria Vigano, the Archbishop of Ulpiana and the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, released a statement in support of the monastery.
"The Sisters of the Arlington Carmel have an example of heroic resistance against corrupt power in the martyrdom of the Carmelites of Compiègne, who knew how to face the guillotine in order not to submit to the constitutional Oath of a revolutionary government," the statement concludes. "It will not be Prelates without either dignity or faith who bend the bold resistance of souls in love with Christ."