A group of Arlington nuns were expelled from Catholic religious life by the Bishop of Fort Worth

The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth announced Monday that a group of nuns at the center of the controversy have been expelled from Catholic religious life.

CBS News Texas Correspondent Jason Allen first i broke this story more than a year ago. In June of last year, Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach was convicted of violating her vow of chastity with a priest from outside the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.

He was later removed from office after the Vatican sided with Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson in his investigation.

Olson’s statement, released on Monday, stated:

“Sister Marie of the Incarnation, legitimate abbot of the Carmelite Monastery in Arlington, Texas, has requested that I send to the Catholic Faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth her statement regarding the removal of the Arlington Sisters from Catholic religious life. I repeat. I ask that you continue to pray for all involved. The Diocese of Fort Worth “I reiterate that he has made no claims and has never claimed any rights to the properties and assets of the Carmelite Convent at Arlington or other services at the Convent, and we request that non-religious persons do not provide financial support to the Carmelite Convent.”

Marie, the Mother of the Incarnation, also made the following statement:

“The nuns in particular have chosen to break their faith in their Mother, the Church of Rome, through a triple denial: 1) the authority of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Communities of Apostolic Life, the authority of a Dicastery whose authority derives directly from the Supreme Pope himself and 2 ) their Bishops, and 3) myself, as their Carmelite superior, and by extension the Nuns of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, whose Rules and Constitutions they have rejected in practice in accordance with these above-mentioned violations, on the 14th of September, unlawful formality with the Society of Saint Pius X, in the matter of religious communion. These wrongs are further aggravated by the unlawful expropriation of the legal personality of the Carmelite Convent to which the nuns were ordained using civil law, the inheritance and property of the Arlington Carmelite community being transferred to both Catholics and non-Catholics during the life of the Carmelite of Christ in the Church. It has been entrusted to them by countless philanthropists to serve.

Battle with the Bishop

Fight between nuns and Bishop Open to public in 2023 After Olson launched an investigation against Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach for violation of her vow of chastity.

Gerlach and the monastery made the unusual move of seeking civil court protection, alleging theft and invasion of privacy.

The Tarrant County judge sided with Episcopal attorneys who argued this was an intra-church matter over which civil courts had no jurisdiction. The nuns later dropped the civil lawsuit and instead decided to seek relief through the church’s internal legal process.

The nuns’ representative said they were working to strengthen the monastery’s ownership, assets and independent management, making protection from the courts less necessary.

in April, The Vatican informed the nuns in a letter that the Head of Christ the King, an association of monasteries, was their new legal superior.. Olson also said he will oversee the selection of new leadership at the monastery.

But the nuns rejected the arrangement, calling it a “hostile takeover” and specifically reaffirmed that they would not recognize Olson’s authority.

Carmelites reopen chapel, announce new association

While the faithful were invited back to the chapel for prayer and mass in September, the Bishop of Fort Worth implored parishioners not to attend or offer financial support to the sisters.

The Arlington Carmelites offered the invitation in a statement posted on their website. They also made an announcement new association with a traditionalist community of priests It contradicts the changes initiated by the Vatican.

In the statement made by the nuns, it was stated that they re-elected Teresa Agnes as abbess for another three years. They wrote that the election was overseen by a representative from the Society of Saint Pius X, with which they are currently affiliated.

SSPX also posted the nuns’ statement on its website along with a picture of Carmel’s newly restored altar.

Olson called the election “illegal and invalid,” asserting that Our Lady of the Incarnation was the legitimate superior of the monastery.

Carmelite nuns transferred ownership of the monastery

In late September, the Carmelite nuns at Arlington regained possession of their vast wooded convent. ongoing dispute with Olson. Friends of the Discalced Foundation Carmelite Nuns of ArlingtonIt consists of supporters and philanthropists who side with the nuns.

Olson denied having any designs on the property. However, representatives of the nuns believe that this could be an important factor in the conflict between them.

Matthew Bobo previously said: “And we hope that now that he realizes that this property is something he will never get his hands on, he will go back to focusing on the other million and a half Catholics and leave these sisters alone.” The nuns’ lawyer and director of the new foundation.

Tarrant County records show the property transfer occurred in late April.