A Texas bishop accused a sick nun on a feeding tube of breaking her chastity vow. Now she and her Sisters are battling back.

• A Texas bishop has announced an ecclesiastical investigation into irrespective of whether a nun broke her chastity vow.

• The nun, and her Sisters, sued the bishop and the Fort Worth Diocese, alleging abuse of ability.

• The nuns’ lawyer explained to Insider the bishop has ulterior motives and would like to just take over the monastery.

A group of Texas nuns have sued a bishop and the Fort Really worth Diocese in a dispute over an allegation that a person of the nuns — who is seriously unwell and takes advantage of a wheelchair and a feeding tube — broke her vow of chastity with a priest.

The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Arlington have accused Bishop Michael Olson and the Fort Really worth Diocese of waging an overzealous investigation into the alleged chastity vow violation, confiscating the nuns’ telephones and own equipment, “spying” on their texts and even personally displaying up at their monastery to spend hrs interrogating the nuns.

In Catholicism, a chastity vow is a guarantee of celibacy made by nuns and monks. The Diocese publicly declared its investigation into the chastity vow violation in a May well 16 assertion naming the Reverend Mom Outstanding Teresa Agnes Gerlach.

The priest, who is accused of engaging in sexual functions with the woman, was not named.

The nuns’ lawyer, Matthew Bobo, told Insider he believes that Olson and the Fort Worth Diocese have ulterior motives in levying this sort of an allegation towards Gerlach.

“They are 72 acres in Arlington, Texas, on the Trinity River in the center of the metroplex,” Bobo mentioned, introducing that’s what he believes the bishop has his eyes on. “It really is value $20 million or so. Which is what he’s attempting to do.”

Bobo included that the chastity vow accusation is “insulting,” and stated the nun in dilemma has probably only encountered four or 5 guys in the last 25 decades.

“They you should not have any evidence this happened. They don’t have any proof she’s admitted to this. It just did not happen,” Bobo advised Insider, incorporating that Olson “is just making use of this as an excuse to abuse his power.”

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In reaction to Insider’s request for comment, a representative for the Diocese informed Insider that Gerlach “admitted to violating the Sixth Commandment,” which forbids adultery. The agent declined to remark further more.

Bobo denied to Insider that Gerlach built this kind of an admission. He mentioned the Diocese has released no details relating to the alleged violation, this sort of as when or where by it would have happened. Furthermore, the nuns said in their courtroom submitting that Olson interrogated Gerlach right away immediately after she returned from a surgical procedure, in which she was put underneath general anesthesia, intubated, and supplied fentanyl.

The nuns have alleged ‘an illegal, unholy, unwarranted, express, and systemic assault’ by Bishop Michael Olson 

Gerlach stated in an affidavit that she is seriously sick and involves a central catheter line, feeding tube, and intravenous drip for 10 hrs a day. Nonetheless despite her condition, she explained Bishop Olson “pressured himself onto our peaceful community” in late April, interrogated her and other nuns for many several hours, and “threw a temper tantrum” in which he yelled that the monastery was shut down and no mass would be held.

“Whilst she was in major agony, less than the impact of remedies and feeling incredibly weak, she felt compelled to acquiesce and was subjected to a lot more questioning,” the nuns’ courtroom submitting mentioned. “The Bishop knew she experienced just arrive back from the healthcare facility and had a surgical procedure.”

In their lawsuit, the nuns stated that for the reason that of Olson and the Diocese’s steps, the monastery was no for a longer time in a position to pay payments or monetarily operate since their technology was confiscated.

Bobo explained to Insider the nuns’ products have due to the fact been returned to them — but not prior to Olson and the Diocese obtained a forensic duplicate of all the things on the devices. He stated not only does Olson now have access to the nuns’ particular, personal, and economic facts, but he has all the particular data about persons who contribute economically to the monastery.

The nuns alleged in their lawsuit that Olson and the Diocese are “abusing their electrical power, inflicting ethical violence and psychological distress” on the Sisters, and “undertaking an illegal, unholy, unwarranted, explicit, and systemic assault.”

Gerlach’s affidavit reported the Discalced Carmelite Nuns devote their days attending mass every morning, collecting seven times a working day to chant the official prayer of the church, focusing on contemplative prayer, cooking, cleaning, and performing the grounds of the monastery.

The nuns’ lawsuit argued that Olson and the Diocese of Fort Truly worth vastly overstepped their authority.

“We are not and have never ever been under the handle of the Bishop of the community Diocese: we answer specifically to the Pope,” Gerlach’s affidavit reported.

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