Monastery dispute: Order takes over management from diocesan bishop

The Carmelite convent in Arlington (Texas) is now under the authority of the order and no longer the diocesan bishop. The Vatican dicastery for religious orders issued a decree on Thursdayin which the Carmelite Association "Christ the King in the USA" was granted supervision of the convent. This also ends the mandate of the local diocesan bishop of Fort Worth, Michael Olson, to manage the convent as papal representative. The Carmelite convent is involved in a dispute over alleged celibacy offences by its former superior and drug allegations. In the meantime, the nuns had tried to push back the influence of the bishop, whom they accuse of targeting the convent and its assets, by filing a lawsuit with the state court. The dispute escalated further and further, culminating in an attempt to dismiss the superior and accusations of schism.

According to the decree signed by the secretary of the dicastery, Sister Simona Brambilla, and the sub-secretary, Sister Carmen Ros Nortes, the president of the Carmelite Association, Mother Marie of the Incarnation, took over the administration of the convent with her council. The Carmel in Arlington belongs to the association of convents in which the pre-conciliar liturgy is celebrated, along with five others.

After his appointment, the bishop had dismissed Prioress Mother Teresa Agnes from the order. The order announced at the time that it would appeal against this. So far, nothing has been known about the outcome; the documents published by the diocese do not go into this, but do mention the superior's term of office, which expired in January. The nun therefore appears to remain a member of the order. In a letter to the nuns the dicastery instructs the convent community to co-operate with the new leadership. They were also asked to retract a declaration from August 2023 in which they denied the bishop's authority. authority of the bishop. of the bishop. The They denied the intention of a schism however. The statement is still published on the monastery's website, but the new developments are not yet addressed there. As required by canon law, Olson will preside over the election of a new superior of Arlington Carmel. This will take place in due course, the bishop emphasised.

Vatican stands behind Bishop Olson

The decree and other letters were published by Olson. In an accompanying letter he explains the step taken by the Vatican authorities. The transfer of responsibility to the Order was made with his advice and with his full support after the Association submitted a corresponding request to the Dicastery. "The request was made to help restore the Carmel of Arlington to health and unity with the local and universal Church, and to provide effective leadership and the necessary support to the nuns within the Carmelite Order," Olson said. In a letter from the dicastery to the bishop Brambilla thanks Olson for his "heroic and thankless service to the local church and Carmel for Arlington." The events of the past year have brought him and the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth hardship and unwanted public attention, he said. "We are fully aware that the health and existence of the monastic community has been your goal, even through the hardships of the past year," the secretary continued.

The dispute over the convent and its superior has been smouldering for months. The superior is said to have admitted a violation of her vow of chastity, whereupon the bishop had the Carmel searched to secure evidence. The dispute came to light in mid-May last year after the sisters the sisters turned to the public to discuss a lawsuitto inform the public about a lawsuit against the search and seizure in their convent. In July the state court seized dismissed the complaintthe police launched an investigation based on a a complaint from the diocese about alleged drug abuse in the monastery. in the convent. Olson maintained the allegations against the superior despite the nuns' protests continued to maintain. The Discalced Carmelites are a religious order under papal law and are therefore not subject to the diocesan bishop. In June, the Vatican appointed Olson as Papal Delegate. (fxn)