No distancing from Viganò: Texan nuns remain stubborn
Fort Worth - The dispute over the Arlington Carmel continues: The nuns are not responding to any offer of dialogue. The superior appointed by the Vatican is now making public what the nuns must fulfil. Among them: distancing themselves from their most prominent advocate.
Published on 09.09.2024 at 11:39 –The Carmelite nuns of Arlington have rejected the latest offer of dialogue from their bishop. The sisters did not respond to suggestions as to how the crisis surrounding the convent could be resolved, the superior appointed by the Vatican, Mother Marie of the Incarnation, announced at the weekend. The diocesan bishop responsible, Michael Olson, had offered to allow the sisters to celebrate the liturgy in the pre-conciliar form. He was prepared to make a priest from the Fraternity of St Peter available for this purpose. In July, it became known that that two priests suspended in connection with allegations of abuse administer the sacraments in Carmel.
As a condition for sending a Brother of St Peter, Olson is demanding that the nuns publicly disassociate themselves from the from the schismatic Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò and that they recognise his authority as diocesan bishop and the authority of Mother Marie as superior appointed by the order's dicastery. They should also remove content from their website that shows disrespect for the diocesan bishop and that calls into question whether the sisters are actually in communion with Rome as they repeatedly claim. as they repeatedly claim.
Olson's offer was made to the sisters by Mother Marie at the end of July. To date, however, none of them have responded: "In the past six weeks since they received this offer, the nuns have neither indicated that they wish to receive the sacraments nor have they agreed to enter into a dialogue with us."
The situation has been deadlocked for over a year
The dispute over the convent and its former superior Mother Teresa Agnes has been smouldering for over a year. Mother Teresa Agnes is said to have admitted a breach of her vow of chastity. Her alleged partner is said to be a priest from the diocese of Raleigh, who at times led the "Transalpine Redemptorists" is said to have belonged to the "Transalpine Redemptorists". As a result, 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 about a lawsuit against the search and seizure in their convent. In July 2023 the state court seized dismissed the lawsuitthe police launched an investigation based on a complaint by the diocese about alleged drug abuse in the monastery discontinued. Olson maintained the allegations against the superior despite the nuns' protests continued to maintain. A renewed action brought by the nuns before a state court was withdrawn by the nuns.
Initially, the Vatican appointed Olson as papal representative over the convent, but later later transferred the management to the president of the Carmelite Association "Christ the King". In June of this year the Vatican ruled on the nuns' complaints against against Olson's measures and dismissed all of them, with the exception of the complaint about the dismissal of the prioress from the order. The sisters continue not to accept the instructions of the Vatican Dicastery for Religious and refuse to recognise the leadership of the association's president. (fxn)
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