Supporters rally behind Arlington nuns embroiled in legal battle against Fort Worth Diocese
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas) - Catholics started laying flowers at the closed gates of an Arlington monastery Wednesday, one of the first public demonstrations of support for the nuns inside who are in an unlikely and fierce legal battle with the Fort Worth Diocese and Bishop.
Later in the day, nearly 90 people gathered under a pavilion at a nearby park, holding rosary beads and praying out loud for the nuns for nearly a half-hour.
The visible support from parishioners comes as Bishop Michael Olson refused this week to restore daily Mass for the nuns, or confession, citing their civil lawsuit against him which has made international news.
Some of those praying Wednesday used to regularly attend Mass at the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity but have been unable to since Olson stopped priests from visiting except for Sundays.
"It's not right to take mass away from all of them, and all of us, because supposedly one person did something wrong and we don't even know what that is," said Julie Burnett, who used to attend every Wednesday.
She was referencing an allegation from Olson that Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes had admitted to adultery with a priest from another diocese, something the nun, who is in poor health, and connected to a feeding tube, has strongly denied.
In a letter last week to Olson, the nuns called the month-long dispute a "terrible, traumatic trial," asking for Mass, confessions and public access to be restored.
"Why are we all being punished?" they wrote, denying they had in any way been disobedient, non-compliant or stubborn.
Olson later replied that due to the nuns hindering his power to conduct an investigation, and inciting hatred against him, his decision on Mass would not change.
The nuns argued in their initial civil lawsuit that they do not answer to Olson, but only to the Vatican.
However, the Fort Worth Diocese on Wednesday released a decree from an Archbishop, appointing Olson as the Pope's representative in the matter.
A statement from the Diocese says Olson is "entrusted with full governing responsibility for the Monastery."
The decree and statement would support arguments from church attorneys in court filings that the matter should be determined by a church legal process, and not the state.
Fort Worth attorney Mathew Bobo who is representing the nuns, questioned the validity of the decree, noting the case number and year did not match the case; the letter refers to the Monastery of "Saint Joseph"; and the sister's canon lawyer had not received the decree, as required by canon law.
The Carmelites are a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, but are organized as an independent, non-profit corporation.
Bobo has suggested Olson may have had an interest in financial records of the nuns that the church does not have access to, which the Diocese has denied.
Others have suggested he may have an interest in somehow obtaining the 50 acres of wooded land the monastery sits on in South Arlington.
Sheila Johnson said she believes Olson wants the property "desperately," even though articles of incorporation appear to show it would likely be given to another order of nuns, if for some reason the Arlington group dissolved.
"We don't hate the bishop," Johnson said. "But what we do despise is his behavior, which is disreputable. It's against his vows when he became a member of the clergy to attack, slander, demean and disrespect anyone, especially a group of sisters."
Johnson became close with the order when her mother, Ruth Carter Stevenson, an influential cultural and philanthropic leader in Fort Worth, supported them in their first location in the city.
Over the years, Johnson said she has taken sisters to doctors appointments, or run errands for them. She believes the nuns will stand firm, against action from Olson she called, a "disgrace."
"They are going to fight to the last moment. And we're going to help them any way we can."