'Pure evil': Nuns file lawsuit against Catholic bishop - CBS Texas At one point during a deposition, one of the lawyers made the comment that, because of those subpoenas, Fr. The action came after Olson sent a letter made public Friday, telling supporters of the nuns they were complicit in their disobedience if they donated to cover costs of their legal fight. Catholic Church. "This is critically important because the Monastery and the Plaintiffs are not under the control of Defendants and instead any internal governance must be reserved exclusively to the Pope," the suit argued. It's past time for the Vatican to investigate these two Texas bishops This decision indicates that anyone who goes into a Catholic church in Texas can be required to turn over his mobile device, the church can make a copy of all of its contents, keep them for an indefinite period of time, trounce private citizens constitutionally protected civil liberties, and that the Catholic Church may do all of this without any practical justification whatsoever, he said. ", Diane Cluley: "That Michael was? Bobo also raised issued with the decree itself, in that the case number and year in the top left-hand corner were neither correct nor associated with the case, in that the sister's monastery was incorrectly referred to as the Monastery of Saint Joseph of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, and in that the nuns' canon lawyer has not received the decree, which is required by canon law. Diane Cluley: "It was like somebody who was possessed, you know, because this power corrupted him. The petition also cites Olson's controversial closing of San Mateo Catholic Church in a working-class Hispanic neighborhood, changes in leadership at Nolan Catholic High School, and the resignations of Fr. Cluleys sworn statement was taken in December 2018 as attorneys for Kirkham began to build a defamation lawsuit against the bishop and the Diocese of Fort Worth. Was that new when he become bishop? attorney Gretchen Benolken asked. He said he was a bishop and we were just hugging him and crying, and we were so thrilled for him, she said. Do you remember what he said? "In doing so, the Dicastery recognized and acknowledged that Bishop Olson has been, and continues to be, entrusted with full governing responsibility for the Monastery.". Iverson would, on some occasions, return to Holy Trinity and stay in Bishop Olsons room when he was there. So what? Olson to act on his behalf. 5:17 AM on May 22, 2023 CDT A group of nuns accused Fort Worth's Catholic bishop of shutting down their monastery over "fabricated" allegations that the reverend mother violated her vow of. The defendant killed Lanham, 62, on or between Sept. 5 and 12, 2018, the prosecutor added. Can someone sign the mandate to remove Bishop Olson and remain anonymous? His investigation was never announced as such to Mother Superior nor the nuns. The dispute between the Diocese of . "Our choice is we can leave the church, or we can take it back. The Dallas Diocese conducted an inquiry that did not result in suspension of the priest, but he has since left the diocese. Fort Worth Bishop dismisses head nun of Arlington monastery Quarterly: $30 every 3 months And like I said, she gave a lot to him. "I've sat in those rooms where they've said, 'Well, yes, we could continue that life, but' in one case they actually said as the argument, 'Well, this woman will never be able to balance a checkbook.' The diocese insists Kirkham was removed for cause, but his supporters believe the bishop acted in haste and has treated the priest unfairly and they're concerned that other conflicts in the diocese are evidence of a pattern of an authoritarian management style. The group of St. Martin de Porres parishioners say they plan to keep questioning. '", Female Questioner: "Can you as best you remember say what he told you about that? In response to Church Militant's queries about Fr. We could've reformed the law; increasingly the general public is aghast at what's going on, but Bp. The suit says Bishop Michael Olson of the Fort Worth Diocese seized computers and a phone from the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, interrogated the sisters and claimed the monastery was shut down. The genesis of the case: Kirkham had sent a letter to fellow priest Father Paul Iverson confronting him about an alleged sexual affair with a married mother in his parish. ", "Mother Superior will be appealing this immoral and unjust decision that is not subject to canonical action," Bobo said in a statement. Michael Fors Olson (born June 29, 1966) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Cluley said she first told her story during a meeting at her church in Wichita Falls in 2018. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news. Diane Cluley: "He just sounded, I don't know, like somebody else was inside of him or something. Kirkhams removal sparked an uprising in about 20 parishes around the diocese which is home to about 1 million worshipers. Michael Olson, who has the power to destroy a person [and his] priesthood. When she asked Olson why, she said he responded Well, hell, its just a bunch of women in there and later called the nuns aging lesbians, Cluley said, alleging that Olson has anger toward women. "In addition, the civil lawsuit will continue full speed ahead.". Without comment, Tarrant County . Olson, knowing him since his seminary days. The nuns' attorney, Matthew Bobo, told Insider he believes that Olson and the Fort Worth Diocese have ulterior motives in levying such an allegation against Gerlach. Bobo added that the chastity vow accusation is "insulting," and said the nun in question has likely only encountered four or five men in the last 25 years. What's more, Olson spearheaded the public attack on Texas Right to Life in 2018, issuing a directive on behalf of the Texas Catholic Conference ripping into the pro-life group even going so far as ordering the damning directive to be read aloud during all Masses from the pulpits. . Ten lawsuits, both canonical and civil, brought by priests as well as laity including a group of Catholics who want the bishop investigated by the Vatican and sent packing. Arlington nun accused of violating vow of chastity with priest appeals In a transcript entered into evidence in December in a defamation lawsuit against the bishop, Dianne Cluley, 90, of Wichita Falls, spoke about her relationship with Olson and the changes she has seen in him since his appointment by Pope Francis six years ago. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. Olson says he was told that under the advice of counsel, the priest would not participate, and would not confirm or deny anything happened. He was never that way. Meanwhile, Olson puts on a happy front, acting as if all is normal but Church Militant has learned he secretly fears he only hangs by a thread in the diocese, deeply worried Rome will remove him from office. Example video title will go here for this video. Though the canon lawyer has already filed paperwork on her behalf, the reverend mother denies that he represents her in these matters. Im not a potentate. Without specifically responding to that letter, the Ladies Auxiliary for the nuns posted a statement on their Facebook page Monday that read in part, "We exist in order to better serve God in our lives by being in communion with the Discalced Carmelite Nuns.". Olson explained that he asked for Kirkham's resignation after seeing a copy of a letter Kirkham wrote to a priest of the Diocese of Dallas, who was allegedly having an affair with a woman in the parish. They were 70, 80 years old, and were in fact parishioners, had been parishioners. Following a thorough and extensive review by APD detectives, and in consultation with the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office, we have determined probable cause does not exist to file criminal charges against any of the individuals involved. Olson said he asked the priest to resign after Kirkham failed to report knowledge he had of an alleged affair between a Dallas priest and church employee. He also does not discuss his rejection of their own choices for representation. The lawsuit described the encounter differently, saying Olson forced himself into the community with hours of interrogations, throwing a tantrum when informed the Sisters would only answer more questions when told what the purpose of questioning was. Olson's lawyers got as aggressive as possible. He also gave an interview to the local paper, which resulted in a news story with the quote-headline: "I'm not a dictator.". Yet despite her condition, she said Bishop Olson "forced himself onto our peaceful community" in late April, interrogated her and other nuns for several hours, and "threw a temper tantrum" in which he yelled that the monastery was shut down and no mass would be held. ", Jack Walsh: "I think Bp. You also He once became red-faced and yelled at a parishioner, calling her a nasty lady when she asked him why he removed Kirkham, multiple witnesses have said. Learn more. Can I be excommunicated by the Church for giving evidence or signing a mandate to remove the bishop from the Ft. Worth Diocese? Furthermore, due to Olson taking Agnes' technology, the suit stated that the monastery was unable to pay its bills or operate financially, as all of the log-in information was located on her devices. Olson was the Rector of the seminary, was a friend and confidant of Bishop Olson. First published on June 11, 2023 / 9:13 PM. Petition Calls for Investigation of Fort Worth Bishop Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization I dont think people have a right to slander or be destructive or say untrue things. But what he was yelling at them was, 'Who are you? All the telephone conversations this past year were totally out of control, she said. Oh yeah. The civil hearing on the case is set for June 23. Get briefed on today's top stories with Bradley Eli. Reading Catholic books can help you be holy. At the Angelus on Sunday, July 16, Pope Francis reflected on the Parable of the Sower. You couldnt do anything worse than that as a bishop.. Olsons attorney, Michael Anderson, said that the comments by Cluley are just false and salacious and that the group of people who have been backing the Rev. or school. The suit argued, as its own autonomous religious institution, the monastery was not under the control of Olson or the Diocese of Fort Worth. Kirkham's supporters were upset with what they saw as "blatant inconsistency" and began researching other controversial decisions and resignations in the diocese usually of priests who are very popular. Gerlach, who is in poor health, requiring a feeding tube and full-time care, sued Olson and the Diocese last month, describing his actions as "pure evil" when he cut off mass and confession for the nuns and interrogated them over allegations about her alleged sin. The Vaticans Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has formally recognized that Bishop Olson has authority over the nuns, the Fort Worth Diocese has said. Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Texas, listens to a speaker Nov. 14 at the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. Bishop Olson is the person that's driving it, and specifically there's one issue that drives the bishops, and that is the Texas Advance Directives Act.". who is said to have admitted to breaking her vow of chastity and consequently was removed from her office by Bishop Michael Olson. According to the decree, Gerlach has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Vaticans Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of the Apostolic Life. In this call he answers common questions he has been receiving regarding the mandates. Jack Walsh: ""And I think when Fr. ", Vivian Wolf: "They are scared. Emerico Perez: "He's like a bully, you know. Diane Cluley: "He was a fearful, insecure young man.". Olson turned to Cluley and her family for comfort and solace, coming over to dinner on a near-daily basis, staying late at the house, becoming close to Cluley's sons, calling her frequently on the phone to share his joys and his woes, and through the years inviting her and her family to visit him in seminary here and abroad. Agnes reportedly lives with a PICC line, wears a feeding tube 24 hours a day, and is hooked to an IV drip 10 hours a day. I don't know any of you. Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 2, 2023 / 12:40 pm. A diocesan spokesman told CNA Saturday that the Arlington Police Department has also ended its investigation into the dioceses actions against the monastery. ", Referring to parishioners as "merely sheep" or "nasty people", Diane Cluley: "He talked about how that priest should die and be tortured first.". It was like somebody who was possessed, you know, because this power corrupted him, she said. FORT WORTH, Texas After being bestowed authority to investigate the head nun of an Arlington monastery, a Fort Worth bishop has dismissed that nun following the conclusion of an investigation into her reportedly breaking her vow of chastity. She said she met Olson when he was in his 20s, and began to consider him like a son. Ninety-year-old Diane Cluley, in videotaped sworn testimony from one of the lawsuits, revealed disturbing information. He also accused Olson of breaking Catholic doctrine, by publicly discussing anything said in confidence to a priest. The attorney representing the nuns, Matthew Bobo, has yet to issue a statement since the hearing finished. Fort Worth 'Obsessed with his power': Acquaintance describes a spiteful Fort Worth Bishop Olson By Nichole Manna Updated January 24, 2020 9:43 AM A woman who said she has known Bishop. Richard Kirkham) Advocates, has a website, more than 500 members in a Facebook group and some 1,400 signatures on a petition asking for an investigation into not only Kirkham's removal but what the signers believe is overall abuse of office and power by Olson. Arlington police said they visited the monastery at the request of a third-party who thought the Bishop's actions were worth looking into. In turn, the diocese argues that the dispute is an ecclesiastical matter and should not be heard in a civil court. And if you take their vocation away from them, that God had called them to, then thats the worst thing in the world anybody can do. We are all 'cafeteria Catholics.' Olson punished Fr. When you place your order, your Church Militant Premium membership will be activated. The diocesan statement added that given the pending lawsuit, Mass will remain closed to the participation of the lay faithful for the time being. Gary Picou and Fr. Following Olson's commencement of an investigation into Agnes, the monastery filed a lawsuit challenging his authority over them. It was all wonderful. The Diocese has never named the priest allegedly involved but Olson denied covering up any wrongdoing by the man. Is it a sin to pursue the removal of Bishop Michael Olson from the Ft. Worth Diocese? Olson would often violate the rules concerning seminarians spending time in his room with the door closed. However, Bobo said Monday that in a Diocese of more than a million Catholics, the Bishop appeared to spending an unusual amount of time on the case. The representative also told Insider that Gerlach "admitted to violating the Sixth Commandment," which forbids adultery. "We will continue to press on representing the sisters according to the law of the State of Texas, for which Bishop Michael Olson is subject to.". At the school dedication, the parish's building committee chair, Stephen Knobbe, thanked Bishop Michael Olson for his leadership and vision, and for providing the parish with its most valuable resource, Fr. A court hearing included references to "sexting" and drug use. This story was originally published January 23, 2020, 5:38 PM. After the monastery filed the lawsuit, Olson denied Gerlachs ability to choose her canon lawyer, choosing one himself to represent her in the ecclesiastical investigation. They were called by God, thats why they have these vocations. In response, Matthew Bobo, attorney for the Carmelite nuns of the Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Arlington, Texas, said his client would appeal the decision. EIN 27-4581132 Olson had introduced himself to Cluley and her family at a parish picnic in Wichita Falls. Olson, she said, confided in her until she was no longer able to take his phone calls because they became too upsetting. You are not from San Mateo, I've never seen you at San Mateo.' 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The petition accuses . Nuns sue Texas Catholic diocese after bishop accuses sister of
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