[Updated]
Marissa Greene of Fort Worth Report has reported that the Arlington Carmelites have withdrawn their request for a restraining order against Bishop Michael Olson and officials from the group of monasteries to which they belong, the Association of Christ the King:
Following the sudden cancellation of an April 30 court hearing between the Arlington Carmelite nuns and Fort Worth Catholic Bishop Michael Olson, lawyers representing the diocese told the Fort Worth Report that the nuns withdrew their request for a temporary restraining order without explanation.
Michael Anderson, an attorney representing Olson and the diocese in civil matters, said the opposing side withdrew its claims before the hearing, which was scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday. Matthew Bobo, an attorney representing the nuns on civil matters, declined to comment.
A group of sisters from the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in south Arlington filed for a temporary restraining order on April 22 against Bishop Michael Olson and the Association of Christ the King.
On April 18, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (DICLSAL) published a decree entrusted the Arlington monastery to the governance of “the President and Council of the Carmelite Association of Christ the King in the United States of America.” The president of the Association, Mother Marie of the Incarnation, is a Carmelite nun from the monastery in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. Mother Marie’s community follows the same 1990 Constitutions as the Arlington nuns, and given their similarities in background, appeared to be a reasonable choice to serve as major superior in Arlington, at least temporarily.
On April 20, however, the nuns published an open letter on their website describing the Vatican decision as a “hostile takeover,” noting that they had not been consulted by the Vatican before making the decision. The sisters have not commented on their reasons for dropping the lawsuit.
Marissa Greene spoke to Matthew Wilson of Southern Methodist University about the complexities of the case. She writes:
Questions over who has ownership of access to the physical facilities could be disputed in civil court, Wilson said. However, the more difficult issue at hand, Wilson said, is how the dispute will impact the nuns’ relationship with the diocese and the Vatican.
Wilson said the nuns’ response to the decree places the sisters “in a much more different situation” both ecclesiastically and within the court of public opinion.
“In civil court, they can theoretically win the right to be a group of women who own a piece of property,” Wilson said. “What they cannot win in civil court is the right to continue to be Catholic, and that is where I think the real rub is in this situation.”
The Arlington nuns wrote in an April 20 statement that they are waiting on a response from the Vatican regarding their concerns over Olson’s actions.
Whether the disputes continue in the court of civil law, the canonical saga will continue, Wilson said.
“No matter what the civil court rules, it doesn’t help them ecclesiastically,” he said. “And I think that’s their biggest problem.”
This aligns with my article last week, in which I noted that by continuing on their present course, they put themselves at risk of schism, even if they have been treated unfairly by Bishop Olson and the Vatican.
Let’s pray that this is a first step towards reconciliation.
[Update May 1, 2024]
A local television station spoke to the sisters’ attorney:
“A Tuesday afternoon temporary restraining order hearing has been canceled, according to an attorney with the sisters. Attorney Mathew Bobo told WFAA they have explored other avenues not requiring the court’s intervention.”
Mike Lewis is the founding managing editor of Where Peter Is. He and Jeannie Gaffigan co-host Field Hospital, a U.S. Catholic podcast.
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