The Carmelite nuns of Arlington allow priests from a community suspected of abuse to celebrate mass in their convent.
Two suspended priests from the Diocese of Scranton have been providing spiritual care to the sisters in the Carmelite convent in the Texan diocese of Fort Worth since June, the local bishop Michael Olson announced on Thursday.
According to the statement, the nuns also continue to refuse to recognise the authority of the president of the Carmelite Association, to which the convent belongs, who was appointed superior by the Vatican.
"I continue to work with Mother Marie of the Incarnation to restore sacramental life to the Carmel of Arlington. However, until the sisters accept her appointment as rightful superior, I cannot grant permission or authority to any priest of the Diocese of Fort Worth or any other diocese or religious institute to celebrate the sacraments," Olson said.
According to the diocese, the two priests who administer the sacraments in the monastery are Christopher C. and Marshall R., both of whom are currently not allowed to exercise their priestly ministry and belonged to the "Society of St John", a traditionalist religious institute under diocesan law in the Diocese of Scranton (Pennsylvania), which has since been dissolved due to allegations of abuse.
According to the diocese, C. is listed as a "credibly accused person".
He has been on leave of absence since 2003 and has not been allowed to exercise priestly ministry since 2012. Even then, the then Bishop of Fort Worth prohibited him from working in the Texan diocese.
According to Olson's statement, R., one of the founders of the community, is also no longer allowed to carry out his priestly ministry.
Both priests and the "Society of St John" are listed in the final report of the grand jury investigation into abuse in six dioceses in the US state of Pennsylvania under the direction of the Attorney General. listed.
Procedural situation
The Society of St John was founded in 1998 by the then diocesan bishop James Timlin at the request of former members of the schismatic Society of St John who wanted to return to communion with the Church after the schism.
One of the founders is R. Timlin first learnt of allegations of abuse against one of the community's priests in 2001, and in 2002 C. was accused for the first time but not convicted.
In 2004, Timlin's successor as Bishop of Scranton, Joseph Martino, dissolved the community.
The community was re-established in Paraguay in 2014.
The dispute over the convent and its superior has been smouldering for months. The superior is said to have admitted to violating 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 president.