The Apostolic Commissioner of the Sisters of Goldenstein reacted with concern to allegations of psychological violence against one of the three nuns.
He takes the information very seriously, according to a statement published by Provost Markus Grasl on Wednesday.
He immediately informed the relevant authorities in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Catholic Church.
On Wednesday, former pupils at the sisters' boarding school accused one of the sisters of an authoritarian management style and psychological violence in the "Salzburger Nachrichten" newspaper.
"I was very strict"
Sister Bernadette, against whom the allegations were levelled, told the newspaper: "I was very strict. I went over the top." The girls were in puberty and did not obey. She is still sorry to this day and asks for forgiveness. She offered to talk to the former pupils "so that we can discuss everything alone". The other two sisters were explicitly excluded from the accusations by the former pupils.
"I deeply regret the incidents and assaults," Grasl said in her statement. Every assault is a serious violation of human dignity. "My thoughts and sympathy are with those people who have experienced violence and are now turning to the public."
He recommended that all victims of assault, psychological or physical violence should contact the diocesan ombudsman's offices. "All necessary measures will be initiated there," said Grasl.
Further escalation after compromise proposal
The case of the three sisters has been in the media since September: the three nuns moved out of a Caritas retirement home in September and then gained access to their former convent with the help of a locksmith.
The Goldenstein convent had become the property of the Archdiocese of Salzburg and the Austrian canon monastery of Reichersberg in 2022.
In the meantime, the three sisters have built up a broad network that supports them in the old convent they occupy.
The dispute has escalated even further in recent days: the offer of a compromise proposal from Provost Grasl, which would have allowed the sisters to remain in their convent, but on the condition that they close their Instagram account, was rejected by the sisters' lawyer as a "gagging agreement".
Both the provost and the sisters then appealed to the Vatican.