Vatican Reverses Dismissal of Mother Gerlach

As was to be expected, the Vatican has largely approved the decisions taken by Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth against the Carmelite nuns of Arlington, Texas.

However, the dismissal from religious life of the prioress, Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, was overturned by the Dicastery for Religious. The decree was announced by Bishop Olson on 22 May.

The dicastery rejected the nuns' complaints about the bishop's investigation into their convent, upheld the canonical warning issued to the nine nuns, threatening them with punishment if they continued to obstruct the investigation, and confirmed Mgr Olson's suspension of Mother Gerlach as prioress as a precautionary measure.

The Vatican considered an online affair between Mother Gerlach and a priest of the Raleigh diocese to be proven, but denied that this was an "abuse of her authority as prioress" as Mgr Olson had argued. Further, she was not given the legally required 15 days to appeal.

The Vatican is not known for its concern for canon law, so the decision is probably an attempt to avoid the nuns from severing ties with the diocese.

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