Court hearing set for Fort Worth bishop, nun accused of sex with priest. What we know

The legal battle between the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Catholic and a Carmelite nun accused of breaking her chastity vow with a priest is taking center stage at a court hearing.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday in the 67th District Court, in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building, 100 N. Calhoun St.

What we know

The Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, 43, is suing Bishop Michael Olson and the diocese for $1 million, alleging that he defamed her, invaded her privacy and stole personal electronic devices after he received reports that she violated her chastity vows with a priest from outside of the diocese. Gerlach, 43, denies the allegations. She uses a wheelchair and relies on a feeding tube.

Gerlach oversees the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity on 72 wooded acres in Arlington. Sister Francis Therese of the monastery is also suing Olson.

Olson says that an investigation authorized by the Vatican determined that Gerlach broke her chastity vow and that she admitted she did so during multiple interviews.

Based on his findings, Olson dismissed Gerlach from the order because of her “grave misconduct.” Gerlach is appealing her dismissal.

Attorneys for the diocese and for Gerlach declined to comment until after Friday’s hearing.

The diocese filed motions to have the lawsuit dismissed. It argues that secular courts don’t have jurisdiction over ecclesiastical matters.

However, Gerlach’s attorney Matthew Bobo has told the Star-Telegram that Olson overstepped his authority and violated canon law by revealing information about the reverend mother on the diocese website.

Arlington police are investigating reports that Olson stole information from Gerlach’s electronic devices. Police are also investigating allegations from the diocese of illegal drug activity at the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity.

The diocese shared photos it says were taken by a confidential informant showing pill bottles, edibles, drug paraphernalia and baggies that appear to contain marijuana.

Bobo said the photos of the drugs were staged and accused Olson of planting them, but Olson said in a June 11 video message that the photos weren’t staged and that the accusations were false.

What happened

The highly unusual and public dispute between Gerlach and the bishop began in late April when he came to the monastery to investigate reports that Gerlach violated her chastity vows.

According to Gerlach’s suit, Olson, diocese officials and a “forensic” technology expert showed up at the monastery on April 24 on 30 minutes’ notice.

Olson “demanded” that the reverend mother turn over her laptop, iPad and cell phone, and told Gerlach and Sister Francis Therese that they could not handle the administrative duties of the monastery.

The lawsuit alleges that Olson violated the reverend mother’s civil and canonical rights by telling her where she could sit and eat, and she was not allowed in her private bedroom although she requires constant medical care. She uses her iPad to communicate.

On April 25, the reverend mother underwent surgery, and when she returned to the monastery, she and other sisters were subjected to more questions and interrogation, according to the lawsuit. Olson raised his voice, according to the lawsuit. “The Bishop threw a temper tantrum, and in an agitated and raised voice yelled that the Monastery was shut down, no Mass would be celebrated, he then slammed the door and left the Monastery, traumatizing the Sisters,” Gerlach said in her affidavit. The lawsuit states that the pope has the sole authority to remove nuns from an order, not the bishop.

Gerlach was interviewed about violating her chastity vows under duress a day after she had surgery, and she was on pain medications, according to the suit.

However, Olson stated in his June 11 video that the Gerlach admitted to the transgression outside of confession and that it was consensual.

He also stated that Gerlach was interviewed before her surgery.

“I asked her the name of the priest, and she gave it to me plainly and with clarity,” Olson said. “She was not under the influence of anesthesia. She was clear and lucid and had normal use of her physical and mental faculties.”

Olson said that when he reached out to the priest’s superiors, he was told that the priest wouldn’t neither confirm nor deny his involvement with Gerlach and that he refused to cooperate with the investigation. He also said the priest’s superiors “restricted his faculties.”

Bobo said in a statement that Olson’s statement is baseless.

“The fact that this Shepherd and Pastor of the flock of 1 million Catholics in Fort Worth feels obligated to defame the Reverend Mother publicly yet again with alleged sins that she confessed to another priest — but not in the sacrament of Penance he alleges — is beyond pale!”