A Texas bishop is urging Catholics in his diocese not to participate in sacraments with, or financially support, a community of Discalced Carmelite nuns who recently announced a formal association with the Society of St Pius X. Source: OSV News.
In a September 17 letter to Catholics in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Bishop Michael Olson wrote that “mindful of the salvation of souls, as your bishop I must plead with you, the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth, that for the good of your souls you do not participate in any sacraments that may be offered at the Monastery as such participation will associate you with the scandalous disobedience and disunity of the members of the Arlington Carmel.”
The nuns announced their association on September 14 on their website amid an ongoing feud with their local bishop that began in April 2023.
In their statement, the nuns attributed their decision to a “re-discovery of the riches of the immemorial liturgical tradition of the Church” and a “desire to grow in holiness and an ever deeper fidelity to our Discalced Carmelite charism, and as an appropriate means to better serve Our Holy Mother the Church”.
SSPX priests “will henceforth assure our ongoing sacramental life and governance,” the nuns stated.
The Society of St. Pius X, or SSPX, is a traditionalist fraternity of priests without official canonical recognition by the Catholic Church that follows older forms of the Roman rite used prior to the Second Vatican Council, but has objections regarding the council’s teaching and the scope of its authority.
While it is not in schism, the SSPX exists in an irregular state of communion with respect to the Pope.
The nuns’ August decision to affiliate with the SSPX was unanimous, according to the statement. Under this new affiliation, the nuns reelected as their prioress Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach to serve a three-year term.
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The latest update on the controversial Texas Carmelites (By Maria Wiering, OSV News)
