After a Tarrant County judge dismissed the lawsuit between a group of Carmelite nuns and Fort Worth Bishop Micheal Olson in June, the nuns鈥� legal team initially said they planned to appeal.
Now, , the attorney representing the nuns on civil matters, released a statement Monday that the appeal won鈥檛 be happening after all. Bobo said the nun鈥檚 decision to not appeal came after the Vatican told the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity that they would not act on the canonical investigation until civil litigation was concluded.
Instead, the nuns 鈥渁re praying that the Vatican will do what is right and just in the canonical process,鈥� Bobo said in his statement.
The appeal was in response to Tarrant County鈥檚 67th District Court Judge Don Cosby鈥檚 decision that the county did not have jurisdiction to make legal decisions about the from the .
Olson invaded the nuns鈥� privacy and damaged their reputation within the monastery. The suit came after Olson dismissed Gerlach from the Order of Discalced Carmelites, alleging that she broke her chastity vow with a priest outside the diocese, according to a .
Bobo represented both the Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach and her primary caregiver, Sister Francis Terese, in the civil law while a canonical investigation is pending in Rome. Now that the nuns have decided not to appeal, they鈥檙e hoping that the canonical process within the Catholic Church can continue.
, a group within the Vatican that oversees matters relating to religious orders, will be reviewing the investigation and Gerlach鈥檚 appeal on the bishop鈥檚 decision to dismiss her.
The Fort Worth Catholic Diocese released a statement that 鈥渢he decision by the nuns not to appeal the dismissal of their lawsuit is appropriate and supports our long-held belief that this matter never should have been filed in a civil court.鈥�
Gerlach remains on administrative leave at this time, the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese stated.
鈥淭he nuns place their hopes and prayers on a just and fair review of the case by the Vatican to ensure that acts taken by Bishop Olson will be reversed and they will be completely exonerated,鈥� Bobo said in his statement.
is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter at .
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