A dispute with Roman Catholic authorities has escalated between three elderly nuns who fled a retirement home to return to their abandoned convent.
On Friday, the sisters rejected an offer from church officials to remain in the nunnery “until further notice” on the condition that they and those caring for them stay away from social media.
Christina Wirtenberger, representative of the Rebel Sisters, Bernadette, 88; Regina, 86; And Rita, 82, said she decided not to sign the agreement because it would deprive her of the protection of an interested public.
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These three were the last nuns to reside at the Goldenstein Castle Convent.
Two years ago, when the abbot closed his living quarters at the monastery, they moved into a retirement home.
He says this was against his wishes, but church officials deny this.
In September, they escaped from the care home and returned to an abandoned convent near Hamburg, Austria.
Since then, he has documented daily life and built a loyal following on Instagram.
Why did the nuns reject the church’s offer?
Markus Grassl, provost of Richtersburg Abbey, said the nuns should be placed in a Catholic care home because of their poor health and accused them of breaking their vows of obedience.
But on Friday he said he may remain at Goldenstein “until further notice.”
Under his plan, nuns would have to fulfill a number of conditions to live in a convent.
These included “immediate cessation of all social media activities…” and contact with the media. Furthermore, the nuns must “dismiss with immediate effect the lawyers and legal experts working for them.”
Church officials also said the sisters would be provided with medical care as well as spiritual support from a priest. But if her health deteriorates and she “can no longer be properly cared for” at the convent, she will have to move to a nearby care home, he said.
Their spokesman said the church’s promise that the sisters could live in the convent near Hamburg if they accepted the conditions was only valid “until further notice” and legally worthless.
Edited by: Louis Olofse