Connect with us

Published

on

Catholic nuns in Texas have mutinied against their bishop and banned him from their monastery for “spiritual safety” in the latest salvo in a bizarre religious feud.

They say they have been subjected to “aggression, humiliation and spiritual manipulation” as a result of the “attitudes and ambitions” of Bishop Michael Olson.

It comes after Bishop Olson, the bishop of Fort Worth, claimed the head of the priory had broken her vow of chastity with a priest from outside the area.

In a statement this week, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Arlington denied the claims about their Mother Prioress.

The last few months have seen a battle between the nuns and Bishop Olson inside and outside court, featuring claims of spying, threats of excommunication and an intervention from the Vatican.

Who are the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Arlington?

The saga centres around a group of nuns who live at the priory of the Most Holy Trinity in the city of Arlington, Texas.

They are part of the order of Discalced Carmelites, a Catholic order established in the 16th century.

Under Catholic canon law, their community is considered to be autonomous and nuns renounce family in pursuit of deeper connection with God.

By latest count there are thought to be around 11,500 Discalced Carmelite nuns spread out across the world.

The Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington, Texas
Pic:Bing Maps
Image:
The Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington. Pic: Bing Maps

What started the feud with Bishop Michael Olson?

It dates back to April this year when Bishop Olson, the diocese says, received a report that Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach – the Mother Prioress – had violated her vow of chastity with a priest from outside the area.

“An ecclesiastical investigation into the report of the grave misconduct was initiated,” the diocese said in a statement in May.

In response to the claims, the Arlington nuns filed a million-dollar lawsuit against Bishop Olson and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.

In court documents obtained by NBC5 – Sky News’s sister outlet – the nuns claimed Bishop Olson was overstepping his power by disciplining them and taking personal property from the monastery when they answer directly to the Pope and not the local diocese.

The lawsuit alleged that the Bishop took property, namely a computer, iPad, and mobile phone, from Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, and that after she replaced her confiscated phone her texts were monitored.

They accused the defendants of “spying” on the Sisters by accessing the phone.

District Court Judge Don Cosby ultimately ruled the civil court didn’t have the jurisdiction to rule over a canonical dispute.

Bishop Michael Olson addresses faithful regarding events at the Carmelite Monastery in Arlington
Image:
Bishop Michael Olson addresses his congregation regarding events at the monastery

What have the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Arlington said?

On 18 August, a statement released on behalf of Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach and the chapter denied claims that had been made against them.

“In recent months our monastery in general and our Mother Prioress in particular have been subjected to unprecedented interference, intimidation, aggression, private and public humiliation and spiritual manipulation as the direct result of the attitudes and ambitions of the current Bishop of Fort Worth,” they said.

It continued: “Our filial trust has been abused by the personal and public behaviours of a man who, in the pursuit of his unspecified personal ends, does not fear to shout at nuns or to humiliate them in private and in public when they protest that their rights have been ignored, who does not hesitate to violate their sacred enclosure through his officials, and whose actions in respect of personal property and privacy are more than seriously questionable.”

In respect of the “calumnies” (false statements) that have been published, the nuns expressed “complete confidence in the personal and moral integrity of its Mother Prioress and in her leadership”.

The blistering statement ended with the nuns announcing that they no longer recognise the authority of Bishop Olson and forbid him and his officials from setting foot on monastery property.

Read more on Sky News:
Are Christian nationalists a threat to the US?
Did fear of apocalypse drive ‘doomsday mom’ to murder her children?

What has Bishop Michael Olson said?

In a statement the following day, Bishop Olson said the rejection of his authority “hurt me as a friend”.

He continued: “Thus, it is with deep sorrow that I must inform the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth, that Mother Teresa Agnes, thereby, may have incurred upon herself latae sententiae, excommunication.”

Bishop Olson warned that the other nuns “depending on their complicity in Mother Teresa Agnes’ publicly, scandalous and schismatic actions” could also have incurred excommunication.

“I stand ready to assist Mother Teresa Agnes on her path of reconciliation and healing,” he added.

Previously, the bishop said that “baseless and false claims” have been made and caused “confusion”.

In a video message on YouTube he claimed that the Mother Prioress had “admitted” breaking her vow of chastity and said any claims of “spying” on the sisters were “ludicrous”.

An intervention from the Vatican?

The ongoing scandal has even reached the ears of senior Catholic figures in the Vatican.

At the end of May, the Vatican appointed Bishop Olson as the Pope’s representative and apparently gave him “full governing powers” over the priory.

Another senior Catholic, however, has spoken out in support of the nuns.

In a statement published on the monastery’s website, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano praised the “courageous resistance” of the Texas nuns.

Archbishop Vigano, best known for publicising two major Vatican scandals, even appeared to be critical of Pope Francis over the matter.

He added: “The Sisters of the Arlington Carmel have an example of heroic resistance against corrupt power in the martyrdom of the Carmelites of Compiegne, who knew how to face the guillotine in order not to submit to the constitutional oath of a revolutionary government.

“It will not be prelates without either dignity or faith who bend the bold resistance of souls in love with Christ.”

Continue Reading

US

Trump says Palestinians couldn’t return to Gaza under his redevelopment plan

Published

on

By

Trump says Palestinians couldn't return to Gaza under his redevelopment plan

Donald Trump has said Palestinians would have no right to return to Gaza under his proposal to relocate its population and rebuild the Strip.

The president last week debuted his suggestion to “own” Gaza and shut out Hamas while it’s redeveloped, but has now contradicted officials who had said any relocation would be temporary.

Asked by Fox News if Palestinians could return, he replied: “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing. In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”

Trump latest: President signs more executive orders

Speaking on Monday at the White House, Mr Trump also suggested the current ceasefire in Gaza should end on Saturday if Hamas does not release hostages as planned.

He then went further, saying all the remaining hostages should be released by midday on Saturday, or the ceasefire should be cancelled – and that “all hell is going to break out” if the hostages are not freed then.

But the US president added: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”

Hamas said earlier it would delay the release of hostages – accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘I would own this’ – Trump on Gaza

Mr Trump told Fox News his future vision for Gaza was to build multiple “safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is”, adding the area is currently “not habitable”.

He said he believed he could cut a deal with Jordan or Egypt to take people in.

However, Arab allies – including Egypt and Saudi Arabia – have dismissed the idea of relocating Gaza’s two-million-plus population.

Western countries have also rejected the proposal; an independent state for Palestinians remains the favoured way forward but is a no-go for the Israeli government.

When asked in the media, Palestinians have also rubbished the idea.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported Mr Trump’s controversial proposal.

Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. 
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Pic: Reuters

Much of Gaza lies in ruins due to Israel‘s attempt to wipe out Hamas after its 2023 terror attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel.

About 250 were also kidnapped, but those still alive have started to be released in recent weeks after a hard-won truce took effect last month.

Since the ceasefire began on 19 January, five swaps have taken place – with 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages released.

In total, Israel has said it will release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners in return for 33 Israeli hostages during the deal’s first phase.

Read more:
Trump plan so outrageous it might be part of something bigger
Israeli police confiscate books in raid on Palestinian bookshops

Prospect of no return most offensive part of radical plan

From Donald Trump, it’s a hardened “No”. Asked directly if Palestinians would have the right to return to a redeveloped Gaza, he told Fox News Channel’s Brett Baier: “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing.”

If the notion of Trump building on Gaza has offended its people, most offensive is the prospect for them of no return. Since Donald Trump first suggested taking and building on Palestinian land, observers in America, the Middle East and all countries in between have been assessing its seriousness.

Everything he’s said since indicates he’s committed both to the project and to ignoring entrenched objections from allies and adversaries alike.

In spite of flat refusals by Jordan and Egypt to resettle Palestinians in those countries, Trump said: “I think I could make a deal with Jordan. I think I could make a deal with Egypt. You know, we give them billions and billions of dollars a year.”

If peace in the Middle East was a matter of money, it would have been solved long ago. Tuesday’s meeting in Washington between Trump and Jordan’s King Abdullah won’t be easy.

In the White House, the Jordanian leader will talk numbers of his own – the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees already living in the Hashemite kingdom and the instability threatened by moving more.

Trump is also due to meet the Egyptian president and the Saudi crown prince in the coming days – it is a chorus of Arab voices to caution an expansionist president at a delicate time, as parties involved in the current conflict work through the phases of a ceasefire deal.

Trump’s plan is radical and it invites fresh-eyed debate over a way forward for the region.

However, it is the property deal that separates a people from their home – again. At the heart of a radical plan, it’s the inherent recklessness.

So far, little progress has been made on an extension to the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.

A delegation from Israel has arrived in Qatar for further talks amid concern the deal might collapse before all remaining hostages are freed.

Continue Reading

US

‘People will die’: Chaos and mounting fear in Uganda as USAID cuts lead to ‘total panic’ and HIV clinic closures

Published

on

By

'People will die': Chaos and mounting fear in Uganda as USAID cuts lead to 'total panic' and HIV clinic closures

In what will be seen as a signature act of the new Trump administration, the president and his team have denounced and dismembered the US government’s international assistance arm, USAID, in a matter of three weeks.

It is a decision that will have serious, real-world consequences – and the impact is already being felt in countries such as Uganda.

Trump latest: President doubles down on Gaza plan

The health ministry in Uganda has announced its intention to shut all dedicated HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) clinics in the country. Stand-alone pharmacies supplying antiretroviral drugs will also be closed.

These facilities provide HIV treatments and preventative therapies to millions of people in Uganda, including an estimated 1.5 million currently living with the virus.

An official said the closure of HIV clinics was a necessary response as the country grapples with the loss of funding from USAID.

People hold placards as the USAID building sits closed to employees after a memo was issued advising agency personnel to work remotely, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2025. Pic: Reuters
Image:
The cuts have sparked protests outside USAID’s now-closed building in Washington DC. Pic: Reuters

Directors and staff at the country’s public hospitals have been instructed to offer the same services at their outpatients and chronic care departments.

A USAID initiative called the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief – or PEPFAR – has bankrolled much of Uganda’s HIV/AIDS relief plan and it’s an initiative that has wielded impressive results.

Specially trained staff and dedicated clinics are credited with bringing infection rates down from 19% in the late 1990s to 5% in 2024.

‘We are still reeling’

Flavia Kyomukama, from the National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks Uganda (NAFOPHANU), said she was stunned by Donald Trump’s decision.

“We are still reeling from the shock of what they have done, it is very difficult to understand,” she said. “There was a memorandum of support [between both countries], there was roadmap [towards zero infections] and they make this decision in a day.”

Flavia Kyomukama, from the National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda
Image:
Flavia Kyomukama

Shifting HIV/AIDS-related care to public hospitals is deeply problematic, Ms Kyomukama added.

These facilities are often overwhelmed, and they offer little, or no, privacy. It is a serious issue in a country where those carrying the virus are badly stigmatised.

“Surveys show 30% of health workers have a negative attitude towards people with HIV,” Ms Kyomukama said. “So, we’re going to see [patients] dropping out [of their treatment plans], drug resistance will increase and we will see more violence in hospital as people with HIV get attacked.”

World is worryingly dependent on US – it now faces a major shock and impossible choices


John Sparks - Africa correspondent

John Sparks

International correspondent

@sparkomat

The Trump administration’s destruction of USAID will bring about the virtual collapse of the international aid and development system, experts have warned.

The US government puts far more money into humanitarian assistance than any other country.

In 2023, the most recent year for which data is largely complete, the Americans disbursed $71.9bn (£57bn) in foreign aid, representing 1.2% of total US government spending.

It is a spending commitment that has remained remarkably consistent over the years.

The Americans underwrite programmes in 177 individual countries with Ukraine registering as the biggest recipient in 2023. It received $16.6bn (£12.9bn) to maintain government services after the Russian invasion.

PEPFAR, USAID’s best-known initiative, provides antiretroviral treatments to 20 million people infected with HIV/AIDS.

The initiative supports NGO-run groups with an extended workforce of 350,000 people – with many employed at local clinics.

The US also bankrolls key UN organisations, such as the refugee agency (UNHCR). Its total budget of $4.8bn (£3.8bn) is propped up by the Americans, who put in US$2bn (£1.6bn).

Without this funding, it is difficult to see how UNHCR can continue to support tens of millions of refugees in countries including Sudan, Syria, Turkey and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

If the residents of refugee camps are not supported with basic services, they are likely to move.

The question then is how US funding compares to other donors – and the answer is startling.

According to the UN’s real-time financial tracking service, Germany contributed funds in 2024 representing 8% of total humanitarian aid contributions, as did the European Union, with the United Kingdom at 6%.

The world, then, is worryingly dependent on the United States.

Former international aid worker turned consultant Thomas Byrnes said: “The modern humanitarian system has been shaped by a long-term commitment from the US.

“For decades, organisations like the UN agencies have relied on this predictable funding stream to address global crises.

“The world faces a major shock and I don’t think anyone is prepared for it.”

To alleviate the situation, Mr Byrnes said other donors – such as the UK and Germany – will need to make up the funding shortfall from USAID.

But that is highly unlikely to happen.

The United Kingdom, currently contributing $2.1bn (£1.7bn), would need to contribute an additional $1.5bn (£1.2bn) – representing a 74% increase.

For Germany, the required extra contribution would be $1.8bn (£1.5bn), representing a substantial increase of 70%.

Furthermore, Trump’s move comes at a time when Germany, France, Sweden and others are planning deep cuts to international aid.

The world is looking at a colossal funding gap – and a colossal crisis – as the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance rises to 305 million people, Mr Byrnes added.

“We’re facing a perfect storm,” he said. “The brutal math means we’re heading toward humanitarian aid of just 17 cents per person per day.

“This isn’t a funding dip – it’s a systemic shock that will force impossible choices about who receives help and who doesn’t. People will die as a result of this.”

‘It’s total panic right now’

Brian Aliganyira is the director of Ark Wellness Hub, a busy health clinic for the LGBT+ community in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

The clinic has sourced supplies – such as antiretroviral drugs, preventative ‘PrEP’ therapies and testing kits – from partners who are underpinned by USAID.

Now, the 37-year-old has got a major problem on his hands.

“It’s total panic right now,” he said. “Our response teams are panicking and there is a lot of panic in the community.

“We are telling people to go home and it’s not just [our clinic]. There is no more medication left – or maybe there’s one refill at the most. But people keep asking us, ‘have you got any extra, any extra’?

“Without the support we need, HIV will surge and people will die.”

Brian Aliganyira, director of Ark Wellness Hub in Uganda
Image:
Brian Aliganyira

‘Lives will be lost’

There are some still clinging to hope.

On 1 February, US secretary of state Marco Rubio issued a waiver exempting the PEPFAR programme from the new administration’s cuts to foreign aid.

However, President Trump issued a contradictory order banning programmes designed to “advance equality and human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people”.

Read more:
What is USAID?
Funding gap leaves South Africans in turmoil

Donald Trump , left, with Marco Rubio, during a campaign rally in November. Pic: AP
Image:
Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have given contradictory messages about parts of the USAID cuts. Pic: AP

The result in Uganda is chaos – and mounting fear.

“Really, we are grieving about this, we are grieving,” Ms Kyomukama said. “Livelihoods will be lost – and lives will be lost.”

Continue Reading

US

Trump reiterates desire to make Canada 51st state – and says he will impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports

Published

on

By

Trump reiterates desire to make Canada 51st state - and says he will impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports

Donald Trump has repeated calls to make Canada “the 51st state” as he reiterated his support for tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Speaking to Fox News, when asked if he was serious about Canada being a 51st state Mr Trump said: “I think Canada would be much better off.

“We lose $200bn a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen. It’s too much.

“Why are we paying $200bn a year essentially in subsidy to Canada? Now, if they are a 51st state, I don’t mind doing it.”

He also continued to voice support for Mr Musk. The X owner is spearheading the US president’s efforts to cut costs and bureaucracy in government, which has already seen the US Aid Agency for International Development targeted.

Named the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), its aim is to find ways to sack federal workers, cut programmes and cut federal regulations.

Donald Trump walks with Elon Musk before attending a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., November 19, 2024 . Brandon Bell/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Image:
Donald Trump has said he trusts the work Elon Musk is doing in improving government efficiency

However, there have been suggestions the Tesla chief’s access to government systems could pose a threat to national security.

More on Donald Trump

But Mr Trump has said he trusts Mr Musk and is going to ask him to investigate billions of dollars of “fraud and abuse” within the US military.

“I’ve had great help with Elon Musk. He’s been terrific,” he said.

👉 Follow Trump 100 on your podcast app 👈

When asked if he trusted him, Mr Trump added: “Trust Elon? He’s not gaining anything.

“In fact, I wonder how he can devote the time to it – he’s so into it.

“But I told him do that and then I’m going to tell him very soon – maybe in the next 24 hours – to go check the Department for Education. He’s going to find the same thing.

“Then I’m going to go to the military – let’s check the military. We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse.

“You know, the people elected me on that.”

‘Gulf of America day’

Donald Trump signed a Proclamation declaring 9 February 2025 as the 'Gulf of America Day'. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Donald Trump signed a Proclamation declaring 9 February 2025 as the ‘Gulf of America Day’. Pic: Reuters

Mr Trump also made a series of statements aboard Air Force One as he flew to the Super Bowl.

He signed a proclamation declaring 9 February 2025 as the first ever “Gulf of America” day. One of the first executive orders the president signed was renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

While signing the latest proclamation, he posed in front of a map with the newly changed name.

Read more: Mexico asks Google not to follow Trump name change

He also said he would announce 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the US, signalling yet another major escalation in his trade policy overhaul. These reciprocal tariffs will take effect almost immediately, he said.

Continue Reading

Trending