“This decision indicates that anyone entering a Catholic church in Texas may be required to surrender their mobile device, the church may make a copy of all of its contents, retain them for an indefinite period of time, harm the constitution of private citizens – protected civil liberties, and that the Catholic Church can do all this without any practical justification of any kind”, he said.
“And not only that, but a Catholic bishop can publicly defame a Catholic in the media multiple times, and Catholic priests can freely state the alleged sins of Catholics around the world without any repercussion from either the Vatican or the system of civil justice.”
In a statement, Bishop Olson said he was “grateful” for the judge’s decision.
“The decision vindicates our firm belief that this is a private matter for the Church that does not belong in court,” Olson said. “This matter will continue to proceed through an established canonical process.” He also asked to “continue prayers for the diocese, Mother Teresa Agnes and all the nuns of the monastery.”
The Reverend Mother Superior Teresa Agnes Gerlach of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Arlington, Texas. Credit: Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity
The dispute between the monastery and the diocese began in April when Olson launched a canonical investigation into an alleged sexual relationship between the monastery’s prioress, the Rev. Mother Teresa Gerlach, and a priest. The priest has since been publicly identified as Father Philip Johnson of the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina.
