A trio of Austrian nuns have rejected an agreement that would allow them to stay in their convent as it includes a ban on them using social media and having visitors.
In 2023, Sister Bernadette, 88, Sister Regina, 86, and Sister Rita, 82 were ordered their convent by the Church and moved into a care home.
Unhappy away from their beloved convent, in September, the sisters decided enough was enough and packed their bags.
“Supporters of theirs and former pupils helped them then to escape from the care home and break back into their old home,” Guardian Berlin Correspondent Kate Connolly told The Pat Kenny Show.
“So, that included them going there with the helpers and also a locksmith, who could help them in.
“This was back in September and they’ve been living there ever since with the support of local people, with the support of electricians who have put them back on the grid.”
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However, the sisters’ actions have infuriated the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, with Provost Markus Grasl from Reichersberg Abbey describing their decision as "completely incomprehensible".
The church has insisted that the convent is no longer suitable for them but the sisters disagree.
“A chairlift had been put in; various different facilities to help them get in and out of baths and that type of thing,” Ms Connolly added.
“When they returned, having come from their care home, the place had been stripped of a lot of these facilities - including sinks and toilets.
“So, part of the local effort to help them involved putting these things back into place.
“Only a few weeks ago, they got a stair life back, for example, which enables them to get back up to their living quarters.”
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The nuns have amassed a huge following on social media, posting daily through their @nonnen_goldenstein account about their lives in the convent and devotion to God.
Last week, the church announced they were prepared to let the nuns stay but only under certain conditions.
“They had put a proposal to the nuns that they could stay in the convent until further notice but on condition that they stop using social media,” Ms Connolly continued.
“That they did not consult their local lawyer, who had been working for them on a pro-bono basis.
“That they also do not allow people who are supposed to be in the convent to be there - that would include their supporters who are looking after them, cooking for them.
“It would exclude people like me, journalists, who went there to visit them and have been very warmly received.”
After some consideration, the nuns have rejected the deal, describing it as having the "character of a gagging contract".
Main image: The three nuns. Picture by: nonnen_goldenstein
