Rebel nuns who busted out of Austrian care home win reprieve – if they stay off social media | Austria

Three octogenarian nuns, who gained a worldwide following after escaping nursing homes and returning to their abandoned convent near Salzburg, have been given permission to remain at the nunnery “until further notice” as long as they stay off social media, church officials said.

The rebellious sisters (88-year-old Bernadette, 86-year-old Regina and 82-year-old Rita), former teachers at the school next door to their convent, defied their spiritual superiors and broke into Goldenstein Castle, their former home in Elsbethen, in September.

The story made headlines around the world. This also fostered a great love for the trio, who have built a loyal following. social mediaThey regularly publish reports about their turbulent experiences and their joy at their return.

They were aided by local supporters and former students, who provided them with food, clothing, medical care and security, and set up a chairlift to allow the three to reach their cells on the third floor.

The nuns’ religious superior, Prefect Markus Grasl of the Reichersberg Convent, argued that the sisters should be placed in a Catholic nursing home because they could not live safely in the old stone convent. She repeatedly accused him of breaking their vows of obedience, a claim the nuns denied.

But on Friday, church officials said the women could stay at Goldenstein “until further notice,” following Grasl’s proposal aimed at resolving the dispute. The nuns have not yet accepted the agreement.

Church officials reportedly said the nuns would be provided with adequate medical care and nursing assistance and would have a priest on hand to offer mass regularly. In recent months, against the will of the church authorities, priests have had to more or less sneak into the monastery’s chapel to perform mass.

The nuns have not yet accepted the proposed solution, which was reportedly prepared after a meeting with representative parties on Wednesday. A source close to the nuns said negotiations were ongoing and a response from their lawyers was expected soon.

Conditions of stay include stopping all social media activity, banning outside visitors from entering the monastery, and settling a legal dispute. If the women’s health condition worsens, they will be registered at the Elsbethen nursing home and placed on a waiting list there.

“It’s up to the sisters now,” Grasl’s spokesman, Harald Schiffl, told Austrian news agency APA.