Will the Diocese of Aachen be Driven to Use Force?

Many faithful have gathered themselves around these two Carmelites in Zweifall.  They won't leave the field without a battle.

(kreuz.net) The sword of Damocles of forced expulsion hangs over the head of the two Carmelites of Zweifall.

This was reported in the German boulevard magazine 'Bild' on Monday.


Since their case has become known, Sister Regina(60) and Sister Katharina (40), have received a great sympathetic demonstration.

The Cloister which the two industrious Alsace Nunus occupy about 4.000 cubic meters has been abolished since six years ago by official Diocesan mandate.

The Diocese of Aachen would like to close the Carmel and sell it.

Actually, the Nuns don't need anyone's help. They earn their keep with their host bakery.

By a petition of the Diocese, the Aachen court has assembled an emergency board for the non-Profit association of the Carmel.

The goal: It should dissolve the association. Then the Cloister and the Land will fall to the Diocese.

The two Nuns will defend themselves with tooth and nail:

"I won't go freely", explained Sister Regina to 'Bild': "The Cops are going to have to drag me out of here."

And: "the men in the village stand behind us, will even fight with us, if it's going to get tough."

It's clear to Sister: "If we have to leave the Cloister, it will be as if Jesus had been put a second time on the Cross."

A speaker of the Diocese of Aachen is confident in the members of the Emergency Board. It has dealt with two other Carmlites from two other Cloisters:

"Both nuns in the Emergency Board will decide now, how it will proceed -- and what will be the fate of the two Nuns in Zweifall."

Link to kreuznet...

Carmel Zweifall: The Old Liberal Church Strikes Mercilessly

Edit: It bears a faint resemblance to the film The Conflict.

The Diocese of Aachen seems resolved to put the Carmelites in their place.

Pre-Conciliar Carmelite in Her Cell

(kreuz.net) "This lightning has struck from the sunny sky" -- 'Aachen Zeitung' cited Sister Maria Regina (60) yesterday.

The nun was the Sub Prioress in the previous report on the Carmel in Zweifal.

Zweifall is the most southerly part of the north Westphalian city of Stolberg in the vicinity of Aachen.

Two Zweifall sisters have been opposing the decision by the Diocese of Aachen to close the Cloister.


The Long Arm of the Old Liberal Bishops

According to reports from the 'Aachener Zeitung' the official court of Aachen has put into immediate effect an Emergency Board Meeting for the incorporated society 'Carmelites of Stolberg'.


The Society is the occupant of the Carmel.

If the new board decides the Society's dissolution, then the ownership of the entire property will go to the Carmel at the Diocese of Aachen.

The court is basing its steps for the reason that the Society has been without a board sine the death of its Prioress Sister Maria Helene on 27. Juli 2006, and also without a legitimate representative.

The named emergency board are two Carmelites from Auderath and Düren.

Both Zweifall Sisters view them only as the "emissaries" of the Bishop.

They fear that they will have to leave the Cloister and that the property will be sold.

The Battle Lies Ahead

The Conflict surrounding the Carmel has been going since 2004.

On the one side are the Sisters and the circle of friends of the Carmel and on the other is the Old Liberal Diocese of Aachen.

In the past even the Police have sided with the Sisters after an emergency call from them.

The nuns felt threatened by the then Cathedral Rector, Herbert Hammans.

Johann Ehlen -- the speaker for the Circle of Friends -- feels pessimistic: "I fear this is the end of the Cloister."

The struggle is at least legally lost because all legal recourse has been exhausted.

Hhlen had hard words for the decadent Diocese: "Our ecclesiastical life will be destroyed. One pastor we haven't had since four years ago. Now they want to take our Cloister."

Still, the Sub Prioress still won't give up the struggle: "I will leave this Cloister in a Coffin."

Link to original... kreuz.net..

"They'll Only Take me Out of Here in a Coffin"

Without any substantial motivation the German boulevard paper is helping the Carmelites of Zweifal with a shot of media fame: "He didn't even congratulate us on our fifty year Cloister Jubilee."

(kreuz.net) "I'm leaving this Cloister only when I'm dead" -- said Sister Regina (60) for the German website 'bild.de' today regarding the officially disbanded Carmel in Zweifal.

Zweifal is the most southerly part of the North Rhein-Westfalian city of Stolberg in the vicinity of Aachen.

The sisters there have been resisting the decision of the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Aachen to close the Cloister for six years.

Six Years on Death Row

The Diocese of Aachen

The Carmelite Cloister Maria Königin was founded in 1955 besides Sister Regina, there are still Schwester Katharina (40) and Schwester Maria (28).

The Cloister occupies 4,000 cubic meters of living space and the estate is on a hill that's about as tall as two football fields.

For six years the Bishop Heinrich Mussinghof of Aachen has wanted to close the community due to a lack of growth.

In the best days the Cloister held twenty Carmelites.

Actually, the Carmelites of Zeifal oppose the Bishop with deathly courage.

"I have lived her for thirty years. I won't go freely. That is God's will", explained Sister Regina for 'bild.de'.

And: "I will leave this Cloister only when I'm dead, the only way they'll get me out of here is in a coffin."

"We're not indulging ourselves in anything else"

Sister Maria is presently "on a trip".

Sister Katharina commented in an explanation: "Earlier there was nothing. But we have established ourselves. Otherwise we're really not indulging ourselves."

The Sisters live by their host backery -- which produces 80.000 hosts a week.

The customers are about 200 parishes and cloisters in the Diocese of Aachen and Cologne.

Vegetables and grapes come right out of their own greenhouse.

Fight to the end

The Diocese wants to continue to bar the Cloister. It doesn't want any force used against the Sisters.

"We have a good legal case and are turning if need be to the courts" -- said Sister Regina combatively.

"The Diocese  can't really dissolve us."

That's something only the Sisters' mother house can do:  "Otherwise we have the village behind us."

What if the Bishop calls?  "Then we'll invite him for Coffee", said the Abbess -- and continued to attack:

"But he didn't even congratulate us on your fifty year Jubilee."

Link to kreuz.net...