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An order of unregistered nuns can rely on help from supporters for the meanwhile.
When the Vatican was investigating Catholic priests and brothers from The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer about abuse and unauthorised exorcisms, it found Canterbury-based women known as the Daughters of the Holy Redeemer to be operating as an illicit order of nuns.
They share a leader with the Sons.
Christchurch Catholic bishop Michael Gielen has asked the Sons to leave the diocese and the Daughters to disband.
We’re not nuns!
In a kind of peek-a-boo with reality, the Daughters insist that to some people they are not nuns, yet they call themselves nuns on a Givealittle page.
Founded in 2014, they registered as a charity in 2017. Since then, The Press reports that they have collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for work and living expenses.
They say they don’t need church recognition to solicit donations, claiming donors know their “unofficial” status.
In a published statement to supporters, the women said they did not seek official recognition as nuns because they did not want Church authorities to interfere with their activities.
While supporters might call them nuns, the Daughters stated they are officially a private association of women who had made private vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
They said they felt “deeply shocked and scandalised” by the church’s action against them and that former Christchurch bishops knew about the group.
At the same time, they said “a nun is a nun, officially recognised or not” and “a rose by any name would smell as sweet [sic]”.
Not without support
Given that neither the Church nor the Sons are able to help the women, religion expert Peter Lineham was concerned the women were effectively “stranded”.
However a spokesperson for the Sons said community members had been volunteering to help the Daughters with property maintenance and other needs.
He said their support would continue while the Sons appealed Gielen’s request.
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