Battle ax nuns

Ray of Stella Borealis sent me this story yesterday, but I didn't get a chance to post it, today everyone has it. Three nuns in Southern Italy came to blows and the convent was shut down - it used to be termed 'suppressed'. The superior barricaded herself in the convent, while the other two were sent to another facility.

"Sisters Annamaria and Gianbattista, reportedly upset about their mother superior's authoritarian ways, scratched her in the face and threw her to the ground at Santa Clara convent near Bari in an incident in July that was kept quiet until now." - Brietbart.com

This isn't that unusual in history. Teresa of Avila encountered opposition at the Incarnation when she was appointed prioress. John of the Cross was imprisoned, and there are many stories of rebellious monks and nuns and even murder in medieval monasteries. A few years ago a group of Carmelites rebelled against the prioress of their monastery because she was going to allow television in the cloister. They barricaded themselves in the infirmary. I can't remember what happened to them however. I recall one of the rebels was a Sr. John of the Cross, a nun in simple vows at the time. (Update: I found the story here.)

Obedience, obedience, obedience, ladies.

[Photo: An order of nuns from Nazareth, I'm not sure if they are Orthodox or Roman Catholic.]