New legal papers filed by a group of nuns claim Katy Perry is breaching their highly sacred vows by trying to purchase their convent.
The five surviving Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary relocated to nearby retirement homes in 2011, leaving the convent, located on a hilltop property on an eight-acre estate, vacated.
But when they learned Perry was interested in purchasing the property, they oversaw the sale of the convent to a rival buyer, restauranteur Dana Hollister, for $14.5m (£9.2m), despite the fact they are unauthorised to do so.
In response, the archdiocese, led by LA Archbishop José Gomez, sued to stop the sale to Ms Hollister, claiming the institute ultimately falls under the Pope's jurasdiction.
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Sister Catherine Rose, 86, and Sister Rita Callanan, 77, part of The Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, have filed legal papers objecting to Perry’s planned purchase, reports The New York Times.
They say any sale to the singer is a breach of their sacred vows, and that they are being ‘bullied’ into supporting the sale by the archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Now Perry and Hollister are both bidding for the property. Perry says she wishes to live there with her mother and grandmother, while it is thought Hollister wishes to turn it into a boutique hotel.
The estate also includes a retreat house for priests, and it is thought the nuns favour Hollister's bid asshe wishes to keep the retreat open to the public, while Perry does not.
“In selling to Katy Perry, we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church,” Sister Holzman wrote to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in a May 22 letter.
The nuns back the deal with Hollister as it will allow the convent to be kept open to the public, something Perry is reportedly against.
A hearing has been scheduled for July 30th.
