Renegade Nuns Can Stay, as Long as They Log Off

Three Austrian nuns in their 80s—whose escape from a care home to return to their longtime convent captured international attention—have now been told they may remain there, but only under strict conditions that include staying off social media.

Sisters Bernadette, 88, Regina, 86, and Rita, 82, left their nursing facility in September and quietly returned to Goldenstein Castle in Elsbethen, the convent where they had lived for decades, according to the Guardian. Their unexpected return drew widespread interest online, and the trio built a large following by posting updates about their renewed convent life.

With help from former students and supportive locals—who donated essentials ranging from groceries to a chairlift—the sisters have been living on their own despite church officials insisting they were too physically fragile for independent life. Their superior, Provost Markus Grasl, accused them of violating their vows of obedience, a claim the sisters firmly deny.

Church leaders have now offered a compromise: the nuns may stay at Goldenstein “until further notice,” but must shut down all social media activity, accept a ban on outside visitors, and follow other restrictions. The agreement also states that if any of the sisters’ health declines, they will return to the care home.

The nuns say they are not ready to accept the deal as written, describing it—as reported by the BBC—as having the “character of a gagging effect.” They argue that neither they nor their supporters were consulted and say the proposal would undermine their legal protections and public support. They hope to negotiate new terms.

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