Nuns battle popular singer over sale of their convent

oge okonkwo

July 21, 2015 12:24 PM

The pop star wants to buy a property in Los Angeles, on which the nuns’ convent happens to be sited but the nuns, who are among five remaining members of an order known as the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are having none of it

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A couple of nuns are protesting over the sale of their convent to popular American singer, Katy Perry saying "that they feel forced to violate their canonical vows".

TIME reports that the pop star wants to buy a property in Los Angeles, on which the nuns’ convent happens to be sited.

But the nuns, who are among five remaining members of an order known as the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are having none of it.

In court documents released on Friday, they say the sale would go against their sacred vows.

The New York Times reports that Perry has been competing with L.A. restaurateur and developer Dana Hollister for the property, which also includes a retreat house for priests.

According to TIME, Perry is offering a $10 million all-cash deal, with an additional $4.5 million to purchase a new retreat house for priests to replace the current one. Hollister is also willing to pay $10 million and an additional $5.5 million to buy out the lease on the priests’ house.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles favors the Perry deal and claims to have control over the property, while the nuns prefer the Hollister arrangement, reports gathered.

“In selling to Katy Perry, we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church,” Sister Catherine Rose Holzman wrote to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in a May 22 letter. The letter, among others, was revealed in court documents the nuns filed on Friday, CNBC uncovered.

The nuns said their objection to the sale to Perry had nothing to do with her risque performance style, the Times reports. Instead, they reportedly favor the Hollister deal because it would keep the convent open to the public.

It’ll likely be up to Judge Robert O’Brien of Superior Court in Los Angeles County to decide who the property ends up going to. A hearing has been scheduled for July 30, the Times says.

oge okonkwo