AILSA CHANG, HOST:
In the Austrian Alps, three nuns in their 80s are still waiting to hear whether they can stay in the convent that they broke into after they fled the care home that they say they were taken to against their will. From Salzburg, Esme Nicholson has the latest on the three sisters.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL RINGING)
ESME NICHOLSON, BYLINE: The convent chapel at Schloss Goldenstein is candlelit and set for Advent. There's less hubbub than the last time we were here - no other journalists, no influencers and no sign of the Hollywood scriptwriter looking to buy the rights to a story that has resonated around the world.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken).
NICHOLSON: Instead, sisters Rita, Regina and Bernadette sit in prayer. But 88-year-old Sister Bernadette says the ritual is not as peaceful as it looks and that one prayer is proving particularly arduous.
BERNADETTE: (Through interpreter) We continue to pray for the provost. In fact, we prayed for him with every rosary for six weeks nonstop. But it got so exhausting, we decided to save our prayers for him for weekly Mass.
NICHOLSON: The provost in their thoughts and prayers is Markus Grasl, the nuns' superior at the local abbey who accused the sisters of breaking their vows when they broke back into the convent with Austria's biggest tabloid in tow. He has since agreed to let them stay, but only, quote, "until further notice." And only if they give up social media, stop talking to the press and cease seeking legal advice. The nuns turned down his offer, calling it a gag order. Both parties have appealed to the Vatican to find a solution. While they wait, the sisters get on with their daily lives, which revolve around the rituals of worship, even if their increasingly popular Instagram account suggests otherwise.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SING HALLELUJAH!")
DR. ALBAN: (Singing) Sing Hallelujah. Sing it. Sing Hallelujah.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RITA: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).
(SOUNDBITE OF PUNCHES THUDDING)
RITA: (Laughter).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken, laughter)
NICHOLSON: While a growing flock of more than 280,000 Instagram followers appreciate posts showing the sisters' high jinks and capers, such as Sister Rita's boxing sessions, the provost's spokesperson, Harald Schiffl, is less enthusiastic.
HARALD SCHIFFL: (Through interpreter) The sisters' social media presence has very little to do with a real religious life, and this is why the abbey wishes to discontinue their social media accounts.
NICHOLSON: When asked whether she's happy in the limelight, Sister Rita shrugs and smiles.
RITA: (Through interpreter) The boxing sessions were fun, although I'm not sure they needed posting on Instagram. But if our followers enjoy seeing me box, then so be it.
NICHOLSON: As the newly reinstalled stairlift navigates the convent's precipitous spiral staircase, Sister Bernadette jokes that becoming novice influencers has been a steep learning curve. But she says they won't be silenced.
BERNADETTE: (Through interpreter) This isn't about the three of us. Our Instagram account lets us spread the word and help a new generation find Jesus in their hearts.
NICHOLSON: But the nuns' PR strategy is also about their survival. One of their helpers, 65-year-old Christina Wirtenberger, says the sisters are currently and unnecessarily dependent on donations.
CHRISTINA WIRTENBERGER: (Through interpreter) The sisters no longer have any access to their pensions, which are being paid every month into an account now administered by Provost Markus Grasl at the abbey.
NICHOLSON: She adds that the provost was also wrongfully claiming state benefits to pay for the sisters' care. After this made headlines last month, his spokesperson Harald Schiffl confirmed to NPR that the provost has since returned the welfare payments.
SCHIFFL: (Through interpreter) The nuns' superior submitted an application for state benefits for the sisters and it was approved. But now the authorities have changed their minds. It was a completely normal process, and the matter is resolved.
NICHOLSON: The unflappable Sister Bernadette says she will continue to pray for the provost while they await word from Rome.
BERNADETTE: (Through interpreter) We simply hope that God's hand will guide what happens.
NICHOLSON: And in the past few hours, the nuns have announced that for now, they are withdrawing from social media to signal a willingness to find a solution and to find some inner peace.
For NPR News, I'm Esme Nicholson in Salzburg.
(SOUNDBITE OF SINY'S "ORANGE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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