Runaway Nuns: Convent Heist to Chateau Dreams

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fringe Beyond Limits – "Runaway Nuns: Convent Heist to Chateau Dreams"

Air Date: June 15, 2026
Hosts: Frank (Fringe Beyond Limits), Adam Cox & Kyle Reece (The Compendium Podcast)

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Episode Overview

This special crossover brings The Compendium Podcast team—Adam Cox and Kyle Reece—front and center to narrate a little-known, almost cinematic true story: a convent of Belgian nuns who, feeling abandoned by their church, orchestrated a heist of sorts. They liquidated their assets, purchased a castle in France, and attempted to rewrite the script of their remaining years. The episode unpacks themes of rebellion, survival, gender dynamics in the Church, legal loopholes, and the pursuit of dignity against authority—all delivered with a signature blend of humor and skepticism.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Poor Clares of Bruges (14:47–17:19)

• Location: Bruges, Belgium – an ancient, picturesque city
• Order Background: The Poor Clares, founded by St. Clare of Assisi in 1212, live by strict vows of poverty, chastity, and seclusion.
• Adam Cox provides context: "It was home to a group of nuns from the Order of St. Clair…a lifestyle marked by extreme austerity." (15:42)

2. Declining Numbers and Crisis in the Convent (17:20–20:50)

• By the late ‘80s, convent populations dwindle due to social change.
• Aging nuns left with little support; few new members joining.
• “If you didn't have a new young nun coming in and all you've got is a bunch of OAPs, who's going to look after them?” (19:34, Adam Cox)
• The youngest nun (Sister Anna) is 61; oldest (Sister Agnes) is 93.

3. Betrayal and the Spark for Rebellion (20:50–23:09)

• The Church decides Sister Anna’s convent will receive no new members; the writing is on the wall.
• Adam: “You can imagine she's being pissed at this, right?” (23:07)

4. The Heist Plot: Alliances and Strategy (23:10–26:30)

• Sister Anna consults the 35-year-old groundskeeper, Ronnie Crabbe, for counsel.
• Over 18 months, Anna discreetly sells convent relics, artworks, and gold with Ronnie’s help.
• She gradually persuades the other nuns, tapping into their sense of betrayal and desire for control over their own lives.

5. Women, The Law, and Outmaneuvering the Church (28:08–29:50)

• The nuns use a legal loophole: as members of an independent nonprofit, they vote to amend bylaws so they can sell property and keep proceeds—bypassing Vatican approval.
• “Why would [the Vatican] think these innocent nuns would ever look at this legal loophole and go against them? Never would have suspected.” (29:08, Adam Cox)

6. The Big Move: Limousines, Castles, and High Rolling Nuns (30:20–33:13)

• The nuns sell their 600-year-old convent for £770,000, then buy a semi-derelict castle in the south of France—complete with a pool and tennis court.
• They travel there in a pink limousine with a stocked bar; Sister Agnes, due to health, follows in an ambulance.
• “No nun left behind.” (31:18, Adam Cox)
• They indulge—owning racehorses, luxury cars, and even having matching Mercedes with in-car phones.

7. The Church Strikes Back (33:13–36:14)

• The Bishop of Bruges, Reverend Roger Van Heerloui, tries to overturn the sale using Vatican lawyers, but the nuns’ plan is airtight.
• The Church offers to buy the convent back, but the nuns refuse, embracing their newfound freedom.

8. Copycat Nuns and a Wave of Defiance (35:55–41:27)

• News of the heist inspires similar acts: Sister Maria in Newport turns her convent into a boutique hotel and runs a side business selling communion wafers.
• Media coverage dramatizes these “runaway nuns”; the Church launches a PR campaign to save face.

9. Legal Fallout and the End of the Dream (44:47–46:35)

• The Church targets Ronnie Crabbe, accusing him of theft, forgery, and more; he’s imprisoned for 39 days.
• The nuns’ accounts are frozen, forcing them to sell the castle and return to Belgium.
• Adam laments: “I’m so gutted for these nuns, because what they managed to pull off, I think is ingenious.” (45:59)

10. Legacy, Media Spin, and Final Fates (46:35–55:00)

• Ronnie is ultimately acquitted after five years; most nuns return to Church care, with little solidarity for Ronnie, who feels betrayed.
• “They wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.” (47:49, Adam Cox)
• Scandalous rumor (unsubstantiated): Ronnie claims there was a lesbian love triangle in the convent that led to the drama and betrayal—raising questions about what really went on.
• The Bishop, Van Heerloui, is later discredited and resigns over child abuse allegations (51:17–53:04).

11. Coda: Life After the Heist (54:31–55:28)

• Sister Anna and Sister Clara, both no longer with the Church, reunite and spend their remaining years together in a French farmhouse, perhaps as more than friends.
• “This is a beautiful survival lesbian story, really, underneath it all.” (55:08, Kyle Reece)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the legal loophole:
  “They can basically choose what happens to that convent. See? Okay, so smart.” – Kyle Reece (28:53)
• On nuns’ new lifestyle:
  “Just imagine them, they're soaking up the sun, they're having a cocktail, they're lounging around the pool, maybe a spot of tennis on Tuesdays if their hip would allow it.” – Adam Cox (31:40)
• On Church hypocrisy:
  “You know, they seemed to retain some of the wealth of the Church while you’ve got these nuns that don’t have a lot relying on handouts. And then you Got priests in probably, I don’t know, designer Gucci robes or something.” – Adam Cox (18:18)
• Rumor-mongering:
  “He said that there was a lesbian love triangle within the convent…and that Sister Clara…was actually dating Mother Superior Sister Anna and was dumped by Anna for someone else. So she dobbed her into the church.” – Adam Cox (49:46)
• Final summary:
  “The pursuit of a better life can turn the unimaginable into reality.” – Adam Cox (56:33)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Origin of the Poor Clares & Convent Life: 14:47–17:19
• Crisis, Betrayal, and Convent Decline: 17:19–23:09
• The Heist Plot Unfolded: 23:10–29:50
• The Move to France & Newfound Freedom: 30:20–33:13
• Church Retaliates/Legal Battles: 33:13–36:14, 44:47–46:35
• The Contagion Spreads – Sister Maria’s Story: 35:55–41:27
• Captivity, Release, and Final Days: 46:35–55:00
• Aftermath, Reunion, and Reflection: 54:31–55:28

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Tone & Style

• Humorous & Irreverent: Wry banter and speculative asides between Adam and Kyle throughout.
• Skeptical but Empathetic: They balance skepticism about Church motives with clear sympathy for the nuns.
• Conversational and Accessible: Complex church politics and history are explained with relatable, often cheeky analogies (“runaway nuns”, “nun-themed brothel”, “Gucci-wearing priests”).

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Conclusion

The tale of the runaway nuns is both rebellious caper and social commentary—on faith, authority, aging, and autonomy. The episode blends detailed research with playful humor, humanizing the women at its center and highlighting the bureaucratic and moral failings of the institution they left behind. The narrative is a salute to self-determination, enduring friendship, and the hope that even within ancient systems, individuals can sometimes rewrite their destinies.

Transcript

[Adam Cox]

Sam foreign.

[Frank]

Welcome to another episode of Fringe Beyond Limits. Hi, guys. Frank here, and tonight we're taking a slightly different path into the unknown. One of the things I've always appreciated about podcasting is that no matter where you are in the world, there are people asking the same questions we ask here. People who are digging through history, investigating mysteries, uncovering strange stories, and searching for the details that most people overlook. That's why I'm excited to share tonight's episode with you. This is part of a special episode swap with the Compendium podcast, hosted by Kyle Rise and Adam Cox. If you're not familiar with their show, Kyle and Adam have built something truly unique. They take fascinating real world stories, from dark history and true crime to unbelievable events and forgotten mysteries, and peel back the layers to reveal the details hiding beneath the surface. Their style is a thoughtful well searched and driven by the same curiosity that fuels all of us who spend our nights wondering if there's more to the story than we've been told. So tonight, we're stepping aside and handing the microphone over to Kyle and Adam. As you listen, I encourage you to do what we always do here on Fringe. Beyond question. Assumptions. Follow the evidence, explore every possibility. Because sometimes the most incredible stories aren't the ones we invent, they're the ones that actually happened. If you enjoy what you hear, be sure to check out the Compendium podcast and show Kyle and Adam some support. Independent creators thrive because of listeners like you, and every follow, review and share helps keep these stories alive. Thank you, as always, for being part of this incredible community. Now dim the lights, settle in, and prepare for a journey into one of the many fascinating stories found under the Compendium's circus tent. I'll see you on the other side. This is Fringe Beyond Limits, and tonight, the story belongs to Kyle and Adam.

[Adam Cox]

So at this convent, it was Sister Maria that was in charge, and she got into trouble for being too, and I quote, worldly for religious life.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, okay. She had her own thoughts.

[Adam Cox]

She had her own thoughts.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah.

[Adam Cox]

So the church didn't like the fact that she was pulling up to local churches to deliver communion hosts in her Mercedes Benz while smoking a thin cigar.

[Kyle Reece]

Well, I have to ask, just real quick, what is a communion host when they give communion?

[Adam Cox]

Oh, she was a communion host.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, she was.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. Sorry.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, the new Communion hosts. A pimp.

[Adam Cox]

Welcome to the Compendium, an assembly of fascinating and intriguing things. If you're tuning in for the very first time, then we are a weekly variety podcast. But each week, Kyle Reece normally tells me, Adam Cox, everything he thinks I need to know about a topic that I will find both fascinating and intriguing. We cover stories from darker corners of true crime and historical events and incredible people. We will give you just enough information to stand your ground at any social gathering. But today, I'm back in the driving seat. I'm your host, Adam Cox.

[Kyle Reece]

And I'm your co host, Kyle Reece.

[Adam Cox]

And in today's episode of the Compendium, we are exploring how hell hath no fury like a Belgian nun scorned.

[Kyle Reece]

Hell hath no fury like a Belgian nun scorned.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

Are we talking about nuns today?

[Adam Cox]

We're talking about nuns.

[Kyle Reece]

Are we going to the Catholic Church?

[Adam Cox]

We are, yeah. We're talking about a group of nuns in Belgium that did some interesting but funny stuff.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, my God. This is a mainstream story, is it?

[Adam Cox]

It is. We're diving into a tale that sounds like it is straight out of a 90s comedy heist movie, but it's all true, I assure you. The year is 1990, and it was a pretty significant year. NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope. The Baltic States declared independence from the Soviet Union. Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years. Demolition of the Berlin Wall had started. And just as impressive as all those things, it's also the year that eight nuns in a Belgian convent decided it's time to shake things up and go on the run.

[Kyle Reece]

What?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

A run from where? Were they imprisoned?

[Adam Cox]

Well, they're on the run from the church.

[Kyle Reece]

Scandalier.

[Adam Cox]

Yes.

[Kyle Reece]

Did they drink too much communion wine? Is that what it was?

[Adam Cox]

Well, they had been dedicating their lives to God for all those. And the church following the rules, being good nuns, as good nuns should do, and they decide to do something so unexpected that they sell a bunch of valuable items, including the convent itself.

[Kyle Reece]

Do you mean they stole from the church?

[Adam Cox]

Well, you know, potato, potato. And what they do with that money, like anyone that comes into a bit of cash, they go on a good old fashioned shopping spree.

[Kyle Reece]

Wow.

[Adam Cox]

And one of those things is a castle. The south of France.

[Kyle Reece]

Really?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, my God. This is a ride of a lifetime.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, it should be a fun one, this one.

[Kyle Reece]

Let's do it.

[Adam Cox]

But before we go into the details, of course, first things.

[Kyle Reece]

First time for all the latest things. This is the segment of our show where we catch up on all the week's happenings and share a quick tidbit, strange fact or laugh at a bit of weird news from the past week. So, Adam, baby names. I for one, am really Glad, because I was looking through the list of baby names for 2024, and I was really relieved to see that some old classics, some normal names, were coming back into popularity, like Lizzie, Noah, Steve, Oliver, Bruce. I hear actually that Gary was a dying name.

[Adam Cox]

Little baby Gary. Yeah, it's very much a late 30s to early 40s name.

[Kyle Reece]

It needs to die, but, God, do you remember, like, early 2000s, it was a real trend for to come up with some really unusual, interesting names, either the spelling or kind of an unusual take on a name.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

So like, for example, someone might say, oh, this is baby Tiffany, but they've spelt it T I, P, H. P, H, double I, double N, triple I,

[Adam Cox]

triple E. If that spells Tiffany.

[Frank]

Sure.

[Kyle Reece]

But it got me thinking. What other words could we use for some baby names that would be perfect if only we just didn't realize the meaning of the word?

[Adam Cox]

Oh, no.

[Kyle Reece]

Okay, so try your hardest to just focus on the sound of the word.

[Adam Cox]

Right.

[Kyle Reece]

Rather than the meaning of it. Okay. And you will begin to see that, actually they make really great names. If it wasn't for the meaning.

[Adam Cox]

Worried about that?

[Kyle Reece]

Okay, name number one. Asthma.

[Adam Cox]

Asthma.

[Kyle Reece]

Asthma. What do you think?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, I guess so. Maybe a Z, M, A. Asthma.

[Kyle Reece]

Exactly. See, if you change the spelling, it makes it a great name. Blinker.

[Adam Cox]

Blinker.

[Kyle Reece]

Hey, Blinker.

[Adam Cox]

That reminds me of Blanker from Street Fighter.

[Kyle Reece]

Yes, it does. It's a great name, right? Yeah, if you didn't know the meaning of it. Great name. This is my favorite. Rosacea.

[Adam Cox]

I don't know. Is that a word?

[Kyle Reece]

Rosacea is like a condition that you have where you get, like, really red skin or you can see, like, some veins popping out on your skin. Gives you a red complexion. Some people confuse it with, like, alcoholism.

[Adam Cox]

Right, okay.

[Kyle Reece]

Or gout.

[Adam Cox]

But what is rosacea? To be honest, I don't reckon most people know about rosacea, so I think you could get away with that one.

[Kyle Reece]

Okay, what about this one? Calorie.

[Adam Cox]

Hey, Calorie. It's a lot like Mallory, so. Yeah, I can see that one.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, it sounds like a great name. Then we have Rabie.

[Adam Cox]

No, you can't. Hey, little baby Rabie.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, my sugar's exposed.

[Adam Cox]

You cannot call a baby rabie.

[Kyle Reece]

But if you don't know the meaning of the word, rabies. Sounds great.

[Adam Cox]

Rabie. Okay. Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

Feta.

[Adam Cox]

With a ph. Like the cheese? No, with a ph.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, with a ph. Great. Right. And my personal favorite, Felony.

[Adam Cox]

Felony. Yeah, I quite like felony.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, because it's quite close to Melanie, so why not Just like, felony.

[Adam Cox]

Sounds musical. I like that.

[Kyle Reece]

It does, yeah. So, yeah, I just got me thinking about what names would be great if you could use them if they weren't off limits. But these words are, like, off limits. Really?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. And I guess if. If you guys have heard of a baby with a weird name. Right in.

[Kyle Reece]

Right in. Actually, I did hear about another one. This woman was working as a cashier and this woman came up to check out and she was like, oh, you got such a beautiful baby. Oh, she's so cute. What's her name? And she went, cuntley. And she was like, excuse me. Yeah, a lot of people don't like it, but we really liked it, so we just thought we were going to go with it. And I'm like, is the C word not that well known in America for her to get away with calling her daughter cuntly? Because if this was Australia or the uk, that'd be a no. No, right?

[Adam Cox]

No. Yeah, but they have that word there. They know surely what it means.

[Kyle Reece]

They do know what it means. They don't say it very often. They don't say as much as we say it.

[Adam Cox]

No, we like a good old that. But how are they spelling it? Are they spelling it exactly how I'm thinking?

[Kyle Reece]

No idea how they're spelling it. I can just go on what she said. But can you imagine calling your daughter Cuntly?

[Adam Cox]

I don't know how many times we can actually say that.

[Kyle Reece]

Hey, it's a name. We're not actually saying the word. Okay.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. All right, moving on.

[Kyle Reece]

So what have you got for us today?

[Adam Cox]

What I've got is kind of following on from one of the episodes we've done last year on the Loch Ness Monster. NASA has been urged to help in a new search to find Nessie.

[Kyle Reece]

Okay, interesting.

[Adam Cox]

So after our episode, I thought as a whole big hoax.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, exactly. Did they not listen to our episode?

[Adam Cox]

Well, that's what I thought.

[Kyle Reece]

We should send it to them.

[Adam Cox]

We should do. But apparently between 30 May into 2 June, which is coming up. Yeah, they're doing another search for the Loch Ness monster. Because people still think it's out there.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, people do. People haven't heard our episode. That's why people don't know about the deathbed confession.

[Adam Cox]

Exactly. But the thing is, I think people recognize that the photo that we talked about and Marmaduke, that is fake. But they still think that the Loch Ness Monster exists.

[Kyle Reece]

But based on what?

[Adam Cox]

There's still sightings supposedly of this. And I've Always said it's like a prehistoric or some sort of dinosaur that's living in the lake. And I think it's like Scotland's second biggest loch or something. So it's pretty deep. It's like over 200 meters.

[Kyle Reece]

It's one of the deepest, isn't it?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, it's a huge amount of water. And so they think there's still something living there that they haven't found. And the Loch Ness center has urged the space agency NASA to lend its expertise in a fresh hunt for the legendary creature. And last year, one of the biggest searches of Loch Ness in the Highlands concluded with a hydrophone capturing loud underwater noises and several potential sightings of what, though this is.

[Kyle Reece]

It could be anything.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, but they still suspect that there's something out there that's unknown.

[Kyle Reece]

But the thing is, though, the Loch Ness Monster, they think is a plesiosaur. And a plesiosaur lived during the Pleistocene era, which was millions and millions of years ago. It wasn't. Not even 20,000 years ago, that part of the world and that lake was completely covered in ice. In fact, it was the last ice age that made that lake through its scoring and the glacier sliding across the ground that forged that lake. Unless something survived hundreds of millions of years in a different lake elsewhere in the world, and then someone plopped it into that lake after the ice age, I don't see how it could be a plesiosaur living in there.

[Adam Cox]

I don't know. And I'm not sure I believe it either, but.

[Kyle Reece]

And I'm shocked that someone like NASA would believe it.

[Adam Cox]

They haven't said yes yet?

[Kyle Reece]

No, they're not going to say yes,

[Adam Cox]

but we're busy with space stuff. But supposedly there's been 1056 sightings recorded since, I think, 1934, when the official Loch Ness monster register began. So, yeah, people are still out there. So I don't know. In the next couple of weeks, we'll find out if NASA did get involved. And if Nessie is out there.

[Kyle Reece]

She's not out there, Adam. It's a big old fat hoax. But, hey, it'd be interesting to see what people do. I like watching people just chase their tails.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

Especially when it's supposed to be big, credible people like NASA. I hope they do get involved.

[Adam Cox]

That would be good. That suggests that there is something. But I just thought it was really funny that we covered the story and yet people still believe there's something there.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, like, we are the complete authority, right? We send out an episode and we Expect the whole world to have listened to it and to believe it.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, we're up there with the Oxford English Dictionary.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah. What's your sources of the Compendium Podcast? Kyle and Adam, obviously.

[Adam Cox]

Soon this will be real. I think that's all the latest things.

[Kyle Reece]

Hey, it's Kyle here. I've got a quick favor to ask you. If you enjoy listening to the Compendium Podcast, there is one simple way that you can help show your support. Just hit that follow button in the app that you're listening to us through right now. This year, we're putting everything into making the Compendium better for you. And the only thing we'll ever ask you to do is to hit that follow button or leave us a review. It really helps our show more than we can probably articulate and is the one thing that you can do to help us spend even more time with you guys. We really appreciate it. Now, let's get back to the show. Runaway Nuns, Adam.

[Adam Cox]

So our story today starts in Bruges in the late 1980s. Now, Bruges, for those who might not know, is this absolutely stunning city in Belgium. And it's like a postcard. Cobblestone streets, picturesque canals, and buildings that have been standing for centuries.

[Kyle Reece]

Have we been there?

[Adam Cox]

We have been there. You're right.

[Kyle Reece]

Have we? Yeah.

[Adam Cox]

That's where you got Stephanie the skull.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, yes. So Stephanie is like some kind of bull head skull that we found with giant horns.

[Adam Cox]

Giant horns. You found it, you bought it. And then we had to somehow take it back to the UK through, like, customs, and we're like, how are we going to get this through? Because those horns were weapons.

[Kyle Reece]

They were huge, weren't they?

[Adam Cox]

You could use them to, I don't know, hurt someone, impale something. Yeah, but we got them through security, no problem.

[Kyle Reece]

And now she hangs in our bedroom. So she is now completely painted black. She has no horns and she has a crown of red roses over her head. I think she looks great.

[Adam Cox]

She looks good.

[Kyle Reece]

What a find.

[Adam Cox]

What a find.

[Kyle Reece]

Anyway, carry on.

[Adam Cox]

So Bruges has these ancient buildings, and one of them was a convent, which dates all the way back to the 1500s. Now, this wasn't just any convent, though. It was home to a group of nuns from the Order of St. Clair, or as they're more commonly known, as the Poor Clares. The order was founded earlier by St. Clair of Assisi in 1212.

[Kyle Reece]

What a brilliant name. St. Clair of Assisi.

[Adam Cox]

Assisi, yeah. She was one of the first women to write a set of guidelines and her house rules were particularly strict, requiring extreme poverty, no property ownership, and total reliance on handouts from the local communities in which her convents were situated, which I find it odd that someone would start this. This is how I want people to live. Extreme poverty.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah. What if it takes a while for your convent to get and there's no handouts for, like, six months? What are you going to do? What are you going to do, CeCe?

[Adam Cox]

Well, I don't know what she did, but this is what she started. She put this in motion, which lots of nuns would then begin to follow for centuries afterwards. Right. And so everyone within the Poor Clares since then had led a very minimalistic lifestyle. So owning a castle was most likely never on any of their nun wish lists. So imagine a life where you're dedicated to simplicity, that your daily routine involves a whole lot of prayer, you're scrubbing more floors than you can count, and meals that are far from gourmet. It's a lifestyle marked by extreme austerity.

[Kyle Reece]

That sounds awful.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. And living under such conditions, the Poor Clares also adhere to some pretty stringent vowels, one of them being chastity, meaning no romantic relationships. And it's a life of rigorous discipline.

[Kyle Reece]

So are there any other priests living in the convent?

[Adam Cox]

There's no priests in this convent.

[Kyle Reece]

So basically, the rule is no lesbian nun sex.

[Adam Cox]

Well, not that I'm aware of, anyway. But it's interesting that you bring up priests, because on the contrary, they lead a very different lifestyle to nuns.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, really?

[Adam Cox]

So many folks believe that religious leaders, such as Catholic priests, take a vow of poverty, but actually they do not. Diocesan priests don't even make vows, they just make promises of chastity.

[Kyle Reece]

And, of course, isn't that the same thing? A promise and a vow?

[Adam Cox]

Well, apparently they're different. As what I read.

[Kyle Reece]

I think they're the same thing.

[Adam Cox]

So they make promises which they can break, whereas a vow you can't break.

[Kyle Reece]

But what about an unbreakable vow? Well, because, like, an unbreakable vow is a vow that you can't break, but a vow you can break.

[Adam Cox]

Well, they may.

[Kyle Reece]

What?

[Adam Cox]

I don't know. But priests basically seem to get it easier than monks or nuns.

[Kyle Reece]

Of course. I mean, they're probably, like, white, straight. Well, questionable. They're probably white men. So, of course, everything's easier for them, isn't it?

[Adam Cox]

Exactly. And, you know, they seem to retain some of the wealth of the Church while you've got these nuns that don't have a lot relying on handouts. And then you Got priests in probably, I don't know, designer Gucci robes or something.

[Kyle Reece]

Shit. No sex, no alcohol, they have nothing. They just got to scrub floors all

[Adam Cox]

day and do a lot of prayer

[Kyle Reece]

and do a lot of prayer to some kind of straight white man. Of course they're going to rebel.

[Adam Cox]

Why? Men were allowed something better. But then this woman came up with these rules in the first place, so we got to blame Clara of sisi.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, that's true. So you're saying that she didn't need to come up with these rules?

[Adam Cox]

Well, I didn't dig into her life story, but she came with them.

[Kyle Reece]

I see. Okay.

[Adam Cox]

The lifestyle of the Poor Clares is also one of extreme seclusion from the world. So outside their convent, they don't really leave it, to be honest. And they live by a rule that strictly prohibits personal ownership. And anything that they must rely on is solely from these donations. So the concept of working for personal gain is also off limits. There's no way for them to kind of get any luxuries and things like that. And so this was a way of life that understandably doesn't exactly appeal to the masses. And people wanting to join the pork lairs dwindled significantly over time, especially as women began to experience greater independence and equality from like the 1960s and 70s. So by the late 1980s, the number of new nuns joining the order had plummeted to an all time low.

[Kyle Reece]

That's the thing, like, you take away any worldly pleasure and you're not going to really get many takers Friday.

[Adam Cox]

Not really. And that posed a significant dilemma for the church because strategic decisions had to be made regarding the placement of the few new nuns they did receive. And it was a delicate balancing act, determining which convents would be getting new members to ensure their survival and which ones would inevitably face decline. And it was pretty crucial, not just for the continuation of the convents, but for who would be caring for the older nuns. Because if you didn't have a new young nun coming in and all you've got is a bunch of OAPs, who's going to look after them when they have a four?

[Kyle Reece]

Sure. No, I get it. That's the thing. When you get older, you stop falling and you have falls, have a fall.

[Adam Cox]

And the thing is, if they're all 80, a fellow 80 a year old is not going to pick up another 80 year old.

[Kyle Reece]

I mean, by the sounds of it, with as much as they're working, I doubt they're even getting to 80. They're probably like 45. And they're like, my back.

[Adam Cox]

Oh, yeah. And the thing is, these nuns didn't have a spouse or family to rely on easily, so they had to rely on each other to get them through their golden years.

[Kyle Reece]

Sure.

[Adam Cox]

One of the sisters at the convent was a lady called Sister Anna. She was the Mother Superior. And during the mid to late 80s, she received some disheartening news, and that the bishop had decided that her convent wouldn't be receiving any. Any new nuns, essentially signaling that it was on the chopping block. And this news didn't really sit well with Sister Anna, especially considering the state of her convent and everything that she had done. There's only eight nuns remaining, and Sister Anna was actually the youngest at 61. And the situation was pretty bad because the oldest Sister Agnes, she was 93. She faced significant health challenges, being deaf, blind and immobile.

[Kyle Reece]

Shit.

[Adam Cox]

So you can only imagine the kind of pressure Sister Anna was feeling, how she was gonna be able to look after all these nuns, especially if she's the youngest. It's gonna be on her. And with no one coming in to replace her, then. Yeah. What's gonna happen when she needs help?

[Kyle Reece]

Sure. This is a classic survival story, man.

[Adam Cox]

It is another. We like a survival story.

[Kyle Reece]

We do.

[Adam Cox]

So she must have felt pretty betrayed by the Church after all she'd given. And so the church authorities later did argue that there was simply not enough young women joining the sisterhood to maintain the convent, and that although the inhabitants of that convent were old, they could have lived there for as many years as they would have liked, and they could have moved on. But what would happen is, once they had moved on, then the Church would take back all the valuable items and the convent itself, and they would keep it.

[Kyle Reece]

I see.

[Adam Cox]

And so the sisters may be suspected that's what would happen. But they weren't happy with the fact that the Church would get back all those goods if they're the ones that are looking after these relics and paintings and things like that. And so for them, they were like, well, actually, do we not have a say in any of this? So Sister Anna knew her options were limited and moving to another convent was possible. But the thought of leaving her home, her sisters, and the life that she had in Bruges was far from ideal. Also, when she joined the Church, she had to give up all her personal belongings and any inheritance she received from her family over the years. And the rules were pretty clear and strict on this, that she wasn't to own anything. So in the middle.

[Kyle Reece]

So she'd Given everything up. And then they say, yeah, sorry, we don't have a place for you anymore. You've got to move on. And she doesn't get her shit back.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, you can imagine she's being pissed at this, right?

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah.

[Adam Cox]

Poor Sister Anna. So she's frustrated and she does build a relationship with the convent's groundkeeper, who was 35 years old at the time.

[Kyle Reece]

The groundskeeper, Willie.

[Adam Cox]

Those names are called Robbie Crab, sir.

[Kyle Reece]

Groundskeeper wins. That sounds like a very Scottish name.

[Adam Cox]

I don't think he was Scottish. I don't know what his nationality was.

[Kyle Reece]

Robbie Macrabtree.

[Adam Cox]

Ronnie Crab.

[Kyle Reece]

It's grand keeper's Willie's cousin.

[Adam Cox]

Okay, fine. So she confided in him what was happening and asked him for some advice or some suggestions on what she could do with her sisters. And Ronnie proved to be quite the resource. And he certainly thought outside the box. He didn't just offer advice and maybe like, sell some items.

[Kyle Reece]

He helped.

[Adam Cox]

Sister Anna engaged with the modern world, from setting up a bank account to even introducing her to the idea of investing in racehorses and even owning a farm.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, slippery slope, man. Bank account. Then the next thing, you're gambling and she's like, I like this.

[Adam Cox]

Well, the thing is, Ronnie was actually all in on helping Sister Anna find a way to kind of improve her life.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah. Because he's like, do you know what? I'm an old man. I can't get a young woman anymore.

[Adam Cox]

What age? 35.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh. They go, I'm a young man. I really like old women. But you know what? It's really difficult to find an old virgin. And if I can get this woman's just to slip up a little bit and she's like, take a different road. I'm gonna. I could even bag a whole convent of virgins. Old virgins.

[Adam Cox]

No, as far as I'm aware, there's

[Kyle Reece]

no Robbie Mc Trab Tree. Oh, did I say that right?

[Adam Cox]

That's Ronnie.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, Ronnie.

[Adam Cox]

You keep saying Ronnie.

[Kyle Reece]

I'm not listening. Adam. I'm joking. I'm joking.

[Adam Cox]

Right. Anyway, as far as I'm aware, there's no romantic relationship between the two. But it was interesting, you know, given that she was twice his age and twice as Sexy.

[Kyle Reece]

So he's 35, she's 61.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. They're an unlikely duo in that the fact that he is almost half of her age, but they strike up this relationship or friendship in order to get back at the church and help secure a better future for Sister Anna, but also her other sisters. So he's a good guy and he's probably taking a cut, but, you know, everyone's winning at this, except maybe the Church. They're not winning now. Because the priests tended to keep their distance, they rarely visited or checked in in any meaningful way, which was lucky for the convent, as they could maintain their autonomy, which would allow Sister Anna to carry out her secret operation. And this was done over the course of 18 months. And to be clear, it did take some time to put into action, and Sister Anna was willing to play the long game while she discreetly sold off the convent's collection of artworks, antiques, relics and gold, all sorts, in order to get the proceeds that she could then invest into other ventures. So now Sister Anna was very careful not to just reveal the plan straight away to her fellow sisters, because she knew that could risk them alerting the priests. And they still had a sense of duty that they had to the Church. So during this 18 months, she had to subtly influence the mindset of her fellow nuns. And she shared her vision of a future that didn't include cold stone walls of the Bruges convent, a future that promised more than the rigid, monotonous life that she had led, or they'd all led under the Church's strict guidelines.

[Kyle Reece]

The thing is, though, like, I don't know how persuasive that's going to be by painting this picture of something different, because all of these women chose that. Chose this life.

[Adam Cox]

I think they chose that life. But I think the fact that they're now being forgotten about is why they're like, okay, we need to do something about it. We can't rely on just the Church anymore.

[Kyle Reece]

Sure. That's the persuasive thing for me, though, is the betrayal. Like, you've chosen this, you've given up all these things and now you've been betrayed, or you've been forgot about, you've been sidelined and no one's looking after you anymore.

[Adam Cox]

I think for them, it's about gaining control and having some influence on their future, their destiny.

[Kyle Reece]

Sure. Interesting.

[Adam Cox]

So she tapped into this sort of shared sense of injustice amongst the nuns, and all of whom had endured these harsh winters in a building that never was meant for comfort. So the idea of this warm, comfortable retirement wasn't just appealing. It felt like a deserved reward for their years of service. And so, with this shared sense of purpose, the nuns rallied behind Sister Anna's plan, with the exception of one of the sisters, Sister Clara, who does alert the Church about some of the stuff that Sister Anna is up to. And she tries to suggest that Ronnie Crabbe is the man that's to blame, not just Sister Anna. But more on that later. We'll come back to Sister Clara. So Sister Anna, having laid the groundwork and secured the unanimous support of her nuns, she finds a location for a new beginning. And that is this majestic castle in the sunny and warmer climate of the south of France. And she announces her intention to place down a deposit on the future home from some of the sales and investments she had been making. Some describe this new castle as somewhat rundown, but a castle all the same. But to secure the castle, there is one thing that they do have to work around. And so Sister Anna has discovered a legal loophole that would allow the ambitious plan to go ahead. Now, I don't know too much about legal jargon, but the convent operated as an independent nonprofit. And so this status meant it had bylaws that could be amended by its members. So in this case, the nuns. And by reaching a unanimous decision, they altered these bylaws to permit the sale of the convent and the use of the money they make from the sale themselves, bypassing the need for Vatican approval. So what they're able to do is because they all have a say in it, if they all agree mutually to this decision.

[Kyle Reece]

Sure.

[Adam Cox]

They can basically choose what happens to that convent.

[Kyle Reece]

See? Okay, so smart.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, exactly. And I think the Vatican had no idea that they suspected that these nuns would ever do that. And so they probably never thought.

[Kyle Reece]

Women. Women thinking for themselves.

[Adam Cox]

Exactly.

[Kyle Reece]

They'd never do that.

[Adam Cox]

Exactly. That. They. Why would they think that these innocent nuns would ever look at this legal loophole and go against them? Yeah, Never would have suspected.

[Kyle Reece]

But Anna's got a bank account, so meh.

[Adam Cox]

Ronnie had sourced an agent that was able to secure a quick and lucrative turnaround with this major property development company. Before the bishop could even catch wind of their plan, the 600 year old convent had been sold for the equivalent of around about 770,000 pounds, which might not seem like a lot in today's money. It'd be under. Well, I think it'd be just over 2.2 million. But for them, it was important to do a quick speedy sale before the Vatican could find out about what happened. Be quick.

[Kyle Reece]

Gotta be quick.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. So the property company actually got the convent for basically a steal. That was a really good price.

[Kyle Reece]

So what are they going to do with the convent? You said they was bought up by real estate developer. Are they going to turn them into

[Adam Cox]

houses or like I would have thought so Convent flats sound quite appealing.

[Kyle Reece]

It should have turned into like a seedy nightclub that would have turned the Vatican furious, made him really angry. Or strip club.

[Adam Cox]

A brothel.

[Kyle Reece]

Nun themed brothel. They come along, they're like, oh, the nuns are turned to prostitutes. Sister Anna.

[Adam Cox]

Oh no. Where are all these new young nuns from? So with the confid sold, it was time for the sisters to make a trip to their new home. And whilst they may have had a removal van, they did not follow in a minibus or several cars. Oh, no, they caught the bus. They caught the bus, did they? No, no, they did it though. Oh, no, they wanted something better than that, Kyle. They want to move forward with their lives. So they hired the only option that they could think of. What?

[Kyle Reece]

I don't know, an Uber.

[Adam Cox]

A pink limousine.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, of course.

[Adam Cox]

Equipped with a full bar. Oh, of course they went down in style. But of course, poor Sister Agnes, you know, she's blind, deaf and immobile. She followed behind in an ambulance. Yeah, she needed a little extra help.

[Kyle Reece]

I'm holding on, I'm holding on, guys.

[Adam Cox]

So they weren't going to leave any nun behind.

[Kyle Reece]

No nun left behind.

[Adam Cox]

And so arriving at their castle, which was equipped with a swimming pool and a tennis court, but it didn't have running water, so sounds kind of mixed

[Kyle Reece]

in terms of quality, they hadn't got their priorities straight. Do you know what this castle needs? A jacuzzi.

[Adam Cox]

How are we gonna fill that Jacuzzi?

[Kyle Reece]

Don't worry, we're nuns. We work all day, all night. We'll just come up with buckets and buckets of clean water.

[Adam Cox]

We'll pray for rain.

[Kyle Reece]

Shut up. I gotta pray.

[Adam Cox]

So, yeah, that's why some people said it was a bit run down, but hey, it's a step up from the convent. At least it's got some tennis courts. And you can imagine them, they're soaking up the sun, they're having a cocktail, they're lounging around the pool, maybe a spot of tennis on Tuesdays if their hip would allow it. So, yeah, it was a really nice life retirement home for them.

[Kyle Reece]

Sure.

[Adam Cox]

Ronnie continued to give them financial advice, helping them acquire a fleet of 11 racehorses, six luxury cars, and even arranging for three of the nuns to have matching top tier Mercedes, complete with car phones and TVs. They're going all out. Oh, yes. I mean, I don't think nuns would have learned how to drive, so they would have just been chauffeured around. Yeah, they're not doing donut rings.

[Kyle Reece]

I'm surprised they even know how to what are they doing with these racehorses? Who's looking after them?

[Adam Cox]

I don't know if they're just keeping them or whether they're loaning them out and getting into gambling because it feels like they're all about making money for me. They would race them. Right?

[Kyle Reece]

Amazing.

[Adam Cox]

So. Yeah. And so, as much as we'd like to believe this is where their story ends on a high note, in blissful freedom, living out their golden years, reality has a way of rearing its ugly head. But before we get into that, now's the time to take a quick break and we will be back to talk about just how their plans were foiled.

[Kyle Reece]

I think it's a great opportunity. Let's do it, Kyle.

[Adam Cox]

Our Belgian nuns, they are living their best life in the south of France after successfully going on the run from the church.

[Kyle Reece]

Yep. Drinking margaritas, you know, praying for rain.

[Adam Cox]

They're having a great old time, realising you don't have to live a life of poverty and still be a good person of the Church. Meanwhile, back in Belgium, the bishop, Reverend Roger Van Heerloui. Okay, completely disagrees. And he's feeling.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, does he?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, he's not so keen on this.

[Kyle Reece]

I don't like this.

[Adam Cox]

He's feeling the sting of the sisters departure and the sale of the convent. So he seeks out legal advice, hoping to overturn the nun's actions. Armed with Vatican attorneys, he aims to challenge the legality of the sale. But fortunately for Sister Anna and her fellow nuns, they did their research.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, she read the bylines, man. Yeah, she knows what she's doing.

[Adam Cox]

And their adherence to the legal guidelines protected their sale of the convent. So whilst that was valid, the church was like, well, we still don't agree.

[Kyle Reece]

And she's like, tough shit.

[Adam Cox]

The bishop nor the Vatican weren't willing to let this go.

[Kyle Reece]

And.

[Adam Cox]

And they probably felt like they were made to look stupid, which they did.

[Kyle Reece]

I mean, men, notoriously rich white men hate that.

[Adam Cox]

And in a bid to reclaim some element of control, because they needed to get one over, the bishop offered to buy the convent back for the same price the property developers had paid and tried to kind of lure the nuns back, saying it would be better. And the nuns thought long and hard about the offer, I imagine, for all but five seconds, and were like, nah, we're good. They've grown fond of their new life and saw no reason to return to their old and deprived ways. Equally, despite their new luxuries, Sister Anna said they had never felt closer to God than they had when they were in Bruges. It's funny what a little money, it'll do.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, exactly. God's like, these chicks got money. I'm gonna connect.

[Adam Cox]

They essentially said that they still retained that devout sort of Christianity and everything like that. They just could do that in a castle.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, yeah, why not?

[Adam Cox]

The bishop, Reverend Roger van Heerloui, not ready to give up on that just yet, requested the return of the priceless artifacts and the heirlooms and the artworks that once sat in the convent.

[Kyle Reece]

They sold them all, haven't they?

[Adam Cox]

Exactly. When he went to check, they were like, they stripped this place clean. There's nothing we can get back.

[Kyle Reece]

Who did you sell it to? There is a pawn shop on 7th street, so maybe you should go check that out.

[Adam Cox]

And so they couldn't get anything back. There's nothing there for them to reclaim. And that angered them even further, and they felt even more embarrassed. And whether the news of the sisters spread to other convents or whether the way the church was treating convents in general, not sure. But the church learned of another incident nearby.

[Kyle Reece]

A domino effect.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. Is in a place called Newport, which is.

[Kyle Reece]

Newport? You mean. You mean. You said it weird. Do you just mean Newport?

[Adam Cox]

No, not Newport in South Wales. There's a place in Belgium, which looks like Newport, but maybe with a French accent. Newport.

[Kyle Reece]

Newport.

[Adam Cox]

Anyway, their mother superior there had converted part of her convent into a luxury boutique hotel.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, God. That's gonna escalate pretty quickly. Before you know it, it's gonna be a brothel.

[Adam Cox]

Well, she needed to make some ext. And so it seemed like a wave of entrepreneurial spirit and defiance was sweeping through the ranks of the nuns in Belgium.

[Kyle Reece]

Hey, freaks. If you've been enjoying the show, we've got a small favor to ask.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. We need your help. And it's super simple, but it makes a massive difference. Last time we asked you guys to leave reviews, the response was overwhelming.

[Kyle Reece]

You all really showed up for us, and we loved reading every single one of your reviews. But we've got to keep that momentum going. So if you're a seasoned compendium podcast listener, or even if you're new here and you love what you're hearing, could you please take a quick second to leave us a review?

[Adam Cox]

It's super easy if you're on Spotify. All you got to do is click that star button and give us a five star review. Nice and quick, done in, like, two seconds.

[Kyle Reece]

But if you're feeling extra generous and you've got a bit more time in your hands, then Head over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a sweet, thoughtful, written review. Trust us, this will go a long way.

[Adam Cox]

Or if you're like, I don't use podcast apps. No worries. You can still show us some love by going to our website, thecompendiumpodcast.com and leave us a review there. We've made it super easy.

[Kyle Reece]

The more reviews we get, the more listeners we can reach and the better episodes we can bring you. It's a win. Win, really.

[Adam Cox]

So, yeah, hit that star. Leave us a review and help us grow this amazing community. We appreciate it more than you know.

[Kyle Reece]

So should we get back to the show?

[Adam Cox]

Let's do it.

[Kyle Reece]

Yes, why not? They all got a bug. They're sick and tired of being treated like shit by the males of the Catholic Church who aren't giving. Yeah, just on sharing the love.

[Adam Cox]

All those priests and Gucci. I want a bit of that preaching Gucci. So at this convent, it was Sister Maria that was in charge, and she got into trouble for being too, and I quote, worldly for religious life.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, okay. She had her own thoughts.

[Adam Cox]

She had her own thoughts. Yeah. The church did not like you made

[Kyle Reece]

our nuns think so.

[Adam Cox]

The church didn't like the fact that she was pulling up to local churches to deliver communion hosts in her Mercedes Benz while smoking a thin cigar.

[Kyle Reece]

Well, I have to ask, just real quick, what is a communion host when they give communion?

[Adam Cox]

Oh, she was a communion host.

[Kyle Reece]

She was, yeah.

[Adam Cox]

Sorry.

[Kyle Reece]

Ooh, the new communion host is a pimp.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, just imagine her just doing like a wheelie, driving up and getting out in her high heels.

[Kyle Reece]

I've done it. Can I take home the extra wine? The wine that wasn't drunk. Thanks.

[Adam Cox]

So she was facing a future with only three nuns left in her convent and no prospects of new members joining. So she took matters into her own hands. She prioritized her well being and financial security, and she began producing and selling communion wafers as a savvy move to try and get a bit of extra cash.

[Kyle Reece]

But who she's selling the wafers to? The only customer for communion wafers is other churches.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, I guess that's what she was doing. She's going around saying, hey, you need some more wafers? I got some.

[Kyle Reece]

They're like, no, I'll just order from the church's catalog. That'll do you a good price, though.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, I'll keep you double. And not stopping there. Sister Maria expanded her entrepreneurial efforts by making guest appearances at various events and functions. A bit like a local celebrity on the Party circuit.

[Kyle Reece]

Who's gonna want her? Do you know what, guys? Great club opening. I think as a star attraction, should be Sister Maria.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. And even people would want her to host their wedding as well. So she really.

[Frank]

Wow.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, she was clearly a character. But her lifestyle choices eventually caught the attention of the Church and they obviously disapproved of that and wanted to demote her. But Sister Maria was like, nah, I'm not going anywhere. She also inherited a considerable amount of money from her uncle, which of course, she was not supposed to keep, given her vows as a nun. And so she then used that money to transform half the convent into a boutique hotel, leveraging the same legal bylaws that had allowed the poor Claire's and Bruges to sell their convent.

[Frank]

And.

[Adam Cox]

And so this move was intended to secure her retirement, essentially because she spent all this money. She had completed the boutique hotel with Persian rugs, pink marble, tiled bathrooms, a swimming pool, a gym, and she would charge a premium amount to stay the night.

[Kyle Reece]

Wow. How much was she charging, do you know?

[Adam Cox]

It was around about $400, I think it was. But I don't know if that was US dollars or Aus dollars. But anyway, that's quite a.

[Kyle Reece]

Why would be Oz dollars?

[Adam Cox]

I was looking at different reports from Australia and.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, I see. Okay, what's happening?

[Adam Cox]

And I didn't fact check that.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, okay. You just lifted this straight off someone else's research?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, it's a news article. But anyway, I think for 200 or $400, sure. It's still quite a lot for 1990s.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, 1990s money. Man's good money.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. Sister Maria's new business venture gained a lot of media attention, and that added to the Church's anger at the time. And because this happened at the same time as what was happening in Bruges, there's this narrative of Belgian nuns just going AWOL or up against the Church and carving their own sort of future. This meant that Sister Maria had to go and she was eventually given the sack. But newspapers were having a field day with this story, as well as the nuns from Bruges. In response to the media frenzy, the Church found itself in a precarious position, trying to navigate the PR storm as best as possible. And so the Bishop issued a statement expressing bafflement of the nuns action and emphasizing the Church's concern for their well being over any material losses. He painted a picture to say that the Church simply wanted its nuns back, safe within the confines of their Belgian home.

[Kyle Reece]

And if they could also just quickly Bring back all that inheritance that they've gotten.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

And all the artifacts. Then that'd be great as well.

[Adam Cox]

And we can keep the boutique hotel going. Yeah, yeah, that's fine. We'll earn some money from that. So you can imagine these nuns didn't want to return to a life of sparse meals and kneeling on hard wooden floors. You know, that wasn't quite as appealing as having morning cocktails with the pool boy. I don't know if that actually happened, but I hope it did. So the nuns living their new lives in France were quick to call out the hypocrisy of the Church's statements. They pointed out that the Church's readiness to abandon them in their old age, contradicting this sudden concern that they had for their welfare that they were trying to portray in the media. They were like, no, that's not true. So to sidestep the bad impression the Church could gain from vilifying the nuns, the Church then spun a narrative that cast Ronnie Crabb, the groundskeeper, as the scheming villain behind it all. Using the information that Sister Clara, the sister that grassed on Sister Anna, they used her information to create this story and used to go after Ronnie. The Church made it clear that it was Sister Anna seen as the mastermind and that she needed to be excluded from the Church, while the others portrayed were just victims or were duped by Ronnie.

[Kyle Reece]

Innocent bystanders.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. And a delegation consisting of a judge, some police officers, and a journalist made their way to visit the nuns in the south of France. And their mission was to uncover the truth behind the Church's allegations that the nuns were being held against their will. And what they found was entirely different.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, God.

[Adam Cox]

The nuns were thriving. They were far from duped or anything like that. They would love their new lives. They were fully conscious and proud of their decisions they had made with it all.

[Kyle Reece]

Like, Madge from Benidorm, like, on their little mobility scooters with a real, like, harsh tanning bikinis and their skin's all sagging. They've got a fag in their mouth and a gin and tonic in the other, and they're all drunk and they're, like, playing bumper cars around the pool.

[Adam Cox]

I hope so. I really do. So, yeah. They could clearly see that, okay, these nuns weren't tricked, and the nuns owned their actions themselves. They say, like, nope, don't think that we've been duped. We wanted this. And so they were like, the ball is squarely in the Church's court because it's an Opportunity for them to practice what they preach. They should forgive. They should have compassion. They should turn the other cheek. However, when faced with a decision on how to respond, the Vatican chose the path that seemed at odds with its teachings. Instead of offering forgiveness, they just went after Ronnie even further. And I'm going to tell you just how that played out right after this short break.

[Kyle Reece]

Great.

[Adam Cox]

So, as I mentioned, the Vatican were going after Ronnie, saying he had committed forgery, theft, extortion, Frau. And even physical abuse, which, of course, were all big, massive lies. Caught in the legal battle, Ronnie was unjustly imprisoned for 39 days before he could post bail. Yep, they arrested him initially. Meanwhile, the Church wagered a smear campaign branding him a dangerous criminal to justify their actions and maintain their narrative.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeesh, The Catholic Church like a smear campaign, don't they?

[Adam Cox]

They do indeed. So Ronnie's legal battles also impacted the nuns, whose financial accounts were frozen amidst. So all this money that they had accrued, they could no longer spend.

[Kyle Reece]

Man, how are they gonna, like, get booze and skinny cigarettes?

[Adam Cox]

Exactly. And so they're cut off from all these resources and uncertain when they're gonna get access to their funds again. And that posed a huge problem. And because the legal proceedings were taking months and months to go through, they had no other choice but to sell their dream castle, a place that they'd called home for only a year. And so they had to return back to Belgium and. And rely on family members to help them initially.

[Kyle Reece]

Really?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. Oh, and this is a real shame, because I'm so gutted for these nuns, because what they managed to pull off, I think is ingenious.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, for sure. Like, how long did it take them to resell the castle? Because I'm surprised. That's a quick thing. Like, you want to sell a castle. There's not many buys for castles, right?

[Adam Cox]

I guess not. And I don't know whether they had to take less for it or whatever it was, but either way, they managed, I think, to get some money, and then they moved back home and. But the thing is, they did this without breaking any laws, technically, but they only managed to enjoy a year's freedom.

[Kyle Reece]

Well, at least they had that, though.

[Adam Cox]

They did, yeah. And I think, you know, we can be happy about that.

[Kyle Reece]

So they all went back to Belgium. What, decided to move in with family members or they still living together? They found a convent where they can still be together. What's the deal?

[Adam Cox]

Well, first, I'll cover what happened to Ronnie, because that kind of leads on to what happened to the rest of the nuns. So the. The trials surrounding Ronnie spanned over five years, actually.

[Kyle Reece]

Shit. And he stayed in jail this whole time?

[Adam Cox]

He got released.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, after 39 days.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. But was still battling against this and trying to clear his name. And it was a pretty grueling period for him. He was eventually acquitted of all charges in 1996. However, by that time, the narrative of the nuns had taken another turn, one of which a lot of them had returned to the Church. They had no other choice, really. And I guess for them, they're at an old age. They didn't know any different, or most of their life had been with the Church. Perhaps they didn't have much choice other than that.

[Kyle Reece]

Sure, yeah.

[Adam Cox]

The solidarity they once shared with Ronnie, who had stood by them through their adventure, seemed to also disappear, which was, I thought, was really quite sad. No one seemed to stand by him. But again, maybe the Church influenced what they could or couldn't do if they were to return.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, I guess so. It's a shame, really, because it was because of him that they were able to find this freedom. They had the know how, the freedom that they needed.

[Adam Cox]

They wouldn't have been able to do it without him. And so he didn't hold back on his critique of the Church's actions. He was obviously disappointed by the lack of the support that he had from the nuns. He first said that he felt betrayed. He says it's all down to the Church. Cause it was the sisters who wanted a flotilla of luxury cars, an actual

[Kyle Reece]

flotilla for Marigold Day.

[Adam Cox]

You know, it's. It's them that wanted a farmhouse and the Pyrenees. So when the business turns sour for the sisters and the Bruges prosecutor's office, he basically was saying it was always the Church that wanted to get back at him and make him the example. Ronnie has teased about the possibility of turning his and the nun's story into a book and potentially a film starring Bette Midler and Whoopi Goldberg.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, hang on.

[Adam Cox]

But that didn't come to fruition.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, okay.

[Adam Cox]

But Whoopi Goldberg was inspired.

[Kyle Reece]

This is wrecked.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. And you'd think, like, was his story inspired or did this inspire Sister Act? But apparently there is no news on that. Although I did find another nun, someone not related to this story that Sister act was inspired by.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, really?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

Who?

[Adam Cox]

Another nun. It's a whole side story that I didn't have time to go into, but supposedly she was put into protection.

[Kyle Reece]

Sure.

[Adam Cox]

And she then sent a script to producers, which then. Or like a treatment for an idea in Hollywood, and they ignored it. Then two years later, Sister act came out.

[Kyle Reece]

Right, okay.

[Adam Cox]

But given the story, it feels like it should be a sister act movie. 100% sister act three. There was talk that they were gonna do it, but I think. I don't know, it still hasn't happened yet. It's probably too late now. I think a lot of the cast has died, I think.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, well, you can always get a new cast. I mean, then they've got, finally the young nuns that they're needing. But it could be like Sister Act 3.

[Adam Cox]

So in a final surprising twist, before Ronnie disappeared from the public eye for good, he did lead the public with a provocative claim about the personal lives of the nuns.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, no. He fucked them all.

[Adam Cox]

I'm not saying that. He said that there was a lesbian love triangle within the convent.

[Kyle Reece]

Love? A lesbian triangle?

[Adam Cox]

And that Sister Clara was, you know, the one that dobbed in Sister Anna, was actually dating Mother Superior Sister Anna and was dumped by Anna for someone else. So she dobbed her into the church.

[Kyle Reece]

Really? Yeah. Scandalous. Scandalous.

[Adam Cox]

She was a jealous lover. Yeah, yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

I mean, when there's no men around and, like, you don't have many options and you just spend all your time with other women, people want that connection. So there's no surprise that they fell in love.

[Adam Cox]

There's nothing to confirm this, to be fair. It just all came from Ronnie, and so we don't know if it was a jilted lover as the reason this all came crashing down. But it's interesting that Ronnie did come out with this.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah.

[Adam Cox]

Ronnie does say the nuns were given a new home. And with their living expenses under control of the church again, the nuns were effectively prisoners again. Worse still, they had to accept a representative of the bishop on the board of the trustees of their new home, who Ronnie implied was a spy for the authorities placed there to keep those naughty nuns in check. Of course, couldn't let this happen again. The Bishop of Bruges did get some kind of comeuppance. He was discredited, but not as much as he should have been in 2010. He was aged 73 at that point, and Roger Van Hillui became the first European bishop to resign due to child abuse allegations.

[Kyle Reece]

Of course. Do you know what I was literally going to say? Do you know what? If you want to get back at him, just look into his past. I'm sure you will find some kind of misappropriation of young people.

[Adam Cox]

It transpired that the Belgium's longest serving bishop had abused his own nephew over a period of 13 years and he was forced to resign because a friend of the nephew threatened to make the abuse public. He did acknowledge that he had, I hate this word, molested a boy in his close entourage, which I'm guessing is him.

[Kyle Reece]

What word don't you like? Entourage? You mean molest?

[Adam Cox]

What's wrong with molest? It's a horrible word.

[Kyle Reece]

What's the better word?

[Adam Cox]

It is what it is, but it's not a nice word. Okay, it doesn't sound nice. It doesn't have nice meaning.

[Kyle Reece]

No, but he shouldn't be like, oh, let's, let's make it a better word. Like, what's the better word for it? Well, I'm just curious to know, would you like, say, oh, like, I don't

[Adam Cox]

know, he followed with his nephew.

[Kyle Reece]

That's a bad word.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, in this context, yeah. As the case unfolded, it became apparent the church officials had warned about Vang he lui as abuse 25 years previously, but had taken no action and attempted to cover up the scandal.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh my God, it's. It happened. You hear about this all the time where it's been reported a bunch of times. People know of it, people are aware, but they just brush it under the rug.

[Adam Cox]

And the thing is though, in Belgian law at the time, a sexual abuse victim could only lodge a criminal complaint up to 10 years after turning 18. Oh, and the victim in Vangu Louis case was 40 at the time that this came out. But because it came out so long after him being 18, I. E. Greater than 10 years, the case was too old to basically charge the bishop with.

[Kyle Reece]

I mean, like, even if he can't be charged with it, it's still. It being public knowledge is probably enough, right, because it's just going to be

[Adam Cox]

shunned by, well, you know, he was forced to leave the church. Take that resignation. And the Archbishop of Brussels made a public statement that Van Hillouis resignation marked an end to all these cover ups. But within two months of that statement, more than 500 people, mostly men, claimed they had been abused by the Church.

[Kyle Reece]

Why am I not surprised?

[Adam Cox]

And then the thing is, these, these are priests or whatever. You've got all the nuns locked away in a convent.

[Kyle Reece]

One lesbian sex affair. And then, and then with the men, there's 500 sexual abuse cases.

[Adam Cox]

That's just.

[Kyle Reece]

At least with the nuns, it's consensual lesbian inning.

[Adam Cox]

That is a verb, is it?

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, it's a new verb.

[Adam Cox]

So yeah, it is horrendous. And it just kind of angers Me, that's what's allowed to go on. But the women can't go and buy a castle, I believe.

[Kyle Reece]

It's just so prevalent. It's just so strange, isn't it, that it's so prevalent?

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. But let's end on the nuns. Okay, so Sister Agnes, she passes away. She's 93, so I don't think it would take much.

[Kyle Reece]

You said that so positively. Then you go, so let's end with the nuns, yeah. So Sister Agnes, she dared. What's that about?

[Adam Cox]

Okay, well, yeah, she's dead, but I don't know what happened to the other nuns. The last bit's fun.

[Kyle Reece]

So let's end on what we know. Just one of the nuns. Don't know what happened to the rest.

[Adam Cox]

Hang on, I'm getting to the last bit.

[Kyle Reece]

Okay, the nice bit.

[Adam Cox]

The nice bit. Okay. So for Sister Anna, she does rekindle her friendship with Sister Clara, both having left the church. And she goes to join Sister Clara in a little farmhouse by a stream in Ardennes in France. And they get to enjoy their golden years together, perhaps as friends or maybe as girlfriends.

[Kyle Reece]

I like to think as girlfriends.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah.

[Adam Cox]

And so that is the story of how the Poor Clare sisters jacked in the church and went on the run to the south of France.

[Kyle Reece]

I love it. I love it. This is a beautiful survival lesbian story,

[Adam Cox]

really, underneath it all.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah. When you find someone that you love more than anything in the world, you will do whatever it takes to get your little father. Farmhouse in France.

[Adam Cox]

And so long as your lover hasn't pissed you off and gone off with someone else, that can happen.

[Kyle Reece]

Brilliant. I can't believe this isn't a film.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah, it really should be. Apparently there was a Belgian TV show which I read about, but I couldn't find the name of. Apparently it was reviewed pretty badly.

[Kyle Reece]

I have a brilliant name for it, though. If they're gonna make a TV show of it, go on the last of the communion wine.

[Adam Cox]

Like Last of the Summer.

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, yeah, that'd be brilliant.

[Adam Cox]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, should we run the outro?

[Kyle Reece]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Adam Cox]

And so we come to the end of another episode of the Compendium, an assembly of fascinating and intriguing things. If you found today's episode both fascinating and intriguing, then please subscribe and leave us a review. And don't just stop there. Schedule your episodes to download automatically. Doing this not only ensures you're always in the loop group, but also boosts our visibility, helping us to serve you even more captivating tales. Straight to your ears. You can follow us on Instagram at the Compendium Podcast or visit our home on the [e-mail] we release new episodes every Tuesday. And so until then, remember, from Bruges cold stones to sunny French chateaus, the pursuit of a better life can turn the unimaginable into reality.

[Kyle Reece]

No, it's not nice.

[Adam Cox]

Until next week. See you.

[Kyle Reece]

See you later.

[Adam Cox]

Sorry, I thought you were going to do. See you.

[Kyle Reece]

Oh, I see. No, I. I don't. We don't finish each other's sandwiches,

[Frank]

so

[Kyle Reece]

we don't finish each other's sentences either.

[Adam Cox]

Fine.

[Kyle Reece]

See you. Next.

[Adam Cox]

Sam, If you like the show, please take a moment to rate review and subscribe.

[Kyle Reece]

It really does help the show to grow.

[Adam Cox]

Thank you for listening.