Katy Perry seems headed for convent, after nuns pitted against archdiocese

(Reuters / Danny Moloshok)

Katy Perry, the onetime Christian singer, is a star who can't wait to get into a convent.

This week she won a court battle against a Catholic order of nuns to buy a former hilltop convent from the archdiocese of Los Angeles.

The superstar wants to buy a former convent that overlooks downtown in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Perry's father is a Protestant pastor and she began her career as a Gospel singer, but has since left the faith.

In 2013 she told Marie Claire magazine: "I'm not Buddhist, I'm not Hindu, I'm not Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God," Christian Headlines reported.

Several elderly nuns claim they own the convent and can thus sell it. The archdiocese doesn't see it that way.

The sisters contend that they, and not LA Archbishop José Horacio Gómez, have the right to sell the convent, which is among the assets of the nuns order's nonprofit institute.

Several Only five members of the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary remain, ranging in age from 77 to 88, the Associated Press reported.

The community of nuns has owned the 8-acre (3.2 hectare) property for more than 40 years, but they have not lived there for several years.

Both the nuns and the archdiocese lay claim to having the rights to sell the property, which became a problem in May last year.

Two of the sisters then decided to sell the convent, entering into a formal agreement with restaurateur Dana Hollister for $15.5 million CNN reported.

VIEW OF THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS

Tthe scenic convent  comes with a swimming pool and a sweeping view of the San Gabriel Mountains.

On April 13, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Bowick ruled the nuns' attempt to sell the convent to Hollister void, according to Fox News, even though Hollister had already started renovations on the property

The archdiocese, however, did not approve the sale, and agreed to sell it to Perry for $14.5 million.

So the archdiocese took civil action against the sisters.

"Unfortunately, the Archdiocese had to take civil action to protect against the unauthorized action by Ms. Hollister, which was undertaken after the preferred transaction had been accepted in consultation with the Sisters," the archdiocese said in a statement, according to The Washington Post.

So, Perry's $14.5 million bid might go through, if it gets approved by the Vatican, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

"Which should be a cakewalk," commented Vanity Fair. "The Los Angeles archbishop has approved, so why wouldn't the Pope, or whoever in Rome decides such things, give the sale the rubber stamp?"

"I mean, those dudes love big gaudy mansions, so why wouldn't they want Perry, certainly a Christian if not a Catholic, to have one of her own? Plus, Hollister's plans to open a hotel are not being met kindly by the neighbors, so there's that to consider, too."

"If Perry gets the convent she's long desired, like Magica De Spell craving Scrooge McDuck's Number One Dime, what will she do with it? Well, she's offered to buy another building to house the remaining nuns, off-site, and then she'll, I dunno, just live in the place."

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