The Most Evil Nuns in the History of Mankind

The Most Evil Nuns in the History of Mankind

When we think of nuns, the image that often comes to mind is one of piety, devotion, and selfless service. These women of God are supposed to be paragons of virtue, living lives dedicated to the teachings of Christ and the betterment of humanity. However, the reality is that even among the ranks of the most devout, there have been those who have succumbed to the darker impulses of human nature, committing acts of cruelty, greed, and depravity that shatter the very foundations of their sacred calling.

In this chilling exploration, we will delve into the stories of some of the most evil nuns in history, whose actions have left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness. From embezzlement and gambling to murder and child trafficking, these women have betrayed the trust placed in them and revealed the capacity for darkness that can lurk even in the most hallowed of institutions.

The Gamblin’ Nun of Cali

One would think that a life of service and devotion to God would leave little room for worldly vices, but for Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, the lure of the casino proved too strong to resist. As the principal of a Catholic elementary school in California, Kreuper was entrusted with the financial affairs of her order, a responsibility she took advantage of in the most egregious manner.

Over the course of a decade, Kreuper embezzled a staggering $835,000 from the school’s coffers, the equivalent of 14 students’ tuition fees each year. Where did this vast sum of money go? Straight into the pockets of the gambling-addicted nun, who used it to fund her trips to the casino.

The prosecutor in the case described Kreuper’s actions as a “tremendous breach of trust,” and the judge showed little mercy, sentencing her to 366 days in federal prison. While the nuns of her order may have been less forgiving, one can only imagine the gossip that must have swirled around the convent walls in the wake of this scandalous revelation.

More: What If the South Won the Civil War? Exploring an Alternate Reality

Catalina De Erauso: The Swashbuckling Nun

Born in 1585 in San Sebastian, Spain, Catalina De Erauso’s life story reads like the plot of a high-seas adventure novel. Raised by a military captain father, De Erauso received combat training from a young age, but at just four years old, she was sent to live in a convent, where her mother’s cousin was in charge.

De Erauso, however, had no taste for the strict and cloistered life of a nun. After a particularly brutal beating at the age of 15, she orchestrated a daring escape, emerging from the convent dressed in boy’s clothing and assuming the identity of “Antonio de Erauso.”

Thus began a life of scoundrelry and violence, as the former nun-turned-swashbuckler made a name for herself across the Americas, conning, stealing, and even killing with impunity. De Erauso’s exploits included:

• Shooting and killing her own uncle over a dispute about 500 pesos
• Weaving a trail of carnage across the continent, escaping death multiple times
• Taking on various odd jobs and gigs, using her cunning and combat skills to survive

Historians remain divided on whether De Erauso’s gender-bending identity was a mere convenience or a reflection of their true self, but one thing is certain: this former nun was a force to be reckoned with, a true antihero whose story has captivated audiences for centuries.

The Baby Thieves of India

While the Gamblin’ Nun and the Swashbuckling Nun may have been driven by personal vices and a thirst for adventure, the nuns of the Nirmal Hriday Home in Ranchi, India, took their betrayal of their sacred calling to an even darker level.

In 2018, the home, which was supposed to offer refuge and support to unmarried pregnant women, was raided by authorities, and the shocking truth was uncovered: a nun and another employee had been engaging in the despicable practice of child trafficking. They had been taking babies from the very mothers they were meant to protect and selling them to couples who could afford to pay.

One couple, who had paid $1,700 for a child, found that their money had been stolen, and they promptly reported the theft, leading to the unraveling of the entire operation. The “house of refuge” had become a house of predation, with the nuns betraying the trust of the vulnerable women and children in their care.

This disturbing case not only casts a pall over the legacy of the home’s founder, Mother Teresa, but also serves as a stark reminder that even the most revered institutions can harbor the most heinous of crimes.

Saint Theodosia of Constantinople: The Nun Who Killed for Her Faith

In the 8th century, the Byzantine Empire was embroiled in a bitter conflict known as the Byzantine Iconoclasm, a period in which the use of religious imagery and artifacts was fiercely opposed by the ruling Emperor, Leo III. This was a time of great turmoil for the Church, and one nun, Saint Theodosia of Constantinople, took matters into her own hands in a most violent manner.

When an officer came to the convent to remove an image of Jesus, Theodosia took action, violently shaking the ladder the officer was using, causing him to fall to his death. Some accounts even suggest that she fought viciously, killing another officer with a rock. Unrepentant in her actions, Theodosia believed that her murder was justified by her religious convictions.

Brought before the Emperor, Theodosia remained steadfast in her beliefs, and the Emperor, in turn, ordered her execution by having a ram’s horn shoved through her throat. Ironically, despite her violent actions, Theodosia was eventually made a saint by those who opposed the iconoclasm, a testament to the complex and often contradictory nature of religious devotion.

The Tanac Exorcists: Nuns Gone Wild

In the realm of religious fanaticism, few stories are as chilling as that of the Tanac Exorcists, a group of nuns who, under the guidance of a radical Orthodox priest, committed a heinous act of cruelty in the name of their faith.

The story begins with Father Daniel Petre Corogeanu, a Romanian priest with a history of bizarre behavior and radicalism. When the monks under his leadership left the monastery due to his conduct, Corogeanu created an order of nuns who were oddly devoted to him, almost as if he were building his own personal cult.

One of the nuns, Maricica Irina Cornici, suffered from mental illness, but the monastery’s residents, including her own brother, blamed something more sinister: demonic possession. Corogeanu, convinced of this, talked his nuns into performing an exorcism, a task they were all too willing to carry out.

The nuns bound Cornici’s arms and legs, chaining her to a cross for an anointing ritual. They kept her chained up in the church for several days, even going so far as to put a towel in her mouth to prevent her from “cursing.” When she was finally released, Cornici passed out and died on the way to the hospital.

While the priest was sentenced to 14 years in prison, the four nuns who participated in this horrific act received sentences ranging from 5 to 8 years. Justice, it seems, was a long time coming for these sinister sisters.

The Sisters of Smyllum Park: Betraying the Vulnerable

For children who have been abandoned or orphaned, an orphanage is meant to be a safe haven, a place where they can find shelter, care, and the opportunity to grow and thrive. But for the children of the Smyllum Park orphanage in Scotland, the reality was far more sinister.

Between 1969 and 1981, a trio of women, including two nuns, were accused of a litany of abuses against the vulnerable children in their care. Sister Sarah McDermott, Sister Eileen Igoe, and care worker Margaret Hughes were charged with beating the children, covering up other abuses by workers, and turning the orphanage into a veritable house of horrors.

When the crimes finally came to light, decades after the fact, the three women, now aged between 76 and 79, were sentenced to 3 years in prison each, a sentence the judge hoped would serve as a deterrent to anyone else who dared to endanger the lives of children.

The betrayal of trust and the violation of the children’s innocence at the hands of these nuns and their accomplice is a stain on the legacy of the Catholic Church, a reminder that even the most sacred institutions can harbor the most heinous of crimes.

The Shame of Canada: Residential School Horrors

The history of Canada is marred by the dark legacy of the residential school system, a network of boarding schools designed to strip Indigenous children of their cultural identity and assimilate them into mainstream Canadian society. At the heart of this shameful chapter were the nuns and other religious figures who oversaw the day-to-day operations of these institutions.

In the early 2000s, a lawsuit was filed that shed light on the horrific abuses that took place at several of these schools, including St. Anne’s in Fort Albany, Bishop Belleau School in Moosonee, and a Sudbury detention facility. The grim details that emerged painted a picture of a system rife with cruelty, neglect, and the betrayal of the most vulnerable.

One of the culprits, Francoise Seguin, was charged at the age of 97 in 2023 with the crime of “gross indecency,” a charge that had actually been repealed in 1987. This case serves as a sobering reminder that the legacy of these residential schools continues to haunt Canada, and that the pursuit of justice for the victims is an ongoing battle.

The nuns and other religious figures who were entrusted with the care of these children betrayed that trust in the most egregious manner, subjecting them to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, all in the name of a misguided and deeply flawed vision of cultural assimilation. The scars of this shameful chapter will likely never fully heal.

The Salacious Sisters: Murder in the Convent

In the annals of Catholic Church scandals, few cases are as shocking as the murder of Sister Abhaya in Southern India. The young nun’s body was found in a well on the grounds of the convent she called home, and the evidence of foul play was overwhelming – her veil had been snagged on the door, and an ax was discovered nearby.

Yet, for nearly three decades, no one was charged for the crime. That is, until 2021, when two arrests were made that sent shockwaves through the Church worldwide. The culprits were none other than a priest, Father Thomas Kottoor, and a nun, Sister Sephy, the head of the convent.

The disturbing truth that emerged was that Sister Abhaya had stumbled upon the two engaged in a highly unorthodox and salacious act – something that is strictly forbidden in the Catholic faith. Facing the prospect of being defrocked and excommunicated, the unholy duo decided to silence the unfortunate nun, murdering her and attempting to conceal her body.

After years of the victim’s father’s tireless quest for justice, the prosecutors finally secured a life sentence for the priest and the nun, bringing an end to this sordid and tragic tale. The case serves as a stark reminder that even the most hallowed of institutions can harbor the most depraved of individuals.

Mariam Soulakiotis: The “Mother Rasputin” of the Greek Orthodox Church

In the early 20th century, the Greek Orthodox Church was in a state of flux, with several radical groups rejecting the church’s recent reforms. One such group was led by Archbishop Matthew Karpathakis, and he had a particularly devoted follower in the form of Mariam Soulakiotis, an Orthodox nun who had been a member of the order for over two decades.

Soulakiotis joined Karpathakis and his Old Calendarist movement, which rejected the adoption of a new calendar, and together they founded a new, breakaway monastery. But Soulakiotis had a unique and sinister method of maintaining the monastery’s finances – she would target wealthy women, convince them to convert, and then torture them until they signed over their fortunes.

If the women refused to comply, Soulakiotis would simply dispose of them, and it’s believed that she carried out this horrific practice hundreds of times. In total, 27 deaths are directly tied to her, with estimates suggesting that up to 177 people may have died due to the mistreatment at her monastery.

Soulakiotis was ultimately tried for some minor crimes, which led to the exposure of her massive criminal enterprise. Dozens of people, including 36 children, were freed from captivity, but the “Mother Rasputin” of the Greek Orthodox Church managed to evade full justice, dying in prison in 1954 with several trials still ahead of her.

The Magdalene Sisters: A Centuries-Long Scandal

Perhaps the most widespread and long-lasting scandal involving nuns in history is that of the Magdalene Asylums, a network of institutions in Ireland that operated from the 18th to the late 20th century. Ostensibly designed to provide refuge and support for “fallen women” – unwed mothers, sex workers, and orphans – these asylums were in reality little more than forced labor camps, run primarily by nuns.

The women and girls who found themselves in these institutions were subjected to extensive, unpaid labor, often in the form of laundry work. Many were unable to leave, and their children were frequently taken away and adopted out, further compounding the trauma. It’s estimated that up to 30,000 women were held in these Magdalene Asylums over the course of their operation.

The true horrors of the system only came to light in the 1990s, when the grounds of one of the laundries were sold, and a mass grave containing the remains of 133 women was discovered. The stories of the survivors, many of whom spent decades searching for their lost children, became a global scandal, shining a light on the cruelty and exploitation that had been perpetrated under the guise of religious virtue.

While the countless nuns who oversaw these institutions have long since passed, the legacy of the Magdalene Asylums remains a stain on the history of the Catholic Church, a testament to the capacity for even the most revered institutions to harbor the most heinous of crimes.

Conclusion

The stories of these evil nuns serve as a sobering reminder that even the most sacred of callings can be corrupted by the darker impulses of human nature. From embezzlement and gambling to murder and child trafficking, these women have betrayed the trust placed in them and revealed the capacity for darkness that can lurk even in the most hallowed of institutions.

As we reflect on these disturbing tales, it’s important to remember that the actions of a few should not tarnish the good work done by the vast majority of nuns and other religious figures who dedicate their lives to serving their communities and upholding the values of their faith. However, the lessons of these stories must not be forgotten, lest we allow such abuses to occur again.