A band of dissenting Spanish nuns, known for their defiance of the Vatican and ongoing disagreement with local Catholic leadership, have experienced excommunication. These nuns, residents of a convent in the northern locality of Belorado and members of the St Claire Order, diverged from Catholic conventional beliefs in May, issuing a comprehensive 70-page online proclamation.
In the document, they expressed their loyalty to Pablo de Rojas Sánchez-Franco, the head of the followers of the Apostle St Paul, a religious faction viewed as a sect by the Vatican. Sánchez-Franco himself faced excommunication in 2019.
Mario Iceta, the Archbishop of Burgos, ordered the nuns to attend an ecclesiastical tribunal by the end of the week to rationalise their behaviour, cautioning excommunication if they failed to comply. In response, they issued a bold letter, backing their stance. They stated that those of authority, who they deemed neither valid nor genuine, could not have influence over their spirits and the Archbishop lacked the capacity to levy punishments of spirit such as the charade of excommunication.
The nuns delegated a team of three attorneys to engage the church leadership in discussion on Friday, seeking a resolution that was non-judicial and peaceful.
However, a common ground was not found and the archbishop confirmed plans to proceed with the excommunication of ten nuns from the group.
In the official announcement of the measure, the Archbishop spoke of these women as the same sisters who chose willingly and individually to leave the Catholic Church. He reiterated that the decree of excommunication is a judicial step in the eyes of the church, intended to prompt introspection and personal transformation.
The nuns were also asked by the Archbishop to vacate the Belorado convent.
While the nuns have voiced contrasting theological views with the Catholic church, this discord is believed to be linked to the nuns’ attempts to secure the Orduña monastery, located in the Basque Country, with a reported price tag of €1.2 million. The Burgos’ archbishopric claimed the nuns did not follow through with an initial payment to acquire the building from the local church. Nevertheless, they asserted that a benefactor, believed by the church to be Dr De Rojas Sánchez-Franco, would conclude the purchase.
The Reverend Mother Sr Isabel de la Trinidad and her fellow nuns have accused the church of interference, following the voiding of a contract by the institution. They believe this ‘meddling’ has the Vatican’s fingerprints on it. Recently, the discord between the convent and the local church authorities has further escalated. Sr Isabel de la Trinidad has taken legal measures against Bishop Iceta, accusing him of power abuse and additional offences. Earlier this month, the nuns claimed through their social media platforms that the control of their bank accounts has been seized by the Archbishopric of Burgos, leaving them unable to access their monies.