Mons. Mario Iceta, Archbishop of Burgos (Spain) and Pontifical Commissioner, has urged the 10 former Poor Clare nuns of Belorado to leave the monastery since the schism has been consummated, remembering that the law must prevail and has assured prayers for their conversion .
In a extensive press conference celebrated this Monday, Bishop Iceta recalled that the 10 ex-nuns have to leave the monastery of Belorado after their excommunication and expulsion from consecrated life because “they lack legal title to remain in the monastery and the attached rooms.”
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“If a voluntary departure does not occur in the near future, the legal services will have no choice but to initiate the legal actions that may be appropriate,” he added before indicating that it is an “especially sensitive issue” due to the situation of the older Poor Clare sisters, who have not been excommunicated and see their right to receive Catholic spiritual assistance violated.
The Archbishop of Burgos added that “since May 13, we have been waiting to open a dialogue with the community”, in which another bishop even intervened last Monday – “there was no response” – he pointed out. .
This attempt to establish communication has been unsuccessful, because “the attitude of the community has not made any dialogue possible,” he expressed in reference to the complaint filed by the former religious against Bishop Iceta or the expulsion of the members of the managing commission. appointed by the Pontifical Commissioner of the offices of the Monastery of Belorado, calling the Civil Guard.
The archbishop has also stressed that in the communications of the Poor Clares “the spiritual and consecrated life issues, along with the most important and essential ones, are surprisingly left out of their considerations,” from which it follows that their interest is focused “on economic issues.” , patrimonial and real estate”.
Bishop Iceta has indicated that, regarding the possible dialogue, it is important to establish what we want to dialogue about. If it is about real estate, your answer is “follow the law.” Likewise, he has rejected the claim of the former Poor Clare nuns to have “patrimonial rights”, the prelate asks: “What patrimony have they contributed to the monastery? We have received it from centuries of people who have donated to the monastery.”
Who owns the monasteries where the former schismatic Poor Clares are found?
Regarding the property of the monasteries, the Pontifical Commissioner has indicated that “properties and immovables are ecclesiastical assets” and that they belong to the monasteries “as public ecclesiastical entities.”
In this sense, he has pointed out that these are assets “that have been at the service of the community of the Poor Clares for more than six centuries and must continue that way for those who come after” and that they belong to the Franciscan Federation of Nuestra Señora de Aránzazu and no statute, monastic rule or canonical norm includes the possibility of altering this status. Only the Holy See could make a decision of that magnitude, as the prelate explained.
Has a deadline been established for leaving the monastery?
Bishop Iceta has indicated that there is no established deadline for the former Poor Clares to abandon, along with the excommunicated false bishop Pablo de Rojas and the false priest José Ceacero, the Belorado Monastery.
“We don’t want to act hastily. We want to be very respectful. We want them to realize that, since they are no longer religious, they do not belong to the monastery and should not be in that place,” the prelate assured.
He does hope that this reflection by the former religious can take place in the first days of July, although he has insisted: “We do not have an established deadline.” In this regard he added: “we will have patience, but patience also comes at a time when it has to be transformed into actions that we will evaluate as events unfold.”
Asked about the seemingly immovable position of the ex-nuns regarding the property of the monastery, Bishop Iceta responded by quoting Saint Augustine: “For those who want to believe, I have a thousand reasons. For those who don’t want it, I don’t have any.”
Regarding Rojas and Ceacero, Bishop Iceta explained that “almost four weeks ago they have been told that they should not be in the monastery and in a reliable and contumacious way they persist in being there”, so the legal services will act against them. , probably more quickly than with excommunicated women.
What legal rule is applicable in this case?
The former Poor Clare nuns have reiterated in their latest public communications that, having placed themselves under the authority of the excommunicated bishop Pablo de Rojas, they do not recognize canon law as applicable in their case.
However, Bishop Iceta recalled that “canon law has recognition in civil law due to the existence of the agreements of the Spanish State with the Holy See.”
He Agreement on Legal Matters between the Kingdom of Spain and the Holy See establishes in art. 1.4 with respect to the Orders, Religious Congregations and other Institutes of consecrated life that “for the purposes of determining the extent and limit of their capacity to act, and therefore, to dispose of their property, the provisions of canonical legislation will be followed.” , which will act in this case as a statutory right.”
This means that “civil law abides by what canon law says in ecclesiastical entities”, in the same way that the registration made by a priest of a marriage celebrated canonically has civil validity in Spain.
What consideration is given to the mediating commission appointed by the former Poor Clare nuns?
The Pontifical Commissioner does not recognize the so-called “mediation commission of lawyers” appointed by the former nuns and points out that “the only thing that matters is compliance with current legality. “There is no other way.”
If its members address Bishop Iceta, “with great respect they will be answered legally,” in such a way that communication with the former Poor Clares will be carried out preferably by burofax, not through intermediaries.
Bishop Iceta: “Excommunication is always reversible”
Bishop Iceta has stated that the Catholic Church continues to wait for the former Poor Clare nuns “in prayer and with open doors.” I hope they are aware of the truth of what they are experiencing and take the path back home.”
Thus, he referred to the parable of the prodigal son, to point out that “they will always be welcomed with love and mercy. Have no doubt. We wait for them and pray for them, but legality is legality and that concerns us all.”
Bishop Iceta added that “excommunication is always reversible. It’s not that the Church throws them out. They have decided to leave. That is why it is said that the Church makes a declaration of excommunication.”
In this sense he has argued that “in the Church there is nothing irreversible. The Church wishes her return. Pray, I pray for her return, and she waits for you.”
Specifically, Bishop Iceta has revealed that he prays the Rosary daily for the former nuns and, in particular, he applies one of the mysteries for Rojas and Ceacero, whom he has “forgiven from the heart.”
Situation of the Poor Clares who have not been excommunicated
In addition to the excommunicated former nuns, five elderly Poor Clares live in the Belorado Monastery, some over 100 years old, according to Bishop Iceta. “We know that they are taken care of. Now, effectively, they do not receive Catholic spiritual assistance with the Catholic sacraments,” the archbishop detailed.
According to the Pontifical Commissioner, the relatives of these nuns “want the good of their aunts and great-aunts” and are “available for any position and action that is necessary.” Constant communication is maintained with them, usually weekly.
To properly care for the older sisters, the 27 convents of the Franciscan federation of Aránzazu have been asked if they can make some sisters available. In the first 48 hours, an affirmative response has already been given from at least 3 communities of Poor Clares, although It is not known when they will be able to go to Belorado or how many there will be: “Surely more than necessary,” the prelate has predicted. Regarding the times, he added: “we prefer to go slowly so as to never hurt anyone or make the wrong decision.”
How are the accounts of the Belorado monastery?
The Pontifical Commissariat has reported that the balance of the 10 bank accounts whose control the Archbishopric has recovered is insufficient to meet the needs of the Belorado monastery and the payment of supplies, as well as what corresponds to the workers.
The community is famous for its chocolate candy making and also has animal husbandry. However, there are no more than 6,000 euros in the accounts, as reported by Bishop Iceta, who added that they are missing “many pieces of the economic puzzle” of the community, among others the contracts of suppliers, workers and the former religious themselves. .
“We still have very partial information that, I hope that as documentation is provided we can reconstruct the exact reality of current and past economic management and what to do for the future.”
Thus, it is planned that funds will be transferred from other Poor Clares monasteries to meet the initial payments for next month, of which the total amount is not yet known. Furthermore, the prelate added that, for the moment, they are going to pay all the bills that arrive, without discriminating whether they correspond to the support of the older nuns or the excommunicated ones: “We prefer to spend a lot of time paying for things rather than having things go unpaid. “That would be unfair.”
Learning about the crisis of the schismatic Poor Clares of Belorado
Bishop Iceta has considered that “these cases always give rise to a calm reflection and analysis on how we got here. It will also give rise to reflection on how to improve the lives of the cloistered communities, how to help them.”
In this sense, the prelate has stressed that what has been especially surprising in this situation is that it has happened with young nuns about whom the archbishop has indicated that he knows them well, and that he frequently went to make a retreat with them and that He has visited them on numerous occasions with the seminarians and priests.
“All things must be reviewed to improve consecrated life and also to improve the way of properly caring for them,” he concluded.
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.