The Poor Clare nuns of Belorado commit the crime of schism in Spain

The 10 Poor Clare sisters of Belorado and Orduña (Spain) who were to appear today, accused of a crime of schism before the Archbishopric of Burgos, have reiterated their decision not to continue in the Catholic Church and cross out the penalty of excommunication that will fall on them as a “farce”.

The writing in which they make their position public through Instagram its titled Communiqué from the Poor Clares of Belorado (Burgos) and Orduña (Vitoria), in response to Mr. Iceta’s threat of excommunication from the Conciliar Church, arising after the Vatican II Robbery. This last name refers to the Second Vatican Council, which the schismatic nuns reject.

In the text, the canonical process in which 10 nuns are involved is called a “threat of excommunication from the ‘conciliar church’ arising from Vatican II Larceny” and it is stated that they have separated from the Catholic Church “freely and voluntarily, with unanimity and joy of spirit”, through the call Catholic Manifesto which was made public on May 13, 2024.

Likewise, the statement considers that the ecclesiastical court of the Archbishopric of Burgos does not have the capacity “of jurisdiction” over the 10 sisters nor “to impose ‘spiritual penalties’ such as the farce of excommunication.”

The Poor Clares declared themselves under the jurisdiction of an excommunicated false bishop named Pablo de Rojas last May.

After these previous considerations, the nuns highlight three aspects of their decision.

The first, that the so-called Catholic Manifesto “It was countersigned by all, and signed by our Mother Abbess.” This statement is contrary to the idea expressed both by the Archbishopric of Burgos and by the Spanish Episcopal Conference since the beginning of the conflict, regarding the lack of unanimity in the community.

Secondly, the nuns assure that “any canonical penalty or sanction, imposed by those who are not bishops, nor valid, nor legitimate, nor do they have power over souls, lack effectiveness, and are null and void.” The adjective irrito refers, according to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy to something “Invalid, null, without force or obligation.”

This consideration, the nuns recall, was already stated in “paragraphs 74 and 75 of page 46” of their manifesto.

Thirdly, they claim to have sent a burofax to Mons. Mario Iceta, Archbishop of Burgos and Pontifical Commissioner for this case appointed by Pope Francis, in which they transmit their “unanimous and irreversible position, taken out of fidelity to Christ and his Catholic Church, for whom we are willing to give our lives ”.

“Well, we do not fear those who can kill the body, even through coercion, impositions or blockages of supplies, but they can do nothing against the soul,” they add.

From the Catholic manifesto to the consummation of the schism

On May 13, 2024, the community of Poor Clare sisters of the Monasteries of Belorado and Orduña, located respectively in the Archdiocese of Burgos and the Diocese of Vitoria (in Spain), made public a manifesto and a letter in which they announced that They abandoned the Catholic Church and placed themselves under the tutelage of an excommunicated false bishop named Pablo de Rojas.

The Archbishop of Burgos, Mons. Mario Iceta, had initiated a preliminary investigation a few days before, since he had been alerted to the risk of schism. After learning of the schismatic intention, the faithful were urged not to participate in any act carried out in both monasteries.

A few days later, the Spanish Episcopal Conference expressed its doubts about the unanimity of the decision, given that both the manifesto and the letter were only signed by the abbess. The community was then made up of 16 nuns, five of whom are very old.

One of them, Sister María Amparo, left the convent on Thursday, May 16 after confronting the false bishop who was excommunicated “so as not to belong to that sect.”

At the end of May, the Vatican appointed Bishop Iceta as Pontifical Commissioner with full powers. Once he began to take action, the schismatic nuns decided to take the conflict to civil justice, accusing the prelate of “violation of the fundamental right of association and the principle of separation, free voluntary separation, as well as abuse of power and for usurpation of legal representation.”

At the beginning of June, the Archbishopric of Burgos formally informed the nuns that they had to appear before the Ecclesiastical Court of Burgos to answer for a crime of schism typified in canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law.

Last week, it was learned that some of the sisters, who had been given a shorter deadline to respond, given their greater involvement, requested an extension that the Archbishopric accepted.

In this way, the deadline established to have a response from the 10 sisters accused of possible crime of schism expired this Friday, June 21, 2024.

Sources from the Archbishopric of Burgos confirm to ACI Prensa that this Saturday, June 22, the Ecclesiastical Court will meet to evaluate what was stated by the nuns and make the corresponding decisions.

UPDATE: June 21, 2024 at 18:10 GMT+2