The Investigative Court of Briviesca (Burgos) has admitted for processing a lawsuit filed by ex-nuns of the monasteries of Belorado and Derio against the archbishop and the Archdiocese of Burgosin order to obtain a ruling declaring the right of these two monasteries and their congregations to separate of their own will from the Catholic Church.
Specifically, this lawsuit seeks for a court to rule on the validity and civil effectiveness of the separation from the Catholic Church which the then nuns of Belorado proclaimed in a letter on May 8. Furthermore, they seek to validate the agreements adopted to transform religious entities into associations, as reported this Sunday by the lawyer of the former Clares, Florentino Aláez.
Likewise, the lawsuit filed by the ex-nuns seeks to have a ruling declare the “ineffectiveness in Spain” of the appointment of the pontifical commissioner – the archbishop of Burgos, Mario Iceta – and condemn him to “cease all representation and administration activities” of the monasteries mentioned.
For his part, the nuns’ lawyer has indicated in a statement that trusts in the “soon conclusion” of this process judicial that, apart from “religious dissent”, will serve to restore to these communities the “full enjoyment of their legitimate rights” and to be able to continue dedicating themselves to the “cultivation of monastic life (…) free of external interference beyond their control.” spirit and faithful to the dictates of their consciences”.
The legal battle
This new demand adds to the court battle maintained by the former nuns of the Monastery of Santa Clara and the Archdiocese of Burgos, which, for its part, demanded the eviction of the nuns of the monasteries they inhabit.
Precisely, the hearing on this eviction lawsuit was scheduled for last Thursday, December 19, but it had to be postponed due to the inability to notify said demand to all ex-nuns.
For all these reasons, this same court, the Court of First Instance and Instruction 1 of Briviesca (Burgos) will be in charge of settle these two lawsuits crusades between the ex-nuns, who demand their right to leave the Church and be able to continue living in the monasteries, and the Archdiocese of Burgos, which demands the eviction of the nuns from these properties upon understanding that they are not the legitimate owners of them, something that they do claim.