Excommunication shakes northern Spain as rebellious nuns ousted

Archbishop of Burgos Mario Iceta announced on Saturday the excommunication of a group of rebellious sisters from the Order of Poor Clares in Belorado, northern Spain. The conflict between the Poor Clares and the archdiocese concerns, among other things, the nuns' refusal to recognise the decrees of the Second Vatican Council.

The hierarch's decision culminated in a conflict lasting more than a year between church authorities and the ten nuns accused of schism, who refused to appear before the ecclesiastical court.

Archbishop Iceta conveyed that, along with the document confirming the excommunication, a decree was also issued expelling the sisters from the clerical state. The hierarchy emphasised that in light of these decisions, the Poor Clares would have to leave the monastery in Belorado and be replaced by other nuns.

Authorities of the Spanish archdiocese stated in a communiqué that the rebellious nuns' exclusion was due, among other things, to their refusal to recognise the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical court.

The conflict between the Poor Clares of Belorado and the local archdiocese involved, among other things, the management of church properties and the nuns' stance in rejecting the decrees of the Second Vatican Council from 1962-1965, which were introduced to reform and modernise the Church.

In May, the Poor Clares published their position on the conflict with the church authorities. The document titled "Catholic Manifesto" stated that they do not recognise the authority of the local bishop or Pope Francis. They consider Pope Pius XII, who died in 1958, to be the last legal leader of the Catholic Church.