Granada Archbishop Francisco Martinez is facing trial in a Spanish criminal court after a priest he had sacked accused him of bullying, "moral assault" and slander.The UK Independent reports that Archbishop Martinez is the first Spanish cleric of his rank to stand trial in a secular, rather than religious, court.
The case, which finally reached court last week after months of obstructions by religious authorities, was brought by the former archivist and canon of Granada cathedral, Javier Medina, whom the archbishop had stripped of all religious duties.
The ousted priest told the court that the archbishop had said: "You are not boss here. You are a bad, disobedient priest and I'm going to teach you obedience with the whip."
The priest sued the archbishop in February for having falsely accused him of illicitly appropriating funds and church property, and of obtaining copyright of a book that Fr Javier wrote about the history of the cathedral.
According to the dismissed priest, the archbishop sacked him for "disobedience", changed the locks on his office and instructed cathedral employees to watch him remove his belongings.
Mgr Martinez has been a controversial figure since he took over the archbishopric.
Last year 132 priests signed a document critical of his conservative management of the diocese.
Mgr Martinez denies all charges, and said at a tense court session on Wednesday he was "a victim of assault by the media".
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce