The dispute between the Poor Clares of Belorado (Spain) is coming to an end: The competent court has now issued an eviction notice, according to Spanish media reports citing the ex-nuns' lawyers.
The Bilbao court ordered the eviction on Thursday.
A date is not yet known, nor is it known when the judgement will become legally binding and whether further appeals are possible.
The Archbishopric of Burgos, whose Archbishop Mario Iceta is responsible for the monastery as Apostolic Commissioner, has not yet commented on the judgement.
The five older Poor Clares who live in the monastery but have not joined the schism are not affected by the eviction order.
At the beginning of November, the Supreme Court rejected the women's appeal to establish that the civil association they had founded was the owner of the monastery and its assets.
Like the lower courts, Spain's highest court also ruled that, according to Spanish religious constitutional law, monasteries are subject to ecclesiastical property law and that the Pontifical Commissioner appointed by the Vatican legally administers the assets.
Protracted legal dispute
The eviction of the monastery has been dragging on for over a year.
The eviction was postponed four times before the current judgement.
Delays occurred because it was initially not possible to reach all of the former nuns, making it impossible to summon them to court.
Later, the women's lawyer filed an application for recusal against the judge, which was rejected by the competent provincial court.
At the end of July, the court ruled against the ex-nuns, but the judgement is not yet final.
The convent was last due to be evacuated on 3 October, but after renewed appeals by the former nuns, this date was also cancelled.
The conflict surrounding the Poor Clares of Belorado has continued to escalate in recent months.
In May 2024, the sisters published a manifesto in which they renounced the Catholic Church and declared that they would not recognise any popes after Pius XII (1939-1958).
In the course of the conflict, they joined various alleged schismatic bishops and were excommunicated due to their schism.
All attempts at conciliation by the papal commissioner Iceta failed.
The Archdiocese of Burgos had already filed an action for eviction in September last year, as the excommunicated sisters are still on the property.
The eviction was originally scheduled for the end of January.