As the Archdiocese of Burgos announced on Thursday, the Guardia Civil has picked up the religious women in need of care together with medical professionals according to a court order.
The sisters are now under the care of Archbishop Mario Iceta, appointed by the Vatican as papal commissioner.
First, the sisters, aged 87, 89, 89, 94 and 101, are now being medically examined. According to Iceta, the monastery of Orduña "did not even meet the minimum requirements" for the accommodation of elderly and people in need of care. Three of the sisters are still in a hospital, according to police.
"After the investigation is completed, the older women of the Order will be transferred to other monasteries of the Clariss Federation of the Nuestra Señora de Aránzazu, where they will be joyfully welcomed by their sisters and will receive the careful and brotherly care they deserve," the office of the papal commissioner explained. There, all health and spiritual needs could be met, "although they live according to the rule of Saint Klara, to which they have always confessed, since they have refused to go to schism with them."
Outrage
On her Instagram channel, the schismatic clarics expressed outrage. They had been held by the police in the monastery chapel and had no opportunity to comment and information on the health of the older sisters.
The police operation was ordered by the competent court in Bilbao after the search of the monastery on the suspicion of the illegal sale of cultural assets found evidence of the situation of the older sisters in need of help. The six-sisters had been brought to Orduña by the five sisters from the monastery of Belorado (cover image) at the end of July to prevent an eviction of Belorado.
Lengthy legal battle
The evacuation of the monastery has been going on for a good year. Until the last verdict so far at the end of November, the eviction was adjourned four times.
Delays arose because initially not all former religious women could be reached and so a summons in court was not possible. Later, the women's lawyer filed a motion of bias against the judge, who was rejected by the competent provincial court. At the end of July, the court ruled against the ex-nuns, but the verdict is not yet final.
Finally, the monastery was scheduled to arrive at 3. October will be vacated, but after renewed appeals from the former nuns, this date was also lifted.
The conflict over the clears of Belorado has intensified in recent months. In May 2024, the sisters had published a manifesto with which they broke away from the Catholic Church and declared that all the popes according to Pius XII (1939–1958) would not be recognized.
Over the course of the conflict, they joined various schismatic alleged bishops and were excommunicated because of their schism. All the conciliation attempts of the Pontifical Commissioner Iceta failed.
The Archdiocese of Burgos had already filed an eviction action in September last year, as the excommunicated sisters are still on the estate. Originally, the eviction was scheduled for the end of January.