ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 17, 2024 / 17:15 pm (CNA).
The Archdiocese of Burgos in Spain has granted an extension to the Poor Clares of Belorado, giving them a new deadline of Friday, June 21, to appear before an ecclesiastical tribunal and retract their formal declaration that they are leaving the Catholic Church, the canonical crime of schism, which entails excommunication.
According to the Spanish newspaper ABC, three of the Poor Clares — Sister Isabel de la Trinidad, the abbess of the monastery, as well as Sister Sión and Sister Paz — had to appear before the ecclesiastical tribunal of the Archdiocese of Burgos at the latest on Sunday, June 16. However, through an email they requested an extension.
Another seven Poor Clares who no longer recognize the authority of the Catholic Church and consider “H.H. Pius XII as the last valid Supreme Pontiff,” also face a canonical process with a deadline that was originally different but now is the same date, June 21.
According to ABC’s sources at the Spanish archdiocese, “depending on what each of them says individually, and once the deadline has passed, an evaluation will be made and we will proceed accordingly.”
The Poor Clares of the convents in Belorado and Orduña — under the ecclesial authority of the Spanish archdioceses of Burgos and Vitoria — announced May 13 that they were no longer recognizing the authority of the Catholic bishops and that of Pope Francis and that they were placing themselves under the authority of a false excommunicated bishop named Pablo de Rojas.
The ecclesiastical court of the Archdiocese of Burgos recently announced that the actions taken by the Spanish Poor Clares constitute “the crime of schism, defined in the Code of Canon Law in accordance with Canon 751, the penalty for which is provided for in Canon 1364 § 1, and that it carries with it the expulsion from consecrated life.”
Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church defines the crime of schism as “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church.”
Canon 1364 § 1 warns that the schismatic — as well as the apostate or the heretic — incurs “latae sententiae” excommunication (automatic), such that the ecclesial process opened against these Poor Clares could simply make official their state of excommunication or give them an opportunity to recant.
According to the Code of Canon Law, besides being excommunicated, the schismatic Poor Clares would be prohibited from “residing in a specific place or territory” and from “wearing the religious habit,” which means they would be forced to leave the convents where they currently reside.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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The schismatic Poor Clares have departed from the true Church “placing themselves under the authority of a false excommunicated bishop named Pablo de Rojas”. The Pillar gives an informative description of false bishop Rojas, who claims ordination as priest and bishop by another schismatic German Jesuit who has his own following in the Palmarian Church. ‘Bishop’ Pablo Rojas’ movement is called the Pious Union of St Paul the Apostle.
Apparently Spain, traditionally strongly Catholic is given to extremist reactions to perceived, and real digressions from the true faith within the Church. Although none of the digressions are formal Magisterial doctrine, rather perceived digression, in instances real digressions that at least suggest departure [Amoris Laetitia, Fiducia Supplicans, Dignitas Infinita] from perennial doctrine but are not binding documents.
We’re losing devoted persons like the Spanish Poor Clares by psychological enticement from the Evil One, who never sleeps or neglects opportunity to invade the psyche with irreconcilable convictions. As the Spanish priest in a recent CWR article observed, the the sisters involved in schism suffer from paranoia. I would add induced paranoia [that their vows were involved because they assume were tainted by Vat II, which the sisters are convinced is heretical], perhaps left unaddressed by their spiritual director.
Dilemma exists in how and what responsible hierarchy must do to address what is, at least in Spain, a real problem of the inability of devoted religious to process the errors, ambiguities, false impressions rampant during this pontificate. Likely most are intimidated, many fall in line with the lax interpretation of doctrine. Bishops, cardinals who remain faithful to Apostolic tradition appear the viable solution.