A dramatic standoff between the Catholic Church and a breakaway group of nuns has escalated with the arrest of two excommunicated sisters in northern Spain. Judicial authorities in the town of Briviesca confirmed the detention of the former nuns on allegations of illegally selling sacred cultural artifacts belonging to the Church.
The detained women are part of a group of nine Clareite nuns who severed ties with the Vatican in May 2024 amid both property disputes and doctrinal disagreements. Their defiance has captivated Spanish media and the public, creating an unusual religious and legal confrontation.
At the heart of the conflict is the 15th-century Convent of Belorado, which the nuns continue to occupy despite both ecclesiastical and court orders demanding their evacuation. The Archbishopric of Burgos maintains that the excommunication invalidates any legal claim the sisters have to the historic property. However, the nuns have mounted a legal challenge against their eviction, asserting ownership rights to the convent.
The investigation took a significant turn when law enforcement conducted searches of the convent premises to determine whether sacred art pieces had been improperly sold. According to court documents, authorities are investigating allegations of misappropriation of cultural heritage assets—a serious charge under Spanish law protecting historical artifacts.
In a related development, police have released an antiquarian who is suspected of having received the allegedly sold items. The judicial statement did not specify which artifacts were involved or their estimated value.
The nuns have publicly maintained their innocence through social media channels, stating: “We have committed no crime, and we have nothing to hide.” Their allegiance has shifted to an excommunicated ultra-conservative priest who rejects all papal authority since the death of Pius XII in 1958—a movement the official Catholic Church considers a sect.