The Archdiocese of Burgos, Spain, has warned a group of Poor Clare nuns that they face excommunication if they do not retract their statement of leaving the Church.
The nuns, who announced in May their refusal to recognize the authority of Pope Francis and all popes since Pius XII, have been given until June 21 to appear before an ecclesiastical tribunal.
Three of the nuns, including the abbess Sister Isabel de la Trinidad, had an earlier deadline of June 16 but requested an extension, granted by the archdiocese. They reportedly requested more time to consider their positions. The nuns are now set to meet the same deadline as the other seven sisters involved in the schism.
The Poor Clares of Belorado and Orduña previously publicly declared their allegiance to the excommunicated Bishop Pablo de Rojas. They have been accused of schism under Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law, which defines schism as “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church.”
Sister MarĂa Amparo, who recently left the convent, described the situation as cult-like, saying, “I had to leave to avoid being a part of that.”
The Archdiocese of Burgos continues to seek a resolution, with Archbishop Mario Iceta emphasizing the need to “build bridges and find appropriate ways to reach a solution.”
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