Overview

• The Court of First Instance in Briviesca ruled on August 1 that eight ex-nuns must vacate the Santa María la Bretonera monastery by September 12 under threat of forced removal.
• The ruling concluded the sisters lacked any legal title to the property, while the Archdiocese of Burgos presented registry and cadastre certificates to prove ownership.
• The breakaway community filed a formal appeal with the Audiencia de Burgos within the 20-business-day window, suspending execution of the eviction.
• A judicial commission escorted by Civil Guard officers was unable to remove the five elder nuns after they were relocated to a convent in Orduña.
• The confrontation underscores an ongoing clash between church authority and secular jurisdiction over religious property and freedom claims.