Supreme Court dismisses nuns’ appeal against Belorado monastery eviction

In an order from its Civil Chamber, the court declared the appeal inadmissible, finding "no solid justification of cassational interest" to support the claim. This makes the previous ruling by the Provincial Court of Burgos final and closes the door to any further appeals.

The court's decision rested on the appellants' lack of standing to act on behalf of the religious institution. It found that the right to religious freedom cited by the defendants had been exercised in a personal capacity, not on behalf of the monastery.

Judges also ruled that former abbess Laura García de Viedma had no authority to legally represent the monastery, as that power rests exclusively with the Archbishop of Burgos, Monsignor Mario Iceta, in his role as Pontifical Commissioner.

The Civil Chamber further noted that the 1979 Agreements with the Holy See give canon law statutory recognition in Spain, and that the State recognises the legal personality and capacity of religious orders and congregations. This status could not be circumvented by attempting to register a new association, a request already rejected in a final judgment by the High Court of Justice of Madrid in June 2025.

The ruling confirms the outcome of proceedings that began with Judgment 80/2025 of the Briviesca Court, which ordered the nuns' eviction and warned that a forced removal would follow if they failed to leave voluntarily. The Provincial Court of Burgos upheld that ruling in full on 29 January 2026, ordering the appellants to pay costs.

The Supreme Court has now confirmed the eviction order, imposed additional legal costs on the appellants and ordered the forfeiture of the deposit lodged for the appeal.