A legal battle lasting more than 12 years between the Diocese of Mallorca and an enclosed community of nuns in Palma has ended in victory for the nuns, after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that their convent belongs to them.
The convent
The Monastery of Santa Isabel, commonly known as the convent of Sant Jeroni, stands behind high walls on the eastern edge of Palma’s old town, built against the old Moorish city wall. It is home to an enclosed community of Jeronymite nuns, an order dating back to the 14th century, and is known for its garden.
The nuns have occupied, extended, maintained and managed the convent since 1485.
How the dispute began
In November 2014, the diocese began proceedings claiming property rights over the convent. Its claim was based on certificates issued under Bishop Javier Salinas, who led the diocese from 2012 to 2016. The nuns always disputed the validity of those certificates.
The case went through the Court of First Instance in Palma, the Provincial Court on appeal and, finally, the Supreme Court.
The ruling
On 3 June, the First Chamber of the Supreme Court declared the diocese’s appeal inadmissible. The effect is that:
- the Jeronymite nuns are confirmed as the owners of the convent;
- property registrations based on the disputed certificates must be cancelled;
- the diocese must pay the legal costs at every stage.
No further appeal is possible.
The ruling was communicated to Sister Ángeles Sanz Rodríguez, known as Sister Natividad, president of the Federation of Jeronymite Monasteries of Santa Paula and the prioress appointed by the Holy See.
Wider context
The case is one of a number of disputes in Spain over properties registered by Catholic dioceses using a procedure that allowed bishops to certify ownership themselves, a mechanism abolished in 2015. For the small community of nuns in Palma, the ruling brings to an end years of uncertainty about the future of their home.
The decision came in the same week that Pope Leo XIV was visiting Spain.
