Extraordinary treatment of a layman by the Pope. Layman sues Bishop in civil court.

A judge admits a lawsuit by the former Gaztelueta professor against Bishop Satué

New bishop of Teruel José Antonio Satué

Problems for the investigating judge through canonical means of the well-known 'Gaztelueta Case' that was reopened by express order of Pope Francis, ignoring numerous elementary principles of law.

José María Martínez Sanz, member of Opus Dei and therefore a layman, who is being canonically judged by the Church has made a move.

The accused on right

Given the numerous and scandalous legal abuses during this entire process that implicates Pope Francis and the 'TV' bishop, the former Gaztelueta professor has decided to sue the Bishop of Teruel through civil proceedings.

This was made known by the interested party himself to all the Bishops of Spain through a letter to which InfoVaticana has had access. In the letter to the Spanish bishops, Martínez Sanz reports that he has formulated a "demand for an ordinary trial before the Most Excellent and Most Reverend Lord Don José Antonio Satué Huerto, Bishop of Teruel and Albarracín."

He has done so to request "jurisdictional protection of fundamental rights, with which I seek the cessation of the illegitimate interference in the right to my honour." In short, I request that the canonical criminal administrative procedure be paralysed, as it seriously harms my fundamental rights."

In the letter he confirms that the legal claim against Satué - whom some intend to place as Omella's successor in the Archdiocese of Barcelona - has been admitted for processing by Decree of May 2, 2024. Although, for procedural reasons unrelated to the substance, it is not the requested precautionary measure has been upheld.

The court order considers that "the defendant's basic rights of defence may have been infringed both in the specification of the facts giving rise to his prosecution in relation to the prohibition of the principle of 'non bis in idem', since he has already been tried in criminal proceedings for the same facts, and in relation to the determination of the facts which are the subject of the charges, which are not based on what has been declared proven in those criminal proceedings, as well as in the processing of the case itself in relation to the rights to a hearing, contradiction and defence by not having been provided with the entire file, not having been allowed to appoint the legal assistance of his choice and confidence or to take the evidence he deems appropriate".

He reiterates his innocence again

The former Gaztelueta school teacher who was denounced by Juan Cuatrecasas, son of the former socialist MP Juan Cuatrecasas, recalls in the letter that he has always declared his innocence since the first complaint was filed against him in 2011. He regrets that after all this journey, he has already served and atoned for "the sentence imposed, after ten long years of proceedings: an unjust sentence of two years in prison. And, once served, as if that were not enough, another canonical judicial process is initiated on the same facts".

"Any impartial onlooker should be perplexed and astonished at such a situation.  I am suffering much and more, much more, my mother and siblings. I know that I am not and will not be the first innocent person to suffer a conviction; although it seems that I am the first to suffer a new trial for the same facts", José María wrote to the Spanish bishops.

He assures that it has not been the nicest thing to present this lawsuit against Satué but in conscience he must continue to use the means that are within my reach—whatever the cost—to defend my innocence.

Finally, the former professor encloses in his letter to the Spanish bishops the conclusions of the legal psychiatric expert report issued by Dr. Mª José Martínez Arévalo in the context of the canonical administrative criminal proceedings currently underway.

Source

Cathcon:  This case is complicated but the behaviour of the Pope has been extraordinary, as if his ecclesiastical politicking is beyond any due process.  More details here.