FIRST PUBLISHED SUNDAY 2 JUNE 2024
A REPORT ON FIVE NICHES OF ABUSES THAT SEEM TO HAVE NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED. THEY HAVE BEEN CONCEALED BY THE DIOCESES
AUTHOR: JORDI PICAZO SALOMÓ, BA (Hons), MA, MCIJ, PGCE, a Member of The Chartered Institute of Journalists, UK. Member of the Il.lustre Col.legi de Periodistes de Catalunya. Member of the RNA (Religion News Association, US)
TO THE LAW FIRM “CREMADES & CALVO-SOTELO”
MADRID, SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
Have a good read.
Jacques Pintor
IN THIS POST
- ABUSE NICHE #2 SPANISH CARDINAL OMELLA AND THE SCANDAL OF "HOUSE OF SANTIAGO"
- Q&A FOR THIS FIRST SECTION, AS AN AID TO BETTER GRASP DE COMPLEX REALITY OF "HOUSE OF SANTIAGO".
- LIST OF SECTIONS TO FOLLOW
- ABOUT THIS SERIES OF FIVE POSTS BY OUR TEAM MEMBER JORDI PICAZOCopyright @2024 JACQUES PINTOR Any quotation from this article must refer directly to this entry, this Blog, and the author Jacques Pintor. To contribute information write to jacquespintor@gmail.com, Twitter @jacquespleaseABUSE NICHE #2. SPANISH CARDINAL OMELLA AND THE SCANDAL OF "HOUSE OF SANTIAGO"
On Sunday, June 2, 2024, the first part of the second section in our investigation into the "House of Santiago" scandal was published, as we announced the day before, and will be followed by the second part on Tuesday, June 4. This extensive research continues from our last post, detailing the Church's darkest secrets and the systemic cover-up of sexual abuse within its ranks. Stay tuned for revelations that will shake the foundations of the Spanish Church.
On Saturday, June 1, 2024, we provided some Q&A for a better understanding of this text and the next. This Q&A can now be found at the end of this entry of today, at the bottom of this post.
SPANISH CARDINAL OMELLA COVERS UP FOR HORRENDOUS CLERICAL SEXUAL HOLOCAUST
The Hidden Evidence: The “House of Santiago”, the Gravest Crisis of Sexual Abuse in the Spanish Church
One of the most impactful chapters when evaluating the management of the current Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella, is the problem that has befallen him—the issue known as the Case of Pederasty of the “House of Santiago.”
From Cardinal Narcís Jubany, creator of the House of Santiago, to Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach (commonly known as Cardinal Sistach), who facilitated the "escape and subsequent enthronement" —through letters of recommendation that enabled the ordination of the sexual abuse culprits, Cané and Salvans along with Francisco Andreo García (RIP)— and their subsequent ordination as priests in, respectively, Wisconsin in the United States of America and Westminster in London, UK, continuing their misdeeds in Africa. Monsignor Omella, now Cardinal Omella, knew all this information upon his arrival in 2016. Omella did not forward this information to the Vatican but rather contributed to making it disappear. In his tenure (having already offered his resignation to Pope Francis upon reaching the prescribed age of 75), he has tried to ascertain if there were any remaining documentary traces of the reports prepared by the then prosecutor of the Diocese of Barcelona, Monsignor González Agápito. The penultimate incursion into this territory by Cardinal Omella was on October 3, 2020, very likely to locate these documents that he heard were stored somewhere and destroy them.
The now emeritus Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach, as an auxiliary bishop at the time and disobeying the titular Cardinal Narcís Jubany, sent the two pedophile deacons abroad—endorsing this with his own signature—to be ordained as priests, while the diocese, through the mouth of its cardinal Jubany at that time, had promised the families of the victims to reduce those convicted of organized pedophilia to the lay state.
The aforementioned layman who acts as a cleric at Santa María Reina de Barcelona, Salvador Biarnés —serving as a deacon and proclaiming the gospel without permission and against established norms— allegedly has control over the rector Monsignor González-Agápito. According to Biarnés himself, he passed the mentioned article titled "Perfumed Rot" —dated July 11, 2020, on the Alerta Digital website and July 9, 2020, on the Germinans Germinabit website— to Jordi Bertomeu, an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.DR. PEPE RODRÍGUEZ'S EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION ON THE "HOUSE OF SANTIAGO" FROM HIS BOOK "THE SEXUAL LIFE OF THE CLERGY"
The text that follows is taken from a book by journalist and PhD in Psychology, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona’s lecturer Dr. Pepe Rodríguez. I proceed to reproduce the paragraphs from these two books where the actions of the current bishop and co-prince of Andorra in this execrable pedophilia plot are contextualized and described. In Chapter 10 of "The Sexual Life of the Clergy," Pepe Rodríguez explains:
"The origin of the case lies in the so-called House of Santiago, a seminary residence devised by Cardinal Narcís Jubany to encourage late vocations to the priesthood. He placed the priest Alfred Rubio de Castarlenas in charge, and towards the end of the 1970s, Rubio decided to reorganize the House of Santiago under a pyramidal structure.
"Among the half dozen trainers that Rubio incorporated into the 'seminary' was Francisco Andreo García, a 38-year-old priest who had been actively involved with the youth of peripheral Barcelona parishes such as Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Santa María (Badalona).
"Paco Andreo quickly organized his area through a system of four 'little houses' —autonomous cells or groups— and put four young men in charge. This brought Albert Salvans Giralt, Pere Cané Gombau, Lluís Bultó Serra, and Jesús Navarro Lardiés into the scene, all of them disciples of Andreo in the Badalona parish named Santa María, aged between 22 and 25 years and without priestly vocation at that time (Cané, for example, had a formal girlfriend).
"After some time of studies, the four were ordained as deacons and began working in different parishes. Salvans was assigned to the parish of Sant Pius X, Cané to that of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Navarro to that of Santa María (in the seaside town of Vilafranca del Penedès), and Bultó stayed in his original parish in Badalona.
"The young deacons began organizing identical groups in each of the parishes and also extending Paco Andreo's sui generis concept of 'personal growth,' organizationally materialized in the constitution of the “Nous Camins” association in 1981, presided over by Maria Àngels Fornaguera, also a disciple of Andreo in the Badalona parish.
"When Paco Andreo had problems in Badalona —due to complaints from some families who suspected their children were being manipulated and dominated by the priest— and was transferred to the parish of San Nicasio in Gavà by decision of Narcís Jubany, no one alerted that his four advanced pupils, working with post-confirmation parish groups (14 to 17 years) and with 12-year-old boys, were acting in the same way as their 'master': taking minors to holiday homes and reinterpreting Scriptures to their convenience to show them that there was 'a “new way” of Christian life.'
"Like Asunción Pié's testimony about her relationship with Albert Salvans, the deacons progressively altered the minors' sexual morals until convincing them that you cannot love others without fully giving yourself, that is, in soul and body, by having sexual relations. Progressively, the manipulative, sectarian, and depersonalizing dynamics of the deacons managed to get some young people—either when they came of age or with parental permission when they were minors—to live with them in two apartments which, although separated by gender and with different entrances, were internally connected."
RIGHT TO DEFLORATION
"In essence, the sexual doctrine of Father Paco Andreo, as explained to me by former members of the group, is a mix of 'dogmas' that pursue nothing but the sexual submission of those who accept them. For example, it is postulated that 'a stable couple must be rejected because it is a nefarious manifestation of selfishness that limits giving love to only one person, excluding others.
"The initiation of sexual relations, according to Paco Andreo's teachings, 'belongs to the man to ask, as by nature he is more active and less constant (unfaithful), while the woman is more passive. Therefore, it must be the man who decides with whom, when, and how he wants to make love.'
"The leader of each 'little house' had the privilege of deflowering the girls, as explained to me by a former member of Pere Cané's group: 'Until before the age of 16, you could only have love without penetration, but when you reached this age, he would say "come on, it's time" and you had the first full intercourse. Sexual relations were maintained at the moment and place that the leader decided; he chose the girl and each one felt very happy about this, since having previously fostered great competitiveness among us, in this and other areas, the choice meant reaching the summit of the pastor's preferences. While we could deny a sexual relationship to the boys in the group, we had to accept all those proposed by the pastor.'
"In those days, each of the four 'little houses' had between 10 and 15 girls and 6 or 7 boys, and in the parishes, they mobilized groups of more than 20 young people who were delighted with those so open and active deacons.
"'At first, everything you saw shocked you,' continues the former follower of Pere Cané, 'but being such an attractive group, you swallowed it all little by little. The adults in the group pressured and tutored at all times, permanent confession was mandatory, and we had to explain everything to the monitor. There was great seduction within the group. They called you continuously and if they didn't call one day, you felt very bad, like excluded. You couldn't have activities or friendships outside the group, so we lived in a kind of isolation that ended up having a very negative impact on our studies and our own lives.'
THE ARCHBISHOP HAD BEEN PROMPTLY INFORMED
"When, in 1989, the families of Asunción Pié and her companion Marta R. opted to denounce the practices of Salvans and Cané, many parents closed ranks around them and denied the evidence. These middle-class Catholic families continued to trust, obstinately, in the cleanliness of the environment in which their children were developing. Other parents, although they had long suspected the background of Nous Camins, preferred to keep silent resignedly and not fuel a scandal within the Church. 'This way I see my daughter at least once a month,' expressed a father, 'when she comes to eat and pick up the money I give her for her maintenance.' But the greatest silence, the most terrible and hurtful mutism, comes from the very heart of the Barcelona episcopate.
"Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia, appointed bishop of Nona and auxiliary of Barcelona on June 9, 1993, was, at the time of the pointed-out events, the rector of the Conciliar Seminary of Barcelona and knew perfectly well the seminarians of the House of Santiago who, on the other hand, informed him punctually about everything related to the activities of Paco Andreo, his deacons, and the members of Nous Camins. Bishop Vives always privately expressed his horror at what was happening and was opposed to the activities of these people, but he never lifted a finger to prevent sexual abuses of which he had perfect knowledge."
"In the government curia of the archdiocese of Barcelona, all the prelates are perfectly aware of the details of this story of child corruption, but at least five of them have had direct responsibility in its cover-up: Cardinals Narcís Jubany Arnau and Ricard Maria Carles Gordo, and auxiliary bishops Calas Soler Perdigó, Jaume Trasserra Cunillera, and Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia.
"The silence of the bishops, in cases like this, delegitimizes and discredits the very moral integrity of the Church as an institution."
THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COVERING-UP
In his book "Pederasty in the Spanish Church," Pepe Rodríguez provides more details of these events and points out the direct responsibility of the co-prince of Andorra:
"Bishop Vives always privately expressed his horror at what was happening and was opposed to the activities of this entire group of corruptors, but he never lifted a finger to prevent sexual abuses of which he had perfect knowledge."
"The existence and modus operandi of the clerical network of child corruption that gave rise to this case is undeniable, well accredited, and documented. It was perfectly known by the top hierarchy of the Barcelona archdiocese, and the case, in its entirety, is highly illustrative of the usual way of covering up that the Catholic hierarchy always provides to priests involved in sexual scandals.
"The internal files opened by the archdiocese of Barcelona to 'judge' the aforementioned crimes were closed by imposing 'certain penal remedies on the priests responsible for the now-defunct canonical foundation House of Santiago and the civil association Nous Camins,' as eventually acknowledged and forced by the publication of my book, in a brief note from the General Secretariat of the archdiocese.
"The 'certain penal remedies' meant absolutely nothing for the implicated priests, who continued with their normal lives. Francisco Andreo was advised to continue in Africa—engaging in activities with Nous Camins. The deacons who were freed from personal accusations were ordained priests in Barcelona with the utmost discretion. Deacon Albert Salvans was sent to be ordained in the British Diocese of Westminster and assigned as a priest to Kentish Town. Pere Cané traveled to the United States to be ordained in Wisconsin. Nobody cared for the victims, and the archdiocese didn't even have to compensate anyone among the dozens of minors of both sexes who were sexually corrupted by members of its clergy."
CRIMINAL ECCLESIASTICAL COWARDICE
Archbishop and co-prince Joan-Enric Vives has never apologized, neither publicly nor privately, for his criminal cowardice, as described by journalist and writer Pepe Rodríguez in these two books. The events occurred a few years before he was appointed, in 2001, as coadjutor bishop of La Seu d’Urgell and, subsequently, in 2003, bishop and co-prince of Andorra. Will the Vatican open an investigation into this case, as it has already done with other major clerical sexual corruption scandals in other countries?
Considering the attitude of many Church leaders when similar cases have been uncovered in other latitudes, the most honest and coherent thing would be for Joan-Enric Vives to resign from the positions he holds, just as the Chilean bishops have recently done.
But he does not have the courage or decency to do so. Will Pope Francis have to force him? Neither the Christians of the diocese of Urgell deserve a pastor who turns a blind eye to the wolves, nor do the Andorrans deserve a co-prince accused of passive complicity with a band of sexual predators who have destroyed the lives of dozens of boys and girls, now adults, who carry this trauma with them.
Photograph of the Evidence Sent to Me by Mr. Biarnés
Here I show a photo sent to me by Mr. Salvador Biarnés. I have been talking with Monsignor González-Agápito for years, encouraging him to hand over this evidence to trusted individuals who could safeguard it, as by the law of life, González-Agápito would inevitably pass away at any moment. For his part, Monsignor González-Agápito always expressed his desire to send this evidence to Rome when the time was right.
This photograph of a box with documents, which according to Cardinals Omella and Martínez-Sistach should not exist because they were destroyed or 'misplaced' in Barcelona and Rome, shows that Biarnés knows the whereabouts of this evidence. In fact, they are under the custody of Monsignor González-Agápito and himself. They have been digitized into an archive of about a thousand pages and distributed among friends of Monsignor González-Agápito.
Mr. Biarnés has been using these documents, which remain in custody —in an honorable effort in the intention of Monsignor González-Agápito— to try to be ordained by Cardinal Omella in exchange for not putting him in an irreparable bind if he divulged their contents to the press. Omella kept the flame of Biarnés' hope alive, until now the same cardinal has just expelled him and Monsignor González-Agápito from the basilica-parish as of the end of September 2023.
THE CONTENT OF MR BIARNÉS'S EMAIL TO JOURNALIST JORDI PICAZO: MADNESS
Mr. Biarnés accompanied the above-shown photograph with this collection of insults in the email he sent:
Transcription:
"Privileged information you would have had, but for being so despicable and miserable, screw you." (Salvador Biarnés).
I add the details of Biarnés' public note on his Facebook, heading his next post.
THE BISHOPS AND CARDINALS COVERING UP ABUSES ACCORDING TO "EL PAÍS"
Dr. Pepe Rodríguez, PhD in Psychology, and professor of journalism at the University of Barcelona, summarizes the impunity of the last cardinals and auxiliary bishops of Barcelona and thus, the civil statute of limitations of these crimes, in a brief article on his website. The original article can be read via this link, here. I offer the transcribed article here [the bold emphasis is mine]:
"THE VATICAN REWARDS THE COVERING UP OF SEXUAL CRIMES":
On July 29, 2001, the press announced that Jaume Traserra Cunillera, auxiliary bishop of Barcelona, would be the new bishop of the Diocese of Solsona, replacing Monsignor Antoni Deig. A day later it was also announced that Joan-Enric Vives Sicilia, another auxiliary bishop of Barcelona, was promoted to coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Urgell, with the right to succeed Martí Alanís, archbishop and co-prince of Andorra, when he retires in November 2003.
Just three months later, this page must be expanded to include news made public on October 30, 2001: the Vatican confirmed for two more years in his post Cardinal Ricard Maria Carles Gordo, who had already exceeded the age for mandatory retirement, and the also auxiliary bishop of Barcelona, Carles Soler Perdigó, is promoted to the new bishop of Girona, replacing Jaume Camprodon.
Surely the Vatican must know what merits make these prelates deserving of such positions, and this author will not dispute them, but, curiously, they all share deeply shameful silences during their tenure in the Diocese of Barcelona.
As documented in another section of this website, at least five members of the government curia of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, Cardinals Narcís Jubany Arnau and Ricard Maria Carles Gordo, and auxiliary bishops Carles Soler Perdigó, Jaume Trasserra Cunillera, and Joan-Enric Vives Sicilia, knew perfectly well the details of the largest clerical network of child corruption that has existed in Spain, and they all covered it up.
Carles Soler Perdigó was a parish priest at Sant Pius X parish in Barcelona when one of his deacons, A.S. (now a priest), sexually corrupted several minors of the parish, in some cases copulating with minors in a room of the parish itself. The priest knew in great detail what happened and covered it up knowingly and willingly. He continued to do so after being ordained bishop (September 22, 1991) and from his post as auxiliary bishop of Barcelona. Some data proving his direct involvement in covering up the aforementioned network of child corruption can be read in [the probative documents have been self-censored from this website, but they are consultable, for those with a legitimate interest in the case, at the Court of Instruction No. 21 of Barcelona]: the judicial declaration of one of the victims before the Juvenile Prosecutor of Barcelona, in a written statement by the victim, in a letter from the victim's father addressed to then-Cardinal Jubany, in the written complaint against all the prelates, in a personal letter signed by Carles Soler Perdigó himself, and even in a press release issued by the Diocese of Girona.
Jaume Traserra Cunillera, appointed auxiliary bishop of Barcelona on June 9, 1993, always received with open arms P.C. (one of the main protagonists of the child corruption network) during the most conflictive moments and did not hesitate to act as his protector and that of Nous Camins (the association to which part of the deacons and priests who corrupted several dozen minors belonged) when needed. Thus, for example, Jaume Trasserra, who is a music lover and of expensive tastes —despite the low official salary that corresponds to a bishop— was the one who, in a meeting of bishops, tried to stop the drafting of an official note stating that Nous Camins had nothing to do with the Church. When he couldn't stop it, he offered to write it himself, which he naturally didn't do; although he did have the energy, shortly after, to try again to stop the publication of the note that the archbishop had commissioned another prelate (see Chapters 9 and 10 of “The Sexual Life of the Clergy”).
Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia, appointed auxiliary bishop of Barcelona on June 9, 1993, was, at the time when the clerical child corruption network operated, the rector of the Conciliar Seminary of Barcelona and knew perfectly well the seminarians of the House of Santiago (an institution to which some of the priests who organized the corrupting network belonged) who, on the other hand, informed him punctually about everything related to the activities of P.A. (a priest in the network), his deacons, and the members of Nous Camins. Bishop Vives always privately expressed his horror at what was happening and was opposed to the activities of these people, but he never lifted a finger to prevent sexual abuses of which he had full knowledge (see Chapters 9 and 10 of The Sexual Life of the Clergy).
Cardinal Ricard Maria Carles Gordo, as the highest-ranking official in the diocese of Barcelona, was and still is directly responsible for covering up the aforementioned sexual crimes and for the deacons involved being finally ordained as priests instead of being expelled from the clergy (reduced to the lay state, in their terminology), as mandated by the Code of Canon Law.
The internal files opened by the archdiocese of Barcelona acknowledged the existence of the aforementioned facts and imposed 'certain penal remedies on the priests responsible for the now-defunct canonical foundation House of Santiago and the civil association Nous Camins' (see note from the archdiocese). Naturally, all the protagonists of the child sexual corruption network were covered up by the mentioned prelates and have never been brought to ordinary criminal justice. Today, the sexual crimes committed by the members of the clerical network are already prescribed and their perpetrators remain unpunished. But, given the modus operandi of Bishops Jaume Trasserra Cunillera, Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia, and Carles Soler Perdigó in this case, it is worth asking, will this be the Catholic moral and pastoral and canonical practice they will develop from their new positions?
This work by the author of this website was presented as a paper in Rome on September 19, 2003, at the meeting described below. The complete text is available in PDF format. Go to the document: 'Sexual Crimes of the Clergy: A Reality Covered Up by Vatican and Political Power and Through a Canonical Code That Violates Fundamental Constitutional Principles.' View on the documentary website of Pepe Rodríguez.
EFFORTS BY SPANISH CARDINAL OMELLA TO ELIMINATE THE REMAINING EVIDENCE OF PEDERASTY AT THE HOUSE OF SANTIAGO IN BARCELONA
In the last months of 2021, Spanish Cardinal Omella made an enormous effort to eliminate the evidence of the most horrifying case of pedophilia, pederasty, and abuse of minors, of domination and manipulation of adolescent consciences, in the Spanish Church, known as the 'House of Santiago.'
Having been appointed to the highest positions in the Vatican, as well as a member of the exclusive group of cardinals appointed by Pope Francis to advise him, he has single-handedly entrusted a prestigious law firm, whose director is a member of Opus Dei, to supposedly clarify cases of sexual abuse by clergy in the Catholic Church in Spain. When in reality, the most interesting thing to clarify his intentions is the other side of the coin: what Cardinal Omella intends is to protect himself at the hands of a firm whose directors and many collaborators are members and sympathizers of Opus Dei. Why should it be this way? We explain below.
Surprisingly, Omella himself facilitated the attack on Opus Dei in the shady case called 'Gaztelueta Case,' when it seems the fundamental aim was to undermine the credibility of this personal prelature of the Catholic Church. We have addressed this at other times in our investigation, here. It would seem that something is or has occurred between Opus Dei and Omella, which would justify a tension of mutual favors, preceded by veiled threats not visibly articulated to the eyes of most. And the 'Amadeo Elcoso Case,' exposed by our investigative website, provides the keys to the origin of the evil, here. I have just published the second edition of the book 'Operation Opus Dei,' showing how Cardinal Omella and Jesuit Arana simultaneously and since 2014 directed the plots to defenestrate Archbishop of Zaragoza D. Manuel Ureña and attack the now former teacher at the Opus Dei school in Bilbao, also a member of Opus Dei.
In this Entry, two video moments of the press conference presenting the work of the former magistrates to wash the image of Omella, and the atrocious clericalism suffered by Spanish Democracy can be seen.
STAMPEDE ENTRANCE OF CARDINAL OMELLA INTO THE BASILICA-PARISH of STA. M.ª REINA IN PEDRALBES, BARCELONA
In one of his regular visits to the Basilica of Santa Maria Reina in the exclusive Barcelona neighborhood of Pedralbes (October 3, 2020), Cardinal Omella allegedly commented to Monsignor González-Agápito 'Let's see if we can fix Salvador's situation.' This phrase indicates that Mr. Biarnés has been pressing for some time to be ordained as a priest. This would constitute a highly irregular situation, given that Mr. Biarnés has not completed the regulated studies leading to holy orders. This constitutes a privilege that is only understandable from the perspective of favoritism provoked by a continued exchange of favors, and as payment for a tacit silence typical of an Omertà law.
Shortly after this episode, Cardinal Omella attempted to expel Mr. Biarnés from the parish of Santa Maria Reina de Pedralbes —whether in an attempt to get rid of him definitively or temporarily, we do not know— encouraging him to go to a rest home. The reason was Biarnés' state of emotional instability, in which he verbally abused and threw objects at several people in the parish of Santa Maria Reina, we are told. It was then, and Biarnés —who suffers from verbal incontinence— explains it on his social networks, when he drafted an email to the cardinal's personal secretary, Rev. Marc Labori, threatening the cardinal with 'revealing information that would be a bombshell' if he sent him away from the parish. This 'information' is none other than the evidence deemed missing over these three decades, sent censored to the Vatican.
BIARNÉS' REACTION, HE LIES ABOUT THE CAUSES OF HIS BEHAVIOUR
Salvador Biarnés sent this message to his followers on his social networks— therefore it is in the public domain:
'I am not asking for anything for myself. Pedro and Maria were our employees and Omella stuck his nose in. Monsignor will present his resignation; I will start the Camino de Santiago from here on November 3. I do not intend to claim anything from anyone. I return to my home in Ascó; however, before that, I will seek justice for the "House of Santiago" case. This should not be tolerated, that the hierarchy has covered up a case like this. Especially when the Pope has asked us to shed light. I will go to the bishop's office on Monday, November 12, at 9 p.m. to pray the rosary with torches. It is the only thing I can do. I will not leave the parish until after Christmas. Upon returning from the Camino de Santiago, I must pack, and there is a lot to do.'
MONSIGNOR GONZÁLEZ-AGÁPITO, STILL A VICTIM OF CARDINAL OMELLA AND HIS COVER-UP
The then diocesan prosecutor, Monsignor Jaume González-Agápito, published an entry on his blog “Aribau” on November 15, 2018, which we reproduce below, recalling those tragic events and the persecution he suffered from the corrupt hierarchy of the Diocese of Barcelona. We reproduce that account of the events here. He uses the third person singular in his narration, even if talking about himself:
The Difficult Situation of Monsignor González-Agápito
On one hand, Monsignor González-Agápito couldn't do more because he was not only discarded and sidelined but also defamed during the reign of Cardinal Martínez Sistach. Monsignor Agápito pressed at that time for a clean resolution of the complaints surrounding the House of Santiago. This recently prompted an Entry on the blog managed by Monsignor González-Agápito distancing himself from the splashes that could still cause him this matter when he defended, he tried to clean it up and was scorned and ostracized, a mobbing in every rule, by the hierarchy.
Mr. Biarnés would be influenced by his close relationship with the group forming a weblog, between scruffy and ultra catholic, “Germinans Germinabit,” of which he is a member and signs with the pseudonym 'El Cid Cabreador.' The brain is the Barcelona lawyer Oriol Trillas, who signs as 'OriolT' and as 'El Cojo de Calanda.' In turn, mainly due to his advanced age, Monsignor González-Agápito would be influenced by Mr. Biarnés, who goes on to fulfill the role of loyal butler in appearance but looking out for his interests to be ordained at least a deacon when he does not meet the profile of a candidate for holy orders within the Canon Law of the Catholic Church.
This tactics of “looking the other way” by Cardinal Omella, and these promises without any sign that they will be fulfilled ('let's see about your case, Salvador [Biarnés]; taking photos with a same-sex couple who serve as acolytes and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion in the basilica-parish) were a strategy by Cardinal Omella to find out if there were at that moment copies of documents that exposed the cover-up. Cover-up, that is, by Cardinal Omella himself and some of his predecessors.
But the gravity of all this exposed so far goes further. Mr. Biarnés has come to use the documentation in his possession, safeguarded by Monsignor González Agápito, to extort Cardinal Omella. He wrote to the cardinal's secretary, lawyer, and priest Rev. Marc Labori, threatening that if the cardinal did not ordain him, he would use those documents to complicate his life. However, we see that on his Facebook page, Mr. Biarnés says it is good that these reports reach Rome uncensored. One slap and then another, which does not remove the fact that this activity could be classified as criminal, and cost the cardinal his job, and also his servile friend Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican.
To be continued.
Q&A FOR THIS FIRST SECTION OF THE SERIES ON 5 ABUSE NICHES COVERED-UP , AS AN AID TO BETTER GRASP DE COMPLEX REALITY OF "HOUSE OF SANTIAGO".
1 - What is the "House of Santiago" case?
The "House of Santiago" case is a scandal involving sexual abuse and manipulation of minors by clergy members within the Spanish Church, particularly linked to a seminary residence called the House of Santiago.
2 - Who were the main figures involved in the "House of Santiago" case?
Key figures included Cardinals Narcís Jubany Arnau, Lluís Martínez i Sistach, Card. Juan José Omella, and priests such as Francisco Andreo García, Albert Salvans Giralt, Pere Cané Gombau, Lluís Bultó Serra, and Jesús Navarro Lardiés.
3 - What role did Cardinal Juan José Omella play in the case?
Upon his arrival in 2016, Cardinal Omella became aware of the abuse but allegedly contributed to covering up the information rather than forwarding it to the Vatican. He attempted to destroy any remaining documentary evidence of the abuse.
4 - How did Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach contribute to the cover-up?
Cardinal Sistach, as an auxiliary bishop at the time, disobeyed Cardinal Jubany and sent the accused deacons abroad to be ordained as priests, despite promises to the victims' families that these individuals would be reduced to the lay state.
5 - What was the nature of the abuse carried out by the priests and deacons?
The priests and deacons, under the leadership of Francisco Andreo García, manipulated and dominated minors, convincing them to engage in sexual activities as part of a distorted interpretation of Christian teachings.
6 - What actions did the Church hierarchy take in response to the abuse allegations?
The Church hierarchy largely covered up the abuse. Several prelates, including auxiliary bishops and Cardinals, were aware of the details but failed to take appropriate action. Some of the accused were transferred abroad and continued their clerical duties.
7 - Who conducted an extensive investigation into the "House of Santiago" case?
Dr. Pepe Rodríguez, a journalist, and PhD in Psychology conducted an exhaustive investigation into the case, documenting the events and the Church's cover-up in his books "The Sexual Life of the Clergy" and "Pederasty in the Spanish Church."
8 - What evidence exists to support the allegations of abuse and cover-up?
The evidence includes documents and reports prepared by Monsignor González Agápito, which were safeguarded and digitized. These documents detail the actions and cover-ups by the Church hierarchy.
9 - What steps have been taken recently regarding the case?
Cardinal Omella has made efforts to eliminate the remaining evidence. There have been internal investigations, and some documents have been sent to Rome. The case has also been publicized by individuals like Mr. Salvador Biarnés, who threatened to reveal more information if certain demands were not met.
10- What impact has the "House of Santiago" case had on the credibility of the Church?
The case has significantly damaged the moral integrity of the Church as an institution. The cover-up and the failure to address the abuse properly have led to a loss of trust and calls for resignations from involved Church leaders.
Updates to this report can be pursued through its author at jordipicazosalomo@gmail.com
The following sections will follow in four additional posts:
#2.- THE HOUSE OF SANTIAGO. THE HIDDEN EVIDENCE
THE DIFFICULT SITUATION OF MONSIGNOR GONZÁLEZ AGÁPITO
2018. ARTICLE BY MONS. GONZÁLEZ AGÁPITO. THE CLERGY'S PEDERASTY SILENCED, CONCEALED, AND DISGUISED
2021. ARTICLE BY MONS. GONZÁLEZ AGÁPITO ABOUT THE CARDINAL'S STAMPEDE ENTRY INTO THE BASILICA
MR. BIARNÉS RECEIVED A WHATSAPP MESSAGE FROM MONSIGNOR JORDI BERTOMEU AFTER BERTOMEU READ THE ARTICLE
DOES OMELLA CONTROL THE "DELICTA GRAVIORA" OFFICE OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH?
THE CONSTANT WHATSAPP CONTACT BETWEEN MONSIGNOR BERTOMEU AND CARDINAL OMELLA
PART OF THE PHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN OMELLA AND PICAZO
THE PAYMENT TO BIARNÉS. OMELLA PAYS 81,000 € FOR BIARNÉS’ SILENCE
TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT MEDIATING FALSE COMPLAINT TO EXTORT CARDINAL OMELLA
JORDI PICAZO FILES A COMPLAINT AGAINST SALVADOR BIARNÉS IN COURT
CONSPIRATORIAL PROFILES OF CARDINALS LLUÍS MARTÍNEZ-SISTACH AND JUAN JOSÉ OMELLA, AND BISHOP SEBASTIÀ TALTAVULL
OMELLA'S TOLERANCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY AMONG THE PARISH COMMUNITY
OMELLA ALLOWED THE PARTICIPATION OF A PORN ACTOR IN A SACRAMENTAL PLAY OF A CANONICAL FOUNDATION IN MATARÓ, DESPITE THE VETO OF THE CHAPLAIN, AND MY INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION OF THE ACT IN MATARÓ, BARCELONA. THOSE WHO EXPRESS THEIR REPUDIATION OF PORN IN THE CHURCH ARE CALLED ULTRACONSERVATIVE CATHOLICS AND ENEMIES OF CARDINAL OMELLA
EMAILS FROM JORDI PICAZO TO THE DIOCESE OF BARCELONA
HOMOSEXUALITY OF OMELLA'S JUDICIAL VICAR
WHAT OCCUPIED JUAN JOSÉ OMELLA IN THOSE TIMES?
OMELLA AND THE "PONTIFICAL UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA CASE"
3.- A YOUNG HOMOSEXUAL PRIEST IN THE DIOCESE OF HUESCA -JACA
LETTER FROM JORDI PICAZO TO THE BISHOP OF HUESCA-JACA
4.- DIOCESE OF BARCELONA. MARISTS BROTHERS IN MATARÓ, BARCELONA. BROTHER CONDE
RECENT CONVERSATION BETWEEN JOURNALIST JORDI PICAZO AND ABUSE VICTIMS IN THE MARISTS BROS. SCHOOL OF MATARÓ
THE CHANGING HERMENEUTICS IN THE FIELD OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
FIRST COMPLAINTS OF THE MATARÓ CASE, IN DEAD-END
5.- OMELLA AND THE "LONGINOS CASE", A PRIEST ALLEGEDLY RAPIST
LONGINOS SERVED IN A PARISH IN BARCELONA, BADALONA, AND SANT JOAN DE LES ABADESES
PRESS ATTACK ON CREMADES-CALVO SOTELO AND OPUS DEI IN “RELIGIONDIGITAL COM”
ABOUT THIS SERIES OF FIVE POSTS BY OUR TEAM MEMBER JORDI PICAZO:
CARDINAL OMELLA COVERS UP FIVE NICHES OF SEXUAL ABUSE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On July 7th, I submitted a dossier to the Cremades - Calvo-Sotelo law firm, which I have titled "Five Nests of Crimes Related to Sexual Freedom and Integrity, as well as Evidence Pointing to Those Who Conceal Them." This compilation synthesizes my investigative work since 2019 on five cases that directly and markedly implicate Cardinal Juan José Omella. It's essential to note that the primary concealers of these crimes are Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella, and his predecessor cardinals. Among them, the only living one is the emeritus Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach, who, according to public sources and based on a study by Professor Rodríguez, is the utmost responsible party in this context. Also implicated in this veil of concealment is Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, the Pope's delegate for pedophilia investigations, notably in Chile and recently in Peru.
It should be underscored that this situation doesn't astonish us. As I've reiterated on multiple occasions, "El País" newspaper includes these individuals in its list of concealers, both in an article published on its website and in a report personally delivered to Pope Francis at the Vatican by a reporter from the mentioned outlet. According to this information, Cardinal Omella himself is on that list. This information leads us to the unavoidable conclusion that, even though the current Pope is aware of the situation, no action has been taken. Within this context, it is particularly alarming that Omella continues to be Pope Francis's delegate in Spain, tasked with addressing this severe issue.
My aim isn't to be insular but the very opposite: to contribute, within my means, to thorough investigation. I aim to surpass the apparent hypocrisy of those who have entrusted this task to the Firm, suspecting that, swayed by certain sectarian interests, they might want to limit the investigation, especially due to media pressure from platforms like "Religión Digital." I provide in the webography section an extensive list of articles from "Religión Digital" attacking the Cremades - Calvo Sotelo Firm in a grotesque manner.
I'd like to emphasize that my work isn't a mere whim, as I face three trials in October. I've been sued by a young priest, involved in activities contradictory to his ordination and linked to the regular practice of wild sex, contemporaneously to his actions to enter the seminary, in gay sex exchange dens. I identify these with names, addresses, and social networks where information was exchanged post these acts. In this document, I discuss it and reproduce letters sent to the Nuncio, his bishop, and the Aragón abuse prevention office, since, ordained less than five years ago, he is in charge of children from 15 parishes in the Jaca region. There has been no response.
Despite my warnings and complaints to ecclesiastical authorities, including the Nuncio and the bishop, no action has been taken. My accounts have been precautionarily embargoed, and severe penalties have been proposed for alleged damages caused. Meanwhile, the priest in question continues to perform numerous ecclesiastical and public functions. I respect and adhere to the ethical codes of my profession; he, on the other hand, seems to have breached the Catholic Church's private regulations.
Despite the prosecutor's view that sees my actions as highlighting the Church's double standards without committing a crime, the judiciary has been less lenient. My professional, social, and family life has been adversely impacted, and my family's safety jeopardized. However, I remain steadfast in my desire to defend parents' rights to educate their children, the rights of the Catholic Church, and the integrity of my profession.
This document is thorough, and its table of contents is crucial to facilitate its reading. Its purpose is to highlight certain actions by Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella, which could be subject to both civil and canonical complaints. My interest isn't derived from personal feelings towards the cardinal but a natural response to actions that harm individuals' life and integrity. I don't intend for this document to be interpreted as a formal complaint but rather as a means to shed light on what remains hidden. The ultimate goal is to thoroughly investigate these areas and determine any criminal responsibility of Cardinal Omella. While some lawyers might see these efforts as futile, I insist on the importance of unveiling the truth and demanding justice.
Jordi Picazo, BA (Hons), MA, PGCE, MCIJ
You can order the THIRD volume of the work in this link. And through it, read for free several chapters of the two volumes.
DONATE THROUGH PAYPAL You may want to consider making a Donation. From 1 €, through the Paypal button below. The expenses to sustain the WEB page are substantial, and include the legal service to defend this work from the lawsuits filed by those people that we denounce in this collegiate investigation.
Comments