Franciscan ‘critically ill’ after attack in Spanish monastery

Police arrested a 46-year-old suspect called Javier with a criminal record for domestic violence

A man yelling “I’m Jesus Christ” burst into a Spanish monastery and injured four Franciscans last Saturday.

A 76-year-old friar was in a critical state following the attack, which occurred around 9:30am on 9 November in the Monastery of the Holy Spirit of Gilet, in Valencia. Three other friars aged between 55 and 95 years old were hospitalised with injuries. One had been found lying in a pool of blood.

The attacker entered their cells, shouting he wanted to kill the friars. Reports said he used sticks and bottles to beat them.

Another friar, alerted by the noise, grappled with the attacker as he fled the monastery. That friar, one of three who escaped unscathed, then called an ambulance.

On Monday, police arrested a 46-year-old suspect called Javier with a criminal record for domestic violence. According to the Religión Confidencial website, he was arrested in the town of Sagunto in a flat occupied by squatters and is a habitual user of cocaine and pink cocaine.

It was initially reported that one friar had died after the attack. The Province of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Conception later corrected this, saying he was critically ill.

In a statement, the province said: “We are grateful for the support and solidarity we have received from society at large and the Catholic community of Valencia. We entrust the time of sorrow and sadness to the Lord, seeking in him the strength to bear this tragedy and praying for the swift recovery of our brother who is gravely ill.”

They added: “We are also praying for the attacker, that he may be conscious of the harm caused and able to correct behaviour that is not part of the human condition.”

Founded in 1404, the monastery of the Holy Spirit offers retreats. Br Ángel, one of the community of seven friars, became well-known for his cooking videos on Youtube during the pandemic.

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