Women barred from Sagunto Holy Week procession write to Pope Leo XIV
Women excluded from marching in Sagunto's centuries-old Holy Week procession have sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV, asking him to use his upcoming visit to Spain to support their right to full membership of the brotherhood.
A group of women denied the right to march in Sagunto's Easter procession sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV ahead of his planned visit to Spain. The letter was forwarded through the apostolic nuncio and asks the pontiff to issue guidance that would allow women to join the Cofradía de la Purísima Sangre (Brotherhood of the Most Pure Blood) — a medieval institution with over 1,600 members that currently permits only men to walk in procession.
The signatories point out the contradiction of a brotherhood open to unbaptised individuals while excluding women entirely. They argue the ban is hard to reconcile with the Church's own emphasis on inclusion and synodality, and difficult to explain to younger generations. They ask for a «healing intervention» that opens doors to baptised women who wish to join.
The appeal gained additional attention on the same day prosecutors announced an investigation into the brotherhood following a complaint by Spain's Ministry of Equality, which described the ban as «discriminatory». Pope Leo XIV — Robert Francis Prevost, the first North American pope, elected on 8 May 2025 — has a visit to Spain planned before mid-June 2026. According to Valencia Plaza — Sagunto.