The Bishopric summons the residents of Topares to a meeting to reach an understanding on the conflict of the premises

The Bishopric of Almería has contacted the residents of Topares to try to solve through dialogue and understanding the conflict that has put the locals on a war footing with the church for the property of some premises located around the church in the town square. Next Friday, January 28 at 12:00 noon in the offices of the Bishopric of Almería is the date chosen for the appointment in which he will be, as confirmed by the Vicar General Ignacio López to Diario de Almería, the lawyer of the Bishopric, the treasurer and himself as vicar general. And on the other hand, predictably, the president of the Brotherhood of Souls and his lawyer, the local mayor and the mayor of Vélez-Blanco.

Whether the meeting is held or not will depend on the presence of the residents and representatives of the municipality who, as Alfonso Serrano himself, president of the Brotherhood of Souls, has indicated to this newspaper, in principle there are no intention to attend. "How are we going to go to a meeting in Almería after they have denounced us and based on the fact that the Bishopric of Almería says that this is theirs and that from then on we have to abide by it?", says the president of the Brotherhood, who regrets that things have had to go to court when it comes to some premises that are going to prove that they belong to the town because the town built them and because since 1958 the town has been using and managing them without At no time has anyone been interested in them, until they have found out that the Bishopric has registered them without prior notice.

The intention of the meeting is, according to the Vicar General, Ignacio López, "so that the conflict can be resolved out of court (if there is an understanding, the complaint will be withdrawn and there will be no trial), that it be resolved well and that we all be happy or at least Unless everyone understands that these premises have always belonged to the parish of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves since they were built when a parish house was demolished and we also have a document signed by a member of that brotherhood acknowledging that they are from the parish. And that what the Bishopric wants is only to regularize the situation, that the Brotherhood of Souls be constituted as such, or as a stewardship, which is a simpler process, so that it is canonically registered and that they themselves continue to manage, as up to now, the rents or the use of the premises. It is not the intention of the Bishopric to sell or take away the use of the properties from the people, but rather to regularize a situation in which rents are being collected and these accounts are not declared anywhere".

It remains to be seen whether it will finally have to be the judicial authority that brings order and an end to a conflict that, far from being resolved, seems increasingly entrenched. The discomfort grows among the residents of Topares and the evidence is that only five people already attend mass in the district. Most of the people who want to attend mass and who are in complete disagreement with the actions of the church have decided to move to the El Moralejo village, in Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia) as a boycott of the parish priest who has not done their part to solve the problem. The tenant of the social lounge bar has also decided to put land in the middle. She has closed the doors of the business and has left town, fleeing from the problems in which she has been involved "without me having anything to do with all this conflict." His intention is not to come back and not to open the bar anymore. In fact, as the president of the Brotherhood of Souls itself has indicated to this newspaper, they are already looking for another family that can rent the bar and can reopen it to continue giving life to Topares.

Historical chronology of the construction and use of the premises

Alfonso Serrano is surprised when he hears the Vicar General say that the Brotherhood does not exist before the Bishopric, that is, that it is not canonically registered. He insists that the Brotherhood has been constituted since 1893 and since then it has dedicated itself to doing things for the town, restoring the church, buying saints and collaborating in everything that has been necessary to support the town. On the other hand, he assures that the social hall was built in 1958 by the residents of the municipality themselves, some of whom put money and other wages to raise what we have today, since there was nothing in the town and it was decided to make a hall for to be able to hold parties and other cultural and leisure activities. Later, in 1963, after a meeting with the people and the parish priest of that time, it was decided to create a Teleclub, supported by the National Network and Information and Tourism. It was done on land that a man gave up and is now the premises occupied by the Unicaja bank. The Teleclub was in operation until the 80s, at which time it was decided to build another warehouse on top of the Teleclub, which now serves as a hairdresser's, as a woman comes on weekends and uses this room to groom people. elderly, in short, an essential service for the people. And already in 2003 and 2004 it was when it was decided to expand the social hall with one hundred meters of land to make another annex, which is where until now the bar run by A. E. Ruiz (one of the people denounced by the Bishopric for an alleged crime of usurpation together with Alfonso Serrano, president of the Brotherhood of Souls).