Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco: La primera inmatriculación documentada y los monjes falsificadores"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina – SER Podcast
Date: December 20, 2022
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Co-host: Carlas Francino
Duration: ~13 minutes

Overview

In this episode, Nieves Concostrina delves into the long and colorful history of property acquisition—often through dubious means—by the Catholic Church in Spain. Triggered by contemporary debates about ecclesiastical property registrations, Concostrina recounts the first documented case of church property being illicitly claimed: a medieval episode involving forged documents crafted by monks at the Monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña. The conversation weaves between historical research, sharp social critique, and a humorous anecdote linking the monastery to the modern-day escapades of notorious con-man Francisco Paesa.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Church’s Long Tradition of Dubious Acquisitions

[01:16 – 03:22]

• Background: Concostrina is inspired by recent awards given for journalism on the subject of "inmatriculaciones" (property registrations by the Church), which she bluntly describes as a “maldito eufemismo”, stating:

  “Eso es el robo con premeditación y alevosía de 35 mil inmuebles…”
  — Nieves Concostrina (01:30)

• Historical Continuity: She argues the Church has been perfecting the art of acquiring property for centuries, shifting from actual violence to bureaucratic and legalistic sleight of hand, often to the detriment of local communities.
• Notable Quote:

  “…es una indecencia, que es una obscenidad de los arzobispos, cardenales, curas y demás fauna eclesiástica…”
  — Nieves Concostrina (01:36)

2. The Forged Testament of the Monastery of Cardeña

[03:40 – 07:19]

• The Historical Case:

  • Year: 943, near Burgos. The powerful Counts of Castilla donate substantial wealth and land to San Pedro de Cardeña.
  • Two Centuries Later: The monks, unsatisfied, wish to claim an additional church in Segovia (Cuevas de Provanco), which was not actually part of the original donation.
  • Forgery: Monks create a false testament, post-dated to the original donors, which “proves” their ownership.
  • Exposure: Modern historians Sonia Serna (Univ. de Burgos) and Julio Escalona (CSIC) uncover the fraud through a five-year palaeographic study.
  • Judicial Fraud: In a medieval trial, two monks swear—falsely—that the forged document is authentic and win the property dispute.

• Notable Quote:

  “…los monjes fabricaron una verdad creíble para engañar a un tribunal…”
  — Nieves Concostrina ref. Sonia Serna/Julio Escalona (06:30)

3. Civic Consequences and Satirical Recommendations

[05:33 – 07:19]

• The aggrieved parties—the local councils of Peñafiel and Castrillo de Duero—attempted to reclaim the property, but the faked document and perjury prevailed.
• Concostrina, with characteristic irony, imagines a contemporary legal recourse:

  “…yo digo que denuncien a los actuales monjes del monasterio San Pedro de Cardeña para que compensen a Peñafiel y a Castillo de Duero. Por lo menos ganarían un caso.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (07:06)

4. The Monastery’s Colorful Modern History: The Paesa Affair

[07:43 – 12:25]

• Recent Anecdote: The monastery is not just a relic of medieval controversy but also involved in the farce surrounding Francisco Paesa, infamous Spanish con-man linked to the Luis Roldán corruption case.

• In 1998, Paesa fakes his own death. The ploy includes a paid obituary and, notably, 30 Gregorian masses at San Pedro de Cardeña.

• Clerical Pragmatism:

  • The monks perform all the paid funeral masses, even when it’s clear the “dead” is very much alive.
  • When pressed, monks respond:

    “…que cuando les encargan misas por un difunto, aunque sólo sea un supuesto difunto, presunto, presunto difunto, que ellos las dan sobre todo porque las han cobrado…”
    — Nieves Concostrina (11:47)

• Notable Quotes:

  • On the whole episode:

    “Aquel verano del 98 fue muy cómico y muy estrafalario. Paesa sigue vivo. Pero bueno, al menos nos hizo reír aquel verano.”
    — Nieves Concostrina (12:18)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On ecclesiastical euphemisms:

  “Inmatriculaciones de la Iglesia, que efectivamente eso es un maldito eufemismo, porque eso es el robo con premeditación y alevosía…”
  — Nieves Concostrina (01:24)

• On the historic fraud:

  “Los monjes de San Pedro de Cardeña presentan el testamento fabricado, falsificado… dos monjes en el juicio juraron que el testamento falsificado era auténtico. Y claro, así se consumó el robo de la Santa Madre Iglesia.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (05:57)

• On the Paesa fiasco:

  “Las misas gregorianas tienen que ser 30… pero oiga, vamos a ver, que ya se sabe que este hombre no está muerto, que están ustedes celebrando oficios de difuntos por un tipo que está vivo. Y te respondían que eso no era de su incumbencia…”
  — Nieves Concostrina (11:41)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:16 – 03:22] – Introduction to the theme: stolen property, euphemisms, historical context.
• [03:40 – 05:29] – The details of the forged testament and how the fraud was constructed and uncovered.
• [05:33 – 07:19] – Legal dispute and the controversial victory of the monks.
• [07:43 – 09:16] – Recent historical misadventures at the Monastery, including the burial of El Cid and escapades under Napoleonic troops.
• [09:16 – 12:25] – The Francisco Paesa story and the monastery’s involvement in one of Spain’s most bizarre con-jobs.

Tone & Style

• The episode maintains Nieves Concostrina’s signature irreverence and wit, blending historical analysis with sharp critique and humor.
• Carlas Francino interjects with clarifications and light banter, supporting the conversational and lively pace.
• The language is direct, colloquial, and peppered with satire, making complex historical injustices accessible and engaging.
• The focus remains on content-rich storytelling without academic jargon, balancing facts with biting commentary.

This summary encompasses the core content and memorable flavor of the episode for anyone interested in Spain’s tangled history of ecclesiastical property, legal maneuvering, and the morality—or lack thereof—of religious institutions across the ages.