Women will be allowed to join the Brotherhood of Christ in La Laguna by court order

The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, shared good news: he hopes that soon women will be able to join the Brotherhood of Christ on equal terms and participate in the procession with the statue during Holy Week.

This statement came after a court ordered the Brotherhood of Christ of La Laguna and the Diocese of Tenerife to allow women to join their ranks within a month.

"We are very happy about this news," said the mayor, adding that he believes it is unfair that women are still prohibited from joining the Brotherhood. In his opinion, this is a relic of the past that has no place in the 21st century.

He also recalled that this court decision confirms the ruling of the Constitutional Court, adopted back in November 2024. The mayor emphasized that the Brotherhood is highly respected in La Laguna.

The court warned that if the Brotherhood and the episcopate do not comply with the decision, they will be fined, the amount of which will be determined later.

They also have five days to appeal.

This case began when María Teresita Laborda has been trying to join the Brotherhood since 2018.

After 20 years of unsuccessful attempts, Laborda sued the Brotherhood of Christ and the episcopate of Tenerife, accusing them of violating her fundamental rights.

She argued that she was being denied the right to equality and discriminated against on the basis of gender, which is contrary to the Constitution.

The Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of La Laguna originates from the older Brotherhood of the Holy Christ, which existed before 1545 and initially united both men and women.

In 1659, 33 knights from the local nobility founded the Brotherhood in the form we know it today. Over time, it absorbed the old, mixed brotherhood.

In 1889, Bishop Ramón Torrijos issued a decree that allowed the number of members of the Brotherhood to be increased without restrictions. Throughout its history, it has received various honorary titles, including "Reverend", "Royal" (from Alfonso XIII in 1906) and "Papal" (from Pope Pius X in 1908).

The Brotherhood is headquartered in the former House of Slaves, next to the Royal Shrine of the Holy Christ of La Laguna. Its coat of arms depicts a red "S", a nail, a crown of thorns, as well as papal and royal coats of arms.

The statue of the Holy Christ of La Laguna, attributed to the Flemish sculptor Luis Van Der Vule and which appeared in Tenerife around 1520, is one of the most revered in the Canary Islands. The Brotherhood plays an important role in the celebrations that take place every year in September in honor of Christ, especially during the procession on the 9th and the return of the statue on the 14th. The Royal Shrine and the statue have been recognized as objects of cultural interest.