Clemente Domínguez y Gómez
Encyclopedia
Clemente Domínguez y Gómez (May 23, 1946 – March 22, 2005) was a self-proclaimed successor of Pope Paul VI
, and was recognised as Pope Gregory XVII by supporters of the Palmarian Catholic Church
Catholic breakway movement
in 1978. His claim was not taken seriously by mainstream
Roman Catholicism, the vast majority of whom were unaware of his existence.
Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, who was born in Seville
, Spain
, became closely associated with the Palmar de Troya movement, which had its origins in an alleged apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on March 30, 1968 in El Palmar de Troya
, a little village near Utrera
in the Province
of Seville. He claimed to have experienced visions of the Virgin Mary from September 30, 1969. He claimed that the Virgin in her messages condemned heresy
and what was called progressivism
, namely the reform of the Catholic Church underway as a result of Vatican II. His followers claimed he possessed the stigmata
, the wounds of Jesus
after crucifixion, on his hands. However, the Catholic Church cast doubts on the legitimacy of the alleged visions and apparitions.
Clemente Domínguez' claim to be the Pope of the Catholic Church remains unaccepted by Roman Catholics, who accepted Pope John Paul I
(1978) and Pope John Paul II
(1978–2005) as the true successors of Pope Paul VI. Pope Gregory XVII is generally regarded as an antipope
.
of the Holy Face, allegedly upon instructions from the Blessed Virgin Mary in an apparition. Domínguez, who assumed the name Fr. Ferdinand, was ordained bishop
by Roman Catholic Archbishop
, Ngô Ðình Thuc Pierre Martin. Archbishop Thuc was subsequently excommunicated for his ordinations, which were deemed valid but illicit
. (Although Archbishop Thuc had the power to ordain he did not have the authority to do so from Pope Paul VI
, which is a requirement for licit episcopal holy orders in Roman Catholicism.) The ordinations and the validity of Domínguez' "mission" were disputed by the Spanish Roman Catholic hierarchy.
In May 1976, Domínguez was blinded in a car accident
. He claimed further visions, including visions from Jesus
, who he claimed told him: You shall be the Peter to come, the Pope who will consolidate the Faith and the Church in her integrity, who shall battle against heresy with great power, for legions of Angels shall assist you... me Great Pope Gregory, Glory of the Olives...1
He also claimed that Christ had named him His sub-Vicar, with the automatic right of succession to the papacy after Pope Paul VI
. On August 6, 1978, Pope Paul died and Domínguez claimed the papacy, proclaiming himself Pope Gregory XVII.
, who told him
On August 15, 1978, he was crowned Pope by four of his newly created College of Cardinals
in a coronation held in Seville
in Spain
. During his papacy, he purported to canonize Generalissimo Francisco Franco
and Christopher Columbus
as saint
s. According to his supporters, Pope Gregory XVII was destined to be the last Pope, and would be crucified and die in Jerusalem.
In the 1990s, Gregory XVII was accused of sexual impropriety with several of his priest
s and nun
s. In 1997 he admitted to it and begged forgiveness.
He died on March 22, 2005 in El Palmar de Troya
, and was succeeded by Manuel Corral, who took the name Pope Peter II. Incidentally, the papacy of Gregory XVII closely overlapped that of Pope John Paul II
. He died, aged only 58, a mere 11 days prior to the death of his "rival" as Pope.
. Palmarians argue that the example of the Avignon exiles of the Popes in the Middle Ages proves that the Pope may reign outside of Rome. However, the Avignon Popes claimed to be and were seen as bishops of the diocese of Rome, not of a diocese of Avignon.
The Church distinguishes between public revelation and private revelation. Public revelation includes all the revelation in the Bible
, as well as the oral tradition transmitted by Jesus
and the Apostles. The sum of public revelation is known as the deposit of faith, and nothing can be added to or subtracted from the deposit of faith. Private revelations are those that have come to individuals or groups of people, but that "do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 67). The object of the faith of Catholics is the deposit of faith, but Domínguez's claim to the papacy is based on something that does not belong to the deposit of faith. Moreover, Domínguez based his claim on a private revelation that contradicted the above-mentioned doctrine of the indefectibility of the local Church of Rome. The Catholic Church's view of such an alleged private revelation is expressed in the same section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as follows: "Christian faith cannot accept 'revelations' that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such 'revelations'."
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, and was recognised as Pope Gregory XVII by supporters of the Palmarian Catholic Church
Palmarian Catholic Church
The Christian Palmarian Church of the Carmelites of the Holy Face , commonly called the Palmarian Catholic Church , is a schismatic Catholic church with its own pope, Gregory XVIII.-Origins:...
Catholic breakway movement
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
in 1978. His claim was not taken seriously by mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
Roman Catholicism, the vast majority of whom were unaware of his existence.
Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, who was born in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, became closely associated with the Palmar de Troya movement, which had its origins in an alleged apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on March 30, 1968 in El Palmar de Troya
El Palmar de Troya
El Palmar de Troya is a village dependent on the near town of Utrera in Andalusia in south-western Spain with a population of 2,423. It is particularly known for the cathedral of the Palmarian Catholic Church, a schismatic Catholic sect founded by Clemente Domínguez y Gómez in the 1970s as a result...
, a little village near Utrera
Utrera
Utrera is a municipality in south-west Spain. It is in the province of Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. As of 2008 it has a population close to 50,202....
in the Province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Seville. He claimed to have experienced visions of the Virgin Mary from September 30, 1969. He claimed that the Virgin in her messages condemned heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
and what was called progressivism
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
, namely the reform of the Catholic Church underway as a result of Vatican II. His followers claimed he possessed the stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
, the wounds of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
after crucifixion, on his hands. However, the Catholic Church cast doubts on the legitimacy of the alleged visions and apparitions.
Clemente Domínguez' claim to be the Pope of the Catholic Church remains unaccepted by Roman Catholics, who accepted Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
(1978) and Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
(1978–2005) as the true successors of Pope Paul VI. Pope Gregory XVII is generally regarded as an antipope
Antipope
An antipope is a person who opposes a legitimately elected or sitting Pope and makes a significantly accepted competing claim to be the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. At times between the 3rd and mid-15th century, antipopes were typically those supported by a...
.
Controversially ordained
In December 1975, Clemente Domínguez founded his own religious order, The CarmelitesCarmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
of the Holy Face, allegedly upon instructions from the Blessed Virgin Mary in an apparition. Domínguez, who assumed the name Fr. Ferdinand, was ordained bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
by Roman Catholic Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
, Ngô Ðình Thuc Pierre Martin. Archbishop Thuc was subsequently excommunicated for his ordinations, which were deemed valid but illicit
Valid but illicit
Valid but illicit, also known as valid but illegal, as it pertains to Roman Catholicism, refers to the unauthorized but valid celebration of the sacraments, especially regarding the ordinations of clergy. In the Roman Catholic Church several kinds of people have authority to celebrate the sacraments...
. (Although Archbishop Thuc had the power to ordain he did not have the authority to do so from Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, which is a requirement for licit episcopal holy orders in Roman Catholicism.) The ordinations and the validity of Domínguez' "mission" were disputed by the Spanish Roman Catholic hierarchy.
In May 1976, Domínguez was blinded in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
. He claimed further visions, including visions from Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, who he claimed told him: You shall be the Peter to come, the Pope who will consolidate the Faith and the Church in her integrity, who shall battle against heresy with great power, for legions of Angels shall assist you... me Great Pope Gregory, Glory of the Olives...1
He also claimed that Christ had named him His sub-Vicar, with the automatic right of succession to the papacy after Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. On August 6, 1978, Pope Paul died and Domínguez claimed the papacy, proclaiming himself Pope Gregory XVII.
Claim to the Papacy
Domínguez claimed that he was visited by Christ, along with St. Peter and St. PaulPaul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, who told him
The reign of the Glory of the Olives1 has begun... A great day today, in which you are vested with the Office of Pope, on this feast of the TransfigurationTransfiguration of JesusThe Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
on Mount ThaborMount Tabor-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
,—Feastday of the Holy Face, of the Order of which you are the Founder and Father General. The great Pontificate of the Glory of the Olives begins: the Pope foretold by many mystics and in many prophecies; the Pope who unites in his veins the blood of Spain, the noble blood of Spain, with the true blood of France and with the blood of the chosen people, the Jewish people. There, the grandeur! He will not delay long before taking up the sword and fulfilling the mission of emperor and great monarch... It was also foretold in prophecies in past times how this Pope would be elected: namely through the direct intervention of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. There is no other way of opposing the official election in Conclave in Rome from which the Antipope will come... Only the simple and humble of heart will recognize the true Pope: Pope Gregory XVII.
On August 15, 1978, he was crowned Pope by four of his newly created College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
in a coronation held in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. During his papacy, he purported to canonize Generalissimo Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
and Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
as saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s. According to his supporters, Pope Gregory XVII was destined to be the last Pope, and would be crucified and die in Jerusalem.
In the 1990s, Gregory XVII was accused of sexual impropriety with several of his priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s and nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s. In 1997 he admitted to it and begged forgiveness.
He died on March 22, 2005 in El Palmar de Troya
El Palmar de Troya
El Palmar de Troya is a village dependent on the near town of Utrera in Andalusia in south-western Spain with a population of 2,423. It is particularly known for the cathedral of the Palmarian Catholic Church, a schismatic Catholic sect founded by Clemente Domínguez y Gómez in the 1970s as a result...
, and was succeeded by Manuel Corral, who took the name Pope Peter II. Incidentally, the papacy of Gregory XVII closely overlapped that of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He died, aged only 58, a mere 11 days prior to the death of his "rival" as Pope.
Other claimants to the name 'Pope Gregory XVII'
- Jean Grégoire de La Trinité, alias Jean-Gaston Tremblay, from CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
also proclaimed himself Pope Gregory XVII back in 1968; however, it must be noted that Tremblay usually styles himself Pope John-Gregory XVII and further, that he is the self styled successor of an ultra-modernist French antipope, Michel Colin (former Roman Catholic priest of the Sacred Heart missionaries), founder of the Renovated Church of Christ in 1951 and who went under the name Clement XV since ca. 1963. In 1999 he was charged with sexual abuse of children, after a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest.
- Some right-wing Roman Catholics also claimed Giuseppe Siri (May 20, 1906 – May 2, 1989) had been elected as Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XIIThe Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
's successor in 1958 but that his election was in effect vetoed under Communist threat that Catholics in Communist countries would be persecuted if Siri, who allegedly had announced that he wished to be known as Pope Gregory XVII, was accepted as Pope. It was further alleged that Siri was again 'elected' in the 1963 conclave, only again to be vetoed in favour of Giovanni Montini who became Pope Paul VIPope Paul VIPaul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. No convincing evidence has ever been produced to support this claim and Siri unambiguously accepted Popes John XXIIIPope John XXIII-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
, Paul VIPope Paul VIPaul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, John Paul IPope John Paul IJohn Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
, and John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in each of whose elections he took part, and died in full communionFull communionIn Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with Rome. Some say that Cardinal Siri repeatedly and categorically denied these claims.
Roman Catholic Church's view of Palmarianism
The Roman Catholic Church holds that the local Church of Rome cannot altogether lose the faith. http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=608 The Church therefore sees the Palmarian claim that the See of St. Peter has been transferred from the Rome to another location as a heresyHeresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. Palmarians argue that the example of the Avignon exiles of the Popes in the Middle Ages proves that the Pope may reign outside of Rome. However, the Avignon Popes claimed to be and were seen as bishops of the diocese of Rome, not of a diocese of Avignon.
The Church distinguishes between public revelation and private revelation. Public revelation includes all the revelation in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, as well as the oral tradition transmitted by Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and the Apostles. The sum of public revelation is known as the deposit of faith, and nothing can be added to or subtracted from the deposit of faith. Private revelations are those that have come to individuals or groups of people, but that "do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 67). The object of the faith of Catholics is the deposit of faith, but Domínguez's claim to the papacy is based on something that does not belong to the deposit of faith. Moreover, Domínguez based his claim on a private revelation that contradicted the above-mentioned doctrine of the indefectibility of the local Church of Rome. The Catholic Church's view of such an alleged private revelation is expressed in the same section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as follows: "Christian faith cannot accept 'revelations' that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such 'revelations'."
