Sedevacantist antipope
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Sedevacantist antipopes (more specifically but less commonly, conclavist antipopes), are religous leaders of breakaway Catholics, called sedevacantists.
Sedevacantists claim the current Popes are heretics for various reforms which sedevacantists see as innovations in the practices of Roman Catholic Church which were adopted during the reigns of Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI, including aspects of the Second Vatican Council. Chief among these criticized reforms is the replacing of the Tridentine Mass and the modern form of ecumenism engaged in by the Holy See. Since the opinion of many Catholic theologians is that a heretical Pope would cease to be Catholic and therefore cease to be Pope, sedevacantists believe the current Bishops of Rome are not actually popes.
Some rather small groups of sedevacantists, called conclavists, have their own popes to replace the popes they reject. They are sometimes called antipopes, but, in contrast to historical antipopes, the number of their followers is minuscule and they do not qualify for the title of "antipope" as defined by the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1998 CD-ROM edition: "in the Roman Catholic church, one who opposes the legitimately elected bishop of Rome, endeavours to secure the papal throne, and to some degree succeeds materially in the attempt." Some of them have developed their own religious infrastructure, thus being popes of their particular sect, while for the Roman Catholic Church as generally recognized they are merely excommunicated schismatics.
Sedevacantists regard the widely recognized successors of Pope Pius XII, held by the mainstream Roman Catholic Church (as well as by the secular world) to be validly elected, as antipopes or, more correctly, as illegitimate popes or non-popes, as the vast majority of sedevacantists does not hold to another person claiming to be pope.
A significant number of post-sedevacantist antipopes have taken the name "Peter II", due to its special significance; see Antipope Peter II.
- Clemente Domínguez y Gómez (Gregory XVII), mystically self-proclaimed (1978–2005) in Spain, pope of the Palmarian Catholic Church.
- Manuel Alonso Corral (Peter II), succeeded Gregory XVII as the Pope of the Palmarian Catholic Church in 2005 in Spain
- :Strictly speaking the Palmarian Catholic Church is not a sedevacantist ecclesial body, as the Church always regarded as true Popes those until 1978, including Pope Paul VI, who is revered by them as a "martyr pope". Palmarians do not claim the See of Rome; instead, they hold the insistence that the Pope of Rome is excommunicated and that the Holy See has been transferred to the see of Palmar de Troya. The Palmarian claims to the papacy are motivated by Marian apparitions, not by sedevacantism.
Reformed Church of Christ/Apostles of Infinite Love
- Michel-Auguste-Marie Collin (Clement XV), former Roman Catholic priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, seer, self-proclaimed pope in 1950 and 1963 in Clémery, France (later at St. Jovite, Canada), Pope of the "Renewed Church of Christ" or "Church of the Magnificat"
- Jean-Gaston Tremblay (Gregory XVII), who in 1968, six years before the death of Clement XV, broke away from him, in Canada and proclaimed himself pope; not to be confused with the well-known Canadian politician Gaston Tremblay.
- :The Reformed Church of Christ, also known as the Apostles of Infinite Love or the Order of the Magnificat, is not a sedevacantist ecclesial body, but rather, like the Palmarian Church, an ecclesial body founded on mysticalist claims of a seer.
These antipopes are (for the most part) not self-proclaimed in the strictest sense but organized and held elections of 'faithful' Catholics, none of them recognized as cardinals. The verifiable smallest of these 'Conclaves' was attended by only 6 electors, the size of the largest is not known but claimed to be at least larger than the conclave which elected Pope Pius XII.
- David Bawden (Michael I), self-proclaimed in 1990 in Kansas, United States of America ("conclave" of 6 electors)
- Victor von Pentz (Linus II), either self-proclaimed in 1994 in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom or elected by several Sedevacantists in Assisi (disputed)
- Lucian Pulvermacher (Pius XIII), self-proclaimed in 1998 in Montana, United States of America, Pope of the self-proclaimed "true Catholic Church". Claims to have been elected by a conclave of a secret number but at least 61 electors. May have died in January, 2006.
- Reinaldus Michael Benjamins (Gregory XIX) self-proclaimed in 1983 in New York, United States of America.
- :Their followings range from several hundreds of adherent faithful, to ca. ten. The vast majority of sedevacantists reject them and hold to no pope or antipope.
People who have taken the name \"
- Chester Olszewski of Pennsylvania, USA, self-proclaimed in 1980
- Aimé Baudet of Belgium (1984)
- Pierre Henri Buboisof Brussels, Belgium (1985)
- Maurice Archieri of Le Perreux, France, self-proclaimed Vicar of Christ for the Last Days (not Pope of Rome) in 1995
- Julius Tischler of Germany (1998)
- William Kamm of Australia, (future) Pope of the "Order of Saint Charbel" movement of Australia.
- :All of the mentioned men are not sedevacantists, but mysticalist claimants to the Papacy.
Other self-proclaimed popes
- Gino Frediani (Emmanuel I) (1973-1974–1984) in Italy, Pope of the "New Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus"
- Valeriano Vestini (Valerian I) (1990) in the Chieti, Italy
- :Mysticalist claimants.
Discordianism
Discordianism, which presents itself as a religion, issues cards that grant papacy to the holder and that declare that every man, woman and child in Earth is a Pope. It rejects all dogma, and its granting of Pope status to every person is a way to express this idea.
- David Bawden (Michael I), self-proclaimed in 1990 in Kansas, United States of America ("conclave" of 6 electors)
- Victor von Pentz (Linus II), either self-proclaimed in 1994 in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom or elected by several Sedevacantists in Assisi (disputed)
- Lucian Pulvermacher (Pius XIII), self-proclaimed in 1998 in Montana, United States of America, Pope of the self-proclaimed "true Catholic Church". Claims to have been elected by a conclave of a secret number but at least 61 electors. May have died in January, 2006.
- Reinaldus Michael Benjamins (Gregory XIX) self-proclaimed in 1983 in New York, United States of America.
- :Their followings range from several hundreds of adherent faithful, to ca. ten. The vast majority of sedevacantists reject them and hold to no pope or antipope.
People who have taken the name \"
- Chester Olszewski of Pennsylvania, USA, self-proclaimed in 1980
- Aimé Baudet of Belgium (1984)
- Pierre Henri Buboisof Brussels, Belgium (1985)
- Maurice Archieri of Le Perreux, France, self-proclaimed Vicar of Christ for the Last Days (not Pope of Rome) in 1995
- Julius Tischler of Germany (1998)
- William Kamm of Australia, (future) Pope of the "Order of Saint Charbel" movement of Australia.
- :All of the mentioned men are not sedevacantists, but mysticalist claimants to the Papacy.
Other self-proclaimed popes
- Gino Frediani (Emmanuel I) (1973-1974–1984) in Italy, Pope of the "New Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus"
- Valeriano Vestini (Valerian I) (1990) in the Chieti, Italy
- :Mysticalist claimants.
Discordianism
Discordianism, which presents itself as a religion, issues cards that grant papacy to the holder and that declare that every man, woman and child in Earth is a Pope. It rejects all dogma, and its granting of Pope status to every person is a way to express this idea.
As noted above, one who believes himself or herself to be Pope, without "to some degree succeeding materially in the attempt to secure the papal throne", does not fit the classic meaning of the term "antipope".
See also
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