The Christian Palmarian Church of the Carmelites of the Holy Face (), also called the Palmarian Christian Church (), the Palmarian Church, or the Palmarian Catholic Church, is an independent Catholic church with an episcopal see in El Palmar de Troya, Spain, founded in 1978 by Clemente Domínguez y Gómez (known as Pope Gregory XVII). The church does not recognize any popes after Paul VI as Catholic, and holds that the Palmarian Christian Church has continued the papacy. The church regards Pope Paul VI, whom they revere as a martyr, and his predecessors as true popes, but hold, on the grounds of claimed apparitions, that the Pope of Rome is excommunicated and that the position of the Holy See has, since 1978, been transferred to their See of El Palmar de Troya. The current pope is Joseph Odermatt, known as Pope Peter III. Scholars, journalists and former followers almost universally describe the organization as a cult. Members are expected not to watch any films or television, vote or read newspapers. They also engage in heavy shunning of former members and are not allowed to talk to people unrelated to the Palmarian Christian Church. History Origins Consecration of bishops Gregory XVII: claim to the papacy In his capacity as pope, Domínguez (Pope Gregory XVII) called the Catholic Church a false church and declared Pope John Paul II excommunicated. Gregory XVII canonized the explorer Christopher Columbus, General Francisco Franco and founder of Opus Dei Josemaría Escrivá; and declared Paul VI a martyr and saint in the Palmarian Christian faith. Peter II Peter II died on July 15, 2011, after a long illness. Gregory XVIII Peter II was succeeded in 2011 by his Secretary of State, Ginés Jesús Hernández, who took the name Gregory XVIII. He abdicated the papacy on April 22, 2016. Earlier known as a hardliner, making several rules much stricter, towards the end of his papacy, he abolished some of them. For example, he allowed Palmarians to smoke, to go to the cinema (although immoral and pornographic films were still banned) and to talk to non-Palmarian people (as long as they had never been part of the Church). Hernández abdicated from his papacy on 22 April 2016 to marry Nieves Trivedi (a Palmarian nun), and was succeeded on 23 April 2016 by Odermatt who took Peter III as his papal name. Following his abdication, Hernández told El País that the