Pope Peter III (Latin: Petrus PP. III; Spanish: Pedro III; born Markus Josef Odermatt; 13 March 1966), also known by the religious nameEliseo María de la Santa Faz, is the 4th Pope of the Palmarian Catholic Church, who in this capacity, claims to be the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church from 22 April 2016 to the present.[3][a] He succeeded Pope Gregory XVIII (Ginés Jesús Hernández), to whom he had earlier served as Palmarian Secretary of State, after Hernández left the Palmarian Church and reconciled with the Vatican.[3]
Some months later he published an encyclical letter, in which he accused his predecessor of discrediting his former Church and of stealing two million euros from the Palmarian Catholic Church, alongside several goods (including a BMW X6): he subsequently declared him an apostate, excommunicated him and declared all of his acts to be null and void. Hernández denies the charges of stealing.[7]
Odermatt disbanded the papal guard corp instituted by his predecessor, deeming it unnecessary for his security.[8] In 2018 he travelled to the United States for the first time to participate at a "Eucharistic, Marian and Josephine Congress".[9]
^It is difficult to obtain reliable and verified information about the Palmarian sect, according to religious studies scholar Jean-François Mayer, since the sect neither makes public announcements nor had an online presence until 2018.[4] Little is known about what happens inside the sect compound, according to ABC newspaper journalist Alberto Flores, who described the usual behavior of the sect as "habitual secrecy" (habitual ocultismo).[5]
Macías, Javier (2016-04-26). "Los cuatro 'papas' del Palmar de Troya" [The four 'popes' of Palmar de Troya]. sevilla.abc.es (in Spanish). Seville, ES: Diario ABC. Archived from the original on 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2016-04-28.