23 March 2005

MADRID-A self-proclaimed Spanish "pope" who claimed the Vatican was controlled by the devil, has died at the headquarters of his "Church" in southern Spain.

Clemente Dominguez Gomez, otherwise known as Gregorio XVII, considered current Pope John Paul II to be the "anti-pope" having declared himself head of the Roman Catholic Church on the death of the latter's predecessor Paul VI in 1978.

The 58-year-old said he had received a message from the Virgin Mary in 1969 telling him to prepare to proclaim himself Catholic Church chief under the title of Gregory XVII of the "Carmelite Order of the Holy Face."

Influenced by French priest Marcel Lefebvre, he became ordained priest and then became a bishop in 1976, being ordained by Vietnamese bishop Pedro Martin Ngo-Din Thuc.

Gomez had a high-walled basilica built at Palmar de Troya with his order, estimated to include several hundred worshippers, being recognised as a religious association by Spanish authorities in 1988.

He liberally canonised those he judged suitable, including the late Spanish military dictator General Francisco Franco as well as Christopher Colombus.

In addition, Gomez 'excommunicated' the Spanish royal family.

Targeting vigorous reform of Catholic doctrines Gomez accused the Vatican of having being infiltrated by Marxists and freemasons.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news