Antipope

[[File:Pape avignon clement7.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Antipope Clement VII]]
{{Christianity}}
{{hatnote|'''Not''' to be confused with an [[Antichrist]].}}
An '''antipope''' is someone who 
upon contact with a pope causes them both to be annihilated
 
is against popes
 claims to be [[Pope]], but the [[Roman Catholic Church]] does not recognise them as such. Rival claimants to the papacy have appeared from the 3rd century [[CE]] onwards.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/28501/antipope Antipope]</ref> The most significant instance of an anti-Papacy actually impacting world affairs was circa 1449 when rival administrations in Avignon (a city in [[France]]) and Rome in the Papal States claimed validity. This was an instance of late [[Crusades]]-era politicking where the Church was also the State (''l'état c'est moi'' before Louis XIV). Modern anti-Pope movements generally are written off as [[schism]]atic blips on the radar by both the [[Vatican]] and most [[Catholics]] and point-and-laugh opportunities by others.

There were many people during the 20<sup>th</sup> century who claimed to be Pope, and there are some claimants in the world today.<ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/obscure2/anti-pope.html The Modern Anti-Popes]</ref> Apart from the recognized Pope in Vatican City, the Coptic Popes, and the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, they all have tiny followings. [[Sedevacantism|Sedevacantist Catholics]] typically argue that [[John Paul II]], [[Benedict XVI]], and [[Pope Francis|Francis]] are all antipopes.<ref>[http://www.opusdeialert.com/footnotes.htm Why John Paul II and Benedict XVI were Antipopes and Francis is]</ref> On December 2023, Italian Catholic priest Ramon Guidetti called Francis a "[[masonic]] [[Jesuit]] tied to a group of [[globalist]]s, an antipope usurper" during a [[Eucharist|mass]]. Guidetti was [[excommunicate]]d the following day for committing "an act of a schismatic nature".<ref>[https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/01/03/italian-priest-excommunicated-pope-francis-246813 Italian priest excommunicated for calling Francis ‘antipope usurper’ during Mass] by Carol Glatz (January 03, 2024) ''America: The Jesuit Review''.</ref> That's lightning speed for a [[Child sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church|church that has failed to do very much about its pedophile problem]].<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/investigation-reveals-widespread-sexual-abuse-and-cover-ups-by-archdiocese-of-baltimore Investigation reveals widespread sexual abuse and cover-ups by Archdiocese of Baltimore] (Apr 6, 2023 6:40 PM EST) ''PBS''.</ref>

==The Middle Ages==
During the [[Middle Ages]], there were times when there were multiple claimants to the papacy, which could call upon entire countries for their support. The most notable such occasion was the Western Schism, with one Pope in [[Rome]], with recognition by [[Denmark]], [[England]], [[Norway]], [[Poland]], [[Sweden]], [[Hungary]], and parts of [[Germany]], and another Pope in Avignon with recognition from France, Naples, [[Scotland]], [[Spain]], and other parts of Germany. The Council of Pisa was held in an attempt to resolve the issue; it ended with the election of a third Pope based in Pisa, but the existing two Popes refused to step down, so now there were three Popes instead. Eventually, the Council of Constance settled the issue — the existing Roman Pope resigned, a new Roman Pope was elected in his place, and the Popes of Avignon and Pisa lost their support. The Roman Catholic Church today only considers the Roman line of Popes to be genuine popes, and considers the lines of Avignon and Pisa to be antipopes instead.<ref>[http://atheism.about.com/b/2005/09/20/this-date-in-history-great-schism-of-the-west.htm This Date in History: Great Schism of the West]</ref>

==Contemporary antipopes==
*Pope Michael I (David Bawden) {{lived|1959|2022}}, elected in 1990 in [[Kansas]], [[United States]].<ref>[http://www.oddee.com/item_65612.aspx 10 Most Bizarre People on Earth]</ref> His ''Roman Curia'' consisted of his mother and one monk. Died on August 2nd, 2022.<ref>https://twitter.com/Francis5Domini3/status/1554621541937291264</ref>
*Pope Peter III, fourth pope of the [[Palmarian Catholic Church]]. As proven by their 
drug trips
 visions from Christ, the [[See of Rome]] has been transferred to El Palmar de Troya, Spain. All of their clergy are bishops, their liturgical rites have been shortened because their popes are always experiencing visions, and they expanded the dogma of [[transubstantiation]] by adding [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]] to it, because believing a wafer to be [[Jesus]] ''alone'' wasn't enough.

==See also==
*[[Heresy]]
*[[Schism]]
*[[Sedevacantism]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Popes]]

Categories: Catholicism, Popes