Editing Joseph Odermatt (section)

== Life ==

Odermatt was born in [[Stans, Canton of Nidwalden]], in Switzerland. He claims to be a descendant of Saint [[Nicholas of Flüe]]. He joined the [[Palmarian Christian Church|Order of Carmelites of the Holy Face]] in 1985 and worked for eighteen years as a missionary in South America. He served as the order's secretary of state from 2011 until 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palmarianchurch.org/his-holiness-pope-peter-iii/|title=His Holiness Pope Peter III – Iglesia Cristiana Palmariana}}</ref> In 2016 he succeeded [[Ginés Jesús Hernández]] as pope of the Palmarian Catholic Church, taking the papal name Peter III. He has his episcopal seat at the [[Cathedral-Basilica of Our Crowned Mother of Palmar]].

Some months later he published an [[Encyclical|encyclical letter]], in which he accused his predecessor of discrediting his former church and of stealing two million euros from the [[Palmarian Christian Church|Palmarian Catholic Church]], alongside several goods (including a [[BMW X6]]): he subsequently declared him an [[Apostasy|apostate]], [[Excommunication|excommunicated]] him and declared all of his acts to be [[Void (law)|null and void]]. Hernández denies the charges of stealing.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Martín-Arroyo|first=Javier|date=2016-06-09|title=El Papa de la Iglesia Palmariana acusa a su predecesor de robar joyas y un papamóvil|language=es|work=El País|url=https://elpais.com/politica/2016/06/09/actualidad/1465467438_693721.html|access-date=2021-11-29|issn=1134-6582|archive-date=2021-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129164916/https://elpais.com/politica/2016/06/09/actualidad/1465467438_693721.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Odermatt disbanded the papal guard corps instituted by his predecessor, deeming it unnecessary for his security.<ref>{{cite web |first=Magnus |last=Lundberg |title=Papal Management by Fear:The Palmarian Pontificate of Gregory XVIII (2011-2016) |date=2016 |url=https://magnuslundbergblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-papacy-of-gregory-xviii-final.pdf |access-date=2021-11-29 |archive-date=2022-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317112523/https://magnuslundbergblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-papacy-of-gregory-xviii-final.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018 he travelled to the United States for the first time to participate at a "[[Eucharist]]ic, [[Mariology|Marian]] and [[Josephology|Josephine]] Congress".<ref>{{Cite web|title=O Papa Pedro III – Iglesia Catolica Palmariana|url=https://www.igrejapalmariana.org/o-papa-pedro-iii-2/|access-date=2021-11-29|website=www.igrejapalmariana.org}}</ref>

During his office, the Palmarian Catholic Church established an online presence for the first time, opening a website and accounts on [[Facebook]], [[Instagram]], [[Twitter]] and [[Pinterest]] and a channel on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iglesia Catolica Palmariana|url=https://www.palmarianchurch.org/|access-date=2021-11-29|website=www.palmarianchurch.org|archive-date=2021-01-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123085625/https://www.palmarianchurch.org/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-23|title=Palmarian Internet Presence|url=https://magnuslundberg.net/2020/01/23/palmarian-internet-presence/|access-date=2021-11-29|website=Magnus Lundberg|language=en}}</ref>

Mainstream Roman Catholics consider Odermatt to be an [[Antipope]] and believe that the current head of the Catholic Church is [[Pope Leo XIV|Pope Leo XIV]] (born Robert Francis Prevost), an American from Chicago.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-08 |title=Leo XIV is the new Pope - Vatican News |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/cardinal-elected-pope-papal-name.html |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.vaticannews.va |language=en |archive-date=2025-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250508173230/https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/cardinal-elected-pope-papal-name.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The inverse is believed by Palmarian Catholics: namely that Odermatt ("Pope Peter III") is the true Pope and Prevost ("Antipope Leo XIV") is an Antipope.