Editing Joseph Odermatt

{{Short description|Palmarian Catholic Church pope (born 1966)}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Antipope
| honorific-prefix =[[Antipope]]
| name = Peter III
| title = Supreme Pontiff of the [[Palmarian Catholic Church]]<br/>Patriarch of El Palmar de Troya
| image = Papa Pedro III Iglesia Palmariana (cropped).jpg
| alt = Portrait taken on his 59th birthday, 13 March 2025
| caption = Official portrait, 2025
| term_start = 22 April 2016
| term_end = 
| predecessor = [[Ginés Jesús Hernández|Gregory XVIII]]
| successor = 
| opposed = [[Pope Francis|Francis]]<small> (2016–2025)</small><br>[[Pope Leo XIV|Leo XIV]]<small> (2025–present)</small>
| other_post = <!-- Orders -->
| ordination = 2 May 1985
| consecration = 1991
| cardinal = 2005
| created_cardinal_by = [[Manuel Alonso Corral|Peter II]]
| rank = <!-- Personal details -->
| birth_name = Markus Josef Odermatt{{sfnm|Lundberg|2016|Mayer|2016}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|03|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Stans, Nidwalden|Stans]], [[Canton of Nidwalden|Nidwalden]], Switzerland{{sfnm|Mayer|2016|Macías|2016a}}
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| buried = 
| religion = [[Palmarian Catholic Church]] (claims to be the [[Catholic Church]])
| residence = 
| parents = 
| occupation = 
| alma_mater = 
| motto = ''De Glória Ecclésiæ'' ("Glory of the Church")
| signature = 
}}
'''Peter III''' (born '''Markus Josef Odermatt'''; 13 March 1966), also known by the [[religious name]] '''Eliseo María de la Santa Faz''', is the fourth [[Pope (title)|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.{{sfnm|Lundberg|2016|Mayer|2016|Macías|2016a|Macías|2016b}}{{efn|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.{{sfn|Mayer|2016}} Little is known about what happens inside the sect compound, according to [[ABC (newspaper)|''ABC'' newspaper]] journalist Alberto Flores, who described the usual behavior of the sect as "habitual secrecy" (''{{lang|es|habitual ocultismo}}'').{{sfn|Flores|2016}}}} He succeeded Palmarian 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 City|Vatican]].{{sfnm|Lundberg|2016|Mayer|2016|Macías|2016a|Macías|2016b}}

== 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.

==Notes==

{{Notelist}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==Sources==

{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite news |last=Flores |first=Alberto |date=2016-04-25 |title=El 'papa' de El Palmar de Troya pierde su fe y deja su 'orden' sin despedirse de sus seguidores |trans-title=The 'pope' of El Palmar de Troya loses his faith and leaves his 'order' without saying goodbye to his followers |website=sevilla.abc.es |language=es |location=Seville, ES |publisher=Diario ABC |url=http://sevilla.abc.es/provincia/utrera/sevi-papa-palmar-troya-pierde-y-deja-orden-sin-despedirse-seguidores-201604252108_noticia.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529114053/http://sevilla.abc.es/provincia/utrera/sevi-papa-palmar-troya-pierde-y-deja-orden-sin-despedirse-seguidores-201604252108_noticia.html |archive-date=2016-05-29 |access-date=2016-04-28 }}
*{{cite news |last=Macías |first=Javier |date=2016-04-26 |title=Los cuatro 'papas' del Palmar de Troya |trans-title=The four 'popes' of Palmar de Troya |website=sevilla.abc.es |language=es |location=Seville, ES |publisher=Diario ABC |url=http://sevilla.abc.es/provincia/utrera/sevi-cuatro-papas-palmar-troya-201604261731_noticia.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529114047/http://sevilla.abc.es/provincia/utrera/sevi-cuatro-papas-palmar-troya-201604261731_noticia.html |archive-date=2016-05-29 |access-date=2016-04-28 |ref={{sfnRef|Macías|2016a}} }}
*{{cite news |last=Macías |first=Javier |date=2016-04-27 |title=El 'papa' del Palmar niega haber robado el 'papamóvil': 'Es mio, estaba a mi nombre'{{thinsp}} |trans-title=The 'pope' of Palmar denies having stolen the 'popemobile': 'It's mine, it was in my name'{{thinsp}} |website=sevilla.abc.es |language=es |location=Seville, ES |publisher=Diario ABC |url=http://sevilla.abc.es/provincia/utrera/sevi-entrevista-exclusiva-papa-palmar-troya-201604271214_noticia.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6hEWVRiaR?url=http://sevilla.abc.es/provincia/utrera/sevi-entrevista-exclusiva-papa-palmar-troya-201604271214_noticia.html |archive-date=2016-05-03 |access-date=2016-05-03 |ref={{sfnRef|Macías|2016b}} }}
*{{cite web|last=Mayer|first=Jean-François|author-link=Jean-François Mayer|date=2016-04-27|title=Église palmarienne: Grégoire XVIII perd la foi et va se marier, le nouveau pape Pierre III est un Suisse|trans-title=Palmarienne Church: Gregory XVIII loses faith and will marry, the new Pope Peter III is Swiss|language=fr|website=orbis.info|type=blog|publisher=Jean-François Mayer|url=http://www.orbis.info/2016/04/eglise-palmarienne-gregoire-xviii-perd-la-foi/|access-date=2016-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427233306/http://www.orbis.info/2016/04/eglise-palmarienne-gregoire-xviii-perd-la-foi/|archive-date=2016-04-27|url-status=live}}
{{Refend}}

{{s-start}} 
{{s-rel}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Ginés Jesús Hernández|Pope Gregory XVIII]]
| title = [[Palmarian Christian Church|Palmarian Pope<bR>Patriarch of El Palmar de Troya]]
| years = 2016–present
| after =  ''incumbent''
}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{succession box
| before =  [[Ginés Jesús Hernández|Pope Gregory XVIII]]
| title = [[Pope|Pope of the Catholic Church]]<br><small>(claim in rivalry with Vatican)</small>
| years = 2016–present
| after =  ''incumbent''
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Palmarian Church}}
{{Antipopes}}
{{Traditionalist Catholicism}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odermatt, Joseph}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century antipopes]]
[[Category:Bishops of Independent Catholic denominations]]
[[Category:People excommunicated by the Catholic Church]]
[[Category:Swiss bishops]]
[[Category:Spanish bishops]]
[[Category:Palmarian popes]]
[[Category:People from Stans]]
[[Category:Swiss traditionalist Catholics]]
[[Category:Spanish traditionalist Catholics]]
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Spanish people of Swiss descent]]