Clemente Domínguez y Gómez

Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, born on May 23, 1946, is best known as Gregory XVII, the first Pope of the Palmarian Catholic Church. His papacy began on August 6, 1978, following a claimed mystical vision in which he was crowned Pope by Jesus Christ. This event marked a significant shift in his life, as he asserted that the Holy See had relocated from Rome to El Palmar de Troya due to the perceived apostasy of the traditional Catholic Church.

Before his papacy, Domínguez was ordained as a priest and consecrated as a Bishop in January 1976 by Archbishop Ngô Đình Thục. His leadership was characterized by the establishment of the Carmelites of the Holy Face, a religious order that sought to continue the work of the Carmelites. Under his guidance, the Palmarian Church invalidated the Second Vatican Council and excommunicated Vatican leaders, whom he labeled as Antipopes.

During his tenure, Domínguez oversaw two ecumenical councils, the First Palmarian Council from 1980 to 1992 and the Second Palmarian Council from 1995 to 2002. The latter resulted in a claimed divine purification of the Vulgate, leading to the creation of The Sacred History or Holy Palmarian Bible. His reign also saw the construction of the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Crowned Mother of Palmar in El Palmar de Troya, a significant religious site in Andalusia, Spain.

Gregory XVII passed away on March 21, 2005. The day following his death, he was canonized as a saint in the Palmarian Catholic Church, receiving the title of Pope St. Gregory XVII the Very Great, a testament to his enduring influence within his religious community.