Sergio María

Gregory XVIII (; ; born Ginés Jesús Hernández y Martínez; 1 July 1959), also known by the religious name Sergio María de la Santa Faz, was previously the third Pope of the Palmarian Catholic Church, who in this capacity, claimed to be the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church from 15 July 2011 until his abdication on 22 April 2016. After his abdication, Hernández left the Palmarian Church completely and reconciled with the Vatican, living as a layman.

Biography Background

Hernández is a former member of the Spanish military and a Carlist.

Between 2005 and 2011, Hernández served as church secretary of state under antipope Manuel Alonso Corral (Peter II).

After Corral's death, Hernández succeeded Corral, on 15 July 2011, as pope at El Palmar de Troya and adopted the papal name Gregory XVIII. Hernández nominated his successor Joseph Odermatt from Switzerland.

According to Magnus Lundberg, of the University of Uppsala, Hernández abdicated from his papacy on 22 April 2016 and was succeeded by Odermatt, who took Peter III as his papal name.

Following his abdication, Hernández married Nieves Trivedi (a former Palmarian nun) and they both reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church.

Apostasy from the Palmarian Church

Following his abdication, Hernández told El País that the Palmarian Catholic Church "was all a hoax from the beginning" to profit from believers and supporters of the alleged apparitions of Our Lady of Palmar. His successor, Pope Peter III, published an encyclical letter in response, in which he accused Hernández of discrediting his former Church in his interview and of stealing two million euros from the Palmarian Catholic Church, alongside several goods, including a BMW X6. Peter III subsequently declared Hernández an apostate, excommunicated him and declared all of his acts to be null and void. Hernández denies the charges of stealing.

In May 2016, Hernández gave an interview to El Español in which he stated that he had left the Church not because he had fallen in love, but because he had lost faith in the Palmarian Norms; he also accused his former Church of many abuses, of which his predecessor Peter II was apparently aware, though not sexual scandals, which he firmly denied. He also stated that he lost several friends after leaving the Palmarian Catholic Church.

In 2020 Hernández was again interviewed by El Confidencial: during the interview he accused the Palmarian Catholic Church of possessing large quantities of money and even weapons; he also regretted not disbanding the Church while he was in charge, but predicted that it would soon collapse on its own.

Attempted robbery in the cathedral-basilica

On 10 June 2018, Hernández and his wife, Nieves Triviño, climbed over the high walls of the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Crowned Mother of Palmar. They were masked and armed, apparently planning to rob the cathedral, but were discovered by a Palmarian bishop who was outside the basilica. According to testimonies, they beat the bishop with a hammer and threatened him and another bishop with a knife. However, in the subsequent fight, Hernández was severely injured while the others escaped with less serious physical injuries.

Hearing the noise outside the cathedral, other church members came to the assistance and they called the police and an ambulance. Hernández was transported by helicopter to the Virgen del Rocio University Hospital in Seville. After recovering, he and his wife were arrested by the Civil Guard. Both were subsequently charged with the accusations of armed robbery, grave assault and assault.

On 17 May 2019, Hernández and his wife were found guilty of all charges and sentenced to six and five years in prison respectively and to pay a 35,000 euros fine to the two Palmarian Catholic bishops they injured. The two, however, were immediately released on probation.