Month: September 2026

Army of Mary: New Developments

Army of Mary: New Developments

In my ongoing Alternative Pope project, I have not devoted much time to one of the larger religious groups of that kind: the Canadian Army of Mary, a.k.a. the Community of the Lady of All Peoples (hereafter, I will only use the term Army of Mary).

When it was founded in the 1970s, the group had official status as a pious association in the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Quebec. However, over the years its teachings became increasingly unorthodox and drew harsher criticism from the official church. Eventually, in 2007, the church authorities excommunicated its adherents.

In this text, I will provide a brief background on the Army of Mary and its teachings, but the main focus will be on the last years (2024–2026), when the movement has split into two factions and two papal claimants emerged.

Continue reading “Army of Mary: New Developments” →

Update of the WRSP Profile on the Palmarian Church

Update of the WRSP Profile on the Palmarian Church

A decade ago, I wrote a group profile on the Palmarian Catholic Church for the World Religions and Spirituality Project (WRSP), led by Professor David G. Bromley. The project website is a very useful resource for those looking for reliable information about a wide range of religious groups, both large and small. It includes a growing number of “group profiles” as well as many other resources.

As readers of this website will know, there have been dramatic changes in the Palmarian Church in the last ten years. Among many other things, Pope Gregory XVIII left the papacy and the church, and, to some degree, the church has opened up to the outside world. They have a website, are active on social media, and invite non-Palmarians to their religious activities. In short, it was necessary to update the profile.

You find the new text here.