Criticizing the Alternative Papacy: The Palmarian Church from the Perspective of a Catholic Apologist

Abstract

Abstract. The review presents Joseph Yohannan’s book The Errors of El Palmar De Troya (2024). This work is a polemical treatise critiquing the doctrine and rituals of the Palmarian Church, a religious movement that emerged in Spain in the 1970s due to Marian apparitions and resistance to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Joseph Yohannan attempts to provide a comprehensive characterization of the doctrines and practices that distinguish the Palmarian Church from mainstream Catholicism. At the same time, the author strives to highlight the positive aspects of the organization, asserting that the Palmarian Church places great importance on communal life and charitable deeds. Overall, the reviewed book is rather superficial. It does not contribute new ideas to the study of the Palmarian Church, and the information available from previously published works is presented by the author incompletely and somewhat confusingly. The book contains significant factual errors. Yohannan's polemical attempts do not always demonstrate depth of analysis or an understanding of the specifics of Palmarian doctrine. However, the book may be of interest as a source for studying the perception of the Palmarian Church by Roman Catholic believers, as well as for understanding possible interpretations of Catholic doctrines and practices in the context of a polemic with the “Other.”