Gregory and John Paul

It was Massmino Introvigne who alerted me to the fact that two popes had died in recent weeks: the Vatican's Pope John Paul II, but also Gregory XVII, pope of the "Palmar of Troya" Catholic splinter group, headquartered in Spain.

The little umbrella / folded panoply in the JP II bead is from the Vatican's own website -- where since the death of John Paul II it has replaced the Pope's own coat of arms with triple tiara -- and accompanied by the words "sede vacante" meaning that the "see" or seat of St Peter is presently vacant.

Interestingly enough, sedevacantism is the name given to the doctrine held by many "Traditionalist" Catholic breakaway sects during Pope John Paul's reign (and no doubt into the reign of the pope elected by the Conclave now gathering in Rome) claiming that the post Vatican II popes have been invalidly enthroned, and the Holy See therefore empty for some time now... a view nicely expressed in this image:

http://www.wandea.org.pl//sedewakantyzm.htm

Gregorio's group was not technically sedevacantist, in that it claimed that Gregory XVII was a validly chosen successor to St Peter...