David Bawden
| David Allen Bawden | |
|---|---|
| Pope Michael | |
| Papacy began | 1990 |
| Predecessor | Pius XII |
| Opposed to |
John XXIII Paul VI John Paul I John Paul II Benedict XVI Francis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 September 1959 |
| Nationality | American |
David Allen Bawden (born September 22, 1959 in Oklahoma City[1]), who calls himself "Pope Michael", is an American citizen and a conclavist claimant to the papacy. He stated in 2009 that he had approximately 30 "solid" followers.[2]
Bawden was elected by a group of six laypeople, which included himself and his parents, who had come to believe that the Catholic Church had seceded from the Catholic faith, and that there had been no legitimate Popes elected since the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958.
Background
In 1975, Bawden and his family joined the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). Bawden attended the SSPX seminary in Écône, Switzerland and Saint Joseph's House, Armada, Michigan, but was dismissed from the seminary in 1978.[1]
Bawden was elected to the papacy in 1990, in a papal conclave attended by five other people, including his parents.[3]
Claim to the papacy
Bawden believes that all the Popes since the death of Pope Pius XII on October 9, 1958 are modernists, heretics, and apostates, and that, therefore, their elections are invalid.[4] He considers them to have incurred latae sententiae, or automatic excommunication, for violating Pope Pius X's laws.[4]
A feature-length documentary has been made about Bawden.[5] Bawden was the subject in a chapter of the 2004 book: What's the Matter with Kansas? by American journalist and historian Thomas Frank.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brisendine, Steve (30 May 2005). "Despite few followers, 'Pope Michael' holds to beliefs". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ↑ Adam Fairholm (Director) (2009). Pope Michael (Online).
- ↑ Fox, Robin (2011). The Tribal Imagination: Civilization and the Savage Mind. Harvard University Press. p. 104.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Antipopes among us". What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America. Macmillan. 2004. pp. 217–224. ISBN 0-8050-7339-6.
- ↑ Coppen, Luke (29 February 2012). "Today’s Catholic must-reads". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2012.