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Bridget Crosbie (84) died of natural causes at her home in the Faythe area of Wexford town in September, but her death was only discovered when gardaí entered her home on November 20 and found her remains in a downstairs bedroom.

One of seven siblings, and originally from Foulksmills outside New Ross, Ms Crosbie was unmarried. A member of a group known as the 'Palmarian Catholic Church' - a highly secretive Spanish sect that broke away from the Catholic Church and has declared a series of its own 'Popes' - Bridget effectively was forced to cut herself off from her family when she became involved with the sect in the late 1970s, around the same time she returned to Ireland to look aft er her parents.

"Growing up, Bridget was just a typical Irish girl. She was great fun. She worked in hotels in England during the late sixties, was very popular, and then became a midwife. But somewhere along the line she became involved with this Palmarian crowd and everything changed," said a family member.

She added: "She told us she couldn't speak to us anymore because we weren't Palmarians. If we met her on the street she wouldn't even talk to us. It was heart-breaking. She had to wear a long dark dress all the time and a habit. She became isolated and no matter how many times we'd try to help her she wouldn't open her door or engage with us or her neighbours, who also tried to help. On numerous occasions we travelled to Clontarf to speak with the Palmarian leaders there but couldn't get inside the gates."

One neighbour, Sean O'Leary, said: "If you'd meet her on the street she might say hello, but when you tried to engage her in conversation she'd walk away."

It's estimated there are approximately 300 members of the Palmarian sect in Ireland with only around 2,000 members worldwide.

The group had its Irish headquarters in a house at number 38 Haddon Road, in the leafy Dublin suburb of Clontarf, but the property was put up for sale for €1.4m during the summer months.

Attempts to contact the Palmarian leaders in Ireland this week were unsuccessful.

Included in the group's long list of strict rules is the insistence that females must wear skirts no shorter than five fingers width below the knee, that attending non-Palmarian religious services such as weddings, funerals and christenings is banned, and that there is to be no social contact with any persons not dressed to the Palmarian dress code.

Amongst its more bizarre rules are a ban on watching boxing, voting, reading horoscopes, using candles on birthday cakes and visiting swimming pools and beaches. Television programmes that show people outside the Palmarian dress code may not be watched. Michael Garde, Director of Dialogue Ireland, an independent trust that works to promote awareness and understanding of new 'religious' movements and cultism in Ireland, told the Irish Independent: "We are regularly contacted by families who have seen a loved one lost to the Palmarian church. We are deeply concerned by the group and how it destroys families and isolates people, especially the elderly. There are also reports that the Palmarians are targeting younger people and students."

Mr Garde said there have been many examples of Irish people adjoined to the Palmarians selling their homes, or leaving their property to the group in their wills, with proceeds going to the 'church' which has its headquarters in the remote Spanish town of Palmar de Troya, where it has a lavish basilica behind high walls.

"Groups like the Palmarians have undue influence on people, they remove the rational capacity for people to deal with things. In Ireland, these groups have left behind a trail of hundreds of people no longer connected to society."

Bridget Crosbie's family want people in Ireland to be vigilant about these groups. A family member told the Irish Independent: "They are dangerous, they ruin lives and in our case they took our beloved sister from us. We don't want to see another family devastated by cults like the Palmarians."




Irish

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Xannax "could you tell me more about the religion??my friend was born into this religion and she has left school last year, having no communication with any of her friends...we heard yesterday that she is getting married apparently its arranged?! we are concerned for her as she is only seventeen!!"

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Siobhan2310 Hi everyone, my names siobhan and i was wondering if you could help me out with some information on the abuses of the palmarites. My great aunt was previously a member, a very devote one, up until about 5 years before she died.

There were various cases of the palmarians coming into her home and stealing her things the deemed unfit and scaring her. She asked my aunt to move in to look after her and for a little protection and in exchange her will was changed(previously leaving large amounts of money to the palmarians) to giving her house and some money to my aunt.

There has been suspicions about the will and the judge will not pass it due to her cause of death(Alzheimer) and a some down right idiotic mistakes of the solicitor, so long story short the judge wants to talk to the palmarians to decide on the will.

Not only will this leave my aunt homeless and broke it'll also fund the terrible acts of the cult. IT is unfair and quite frankly ridiculous that it got to this stage, so any information would be of a great help. Thanks.

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This religion started with a group of fervent traditionalist Catholics coming together about 30 something years ago. It's main focus was traditional Catholic rites and prayer and penance at the beginning but it has evolved into something quite different now where it is less about tradition and more about complete control of its members through fear of damnation and prophesies of calamities to come.

In other words it is a cult.

The members just follow in blind obedience, they no longer have the ability to question what they are being told or think things through.

Your friend has been told that there will be a nuclear world war in 2009 and she is probably a very frightened young girl who wants to have something of a life before that happens. THere is also a drive on by their leaders to get the young people paired and married. It further binds them to their religion because they risk losing their families if they leave. There is no family planning for them, she will probably be subjected to a life of financial worries and pregnancy.

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That is not in fact correct, there is quite a lot known about this church. Established by an insurance broker who claimed to have had a visitation from the Virgin Mary who asked him to clean up the Church and who was mystically crowned Pope by Jesus Christ in a vision. I have not heard one this far out in a long time. IMHO they seem to be rather a dodgy crowd. There is a small Irish twist at the end of the following article:

The Palmarian Catholic Church (One Holy Catholic Apostolic and Palmarian Church) is a schismatic sect of the Roman Catholic Church with its own pope opposed to the Bishop of Rome. The Palmarian Church was established in 1975 by Clemente Domínguez, an insurance broker from Seville, Spain, who claimed the Virgin Mary appeared to him at a shrine outside the small village of El Palmar de Troya in Andalucia with instructions to rid the Roman Catholic Church of "heresy and progressivism."
He set up his own Holy See in Seville in 1978 claiming he had been mystically crowned Pope by Jesus Christ in a vision. He took the name Pope Gregory XVII and named his own cardinals. Uniquely, the Popes of the Palmarian Church do not claim to be the titular Bishop of Rome, rather they claim that Jesus mystically transferred the position of Patriarch of the West and Supreme Pontiff to the Episcopal see of Palmar de Troya. Mainstream Catholics (most sedevacantist and mysticalist claimants) disagree that the Papacy can be transferred from the See of Rome based on personal revelations. Related to that? Catholic doctrine holds that personal revelations are not universally binding on the whole Church.
Palmarian Pope Gregory XVII called the body conventionally recognized as the official Catholic Church a false church, saying "John Paul is seated on Rome's seven hills and holds in his hand the golden cup of filth and fornication." He excommunicated Pope John Paul II. He also canonized Francisco Franco and Christopher Columbus as saints.
Upon Domínguez' death in March 2005, Manuel Alonso Corral succeeded him as the Palmarian Pope Peter II. According to the Prophecy of the Popes (controversially accredited to St. Malachy of Ireland and deemed a forgery by many Catholics), "Petrus Romanus" (Peter the Roman) would be the final Pope.

You can read more at:
[www.wandea.org.pl]

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Palmarian Church
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I have alot of experience with this church as an ex-member. I can assure you that they are every bit as troublesome as you have heard, and more so. They are a dangerous group of people, a group you should steer very clear of.I can tell you more if you wish, just let me know.

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Yes, I can be more specific:

They are an extremely controlling religion, who recruit members and then force them to leave their families. I know as this is what happened to my family. My mother was forced to walk out on her husband and four children, as this is 'god's will'. This is a short version of my story.

I was born into the Palmarian religion, as were my three siblings. My mother was introduced to the religion when she was a teenager. She met my father, and, like any religion he had to convert to marry her. At the beginning it was ok. The rules of the religion were strict, the girls must wear dresses only, no trousers. Dresses must be at least four finger-widths below the knee. Sleeves must cover the wrists, no short sleeves, tops should have a full neck, your neckline should never be exposed. You must always wear socks, and when older, pop socks, never tights or bare feet. Men were not allowed to wear shorts, or short sleeves, or have an open neck, or wear denim either. This was hard to follow, but you got used to it, and to be honest, i didnt mind, because alot of what young people wear today is a bit immoral!!!! However, as time went on, things got worse. You would accept what you couldnt do, and take comfort in what you could do, like watch the tv, listen to the radio, play with your friends, read books, etc...
But soon them things were to be forbidden too. Any music which contained electric guitars, or any pop music was forbidden. Only country music was allowed. I remember being subjected to hours and hours of Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline and Glen Campbell. Now Im not saying anything negative about them as artists, but c'mon, for a youngster?? Watch tv? No way!! That was the devils work. I remember my sister and I used to love watching Home and Away. Imagine our upset when this was also taken away from us. As for reading books, well, following the priests direction my mother went through all of our school books, and cut out any references to magic, or sex. Now I understand parents wanting to watch what their children are reading/watching, but this all went way beyond anything!! How many religions do you know of that have classed the reading of Harry Potter as a sin?? So we were still allowed to play with our friends you ask?? Well yes, so long as their parents were married. Since I have left the religion that rule has changed and they are now forbidden to have any friends outside the religion.
I remember as a child, physically not fitting in because of my long baggy loose clothing(to cover up my body and prevent man from sin) and my long dresses. I know this sounds silly but think back to how important fitting in was when you were a child! I remember when I went to secondary school, I used to stay in my uniform all day monday to friday, because it was the only skirt i could wear which made me feel part of the group.
As time went by, my father left the religion. Shortly afterwards we (the children) also left. My mother remained a devout palmarian. It hurt her feelings that we left, but she was too convinced that she was doing the right thing to second think things for herself. I moved out when I started going to college, I was disowned by her because one of the lodgers in the house I rented was gay. Eventually the church made the rule that finally destroyed our family - when they told my mother she must leave her family. So on the 22nd of December 2004, my mother walked out on her family, without telling anyone she was leaving. She left a very obsure note that didnt explain anything. The least she could have done in my opinion is explain to him that this was a rule the religion had made. He may have understood, instead of being left to wonder why she left. However we were always sure the Palmarians were somehow behind it. My mother would have been the main earner in our home, so as well as leaving my father emotionally crippled, he was in a serious financial state. It ha s been almost 4 years now, and although she lives about 4 miles from our home, she has never once been in touch with us, nor never will. While I was in college, she would even visit the restaurant I worked in, all I ever got was a vacant stare. Because of the stress of this situation (being the eldest - alot tends to fall on your shoulders) I myself have become severely depressed. I am currently still getting over it, but with the help of my fabulous boyfriend and amazing friends, I am getting there. But my family has fallen apart since then We get on when we have to, but there is no family spirit between us.

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Wow, that's gotta be tough. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

I know a family of Palmarians, and though they seem quite nice and polite the patriarch is indeed very controlling. He even took his 16 year old daughter out of school so she could begin working. I've been told that third level education is frowned upon - this really ticks me off when I think of this guy's daughter and how he's slashed her future prospects by removing her from school. It's not right! I'd hate having to wear those long skirts though, although they do wear tights and push their sleeves up. Woo, women's lib!

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Have you heard the newest thing(rule)? Well, I'll tell you what I heard from 1 of my sisters, that is that when speaking to someone on the phone palmarians are suppose to ask what the person is wearing on the other end-too make sure they are dressed descent. Also grocerie(and other produsts) if there are sayings or animals pictured on item, they have to take a black marker and block out what is concidered worldy!

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If there are animals on pictures of groceries, they have to black them out with a marker????????? oh my god, why??

I did hear about the phone call thing, my mother is very much involved with the church still. I have also been told that all palmarians who are working are required to give 10% of their wage to the church, or to face excommunication. Talk about extortion!!!!

What were your experiences of living under the palmarian church? I see you say you were only half following the rules for a while, I think thats the case with everyone who leaves, its a gradual thing.

Keep in touch
PeanutHead

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Pope Gregorio XVIII – now just plain Ginés Jesús Hernández – is laying low. Once the former spiritual leader of the Palmarian Catholic Church, he is now holed up with his girlfriend Nieves in Spain's Sierra Nevada. And not without reason. Not only has he turned his back on this dubious offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church, whose saints include Adolf Hitler and Francisco Franco; he has also decided to bring the organization to its knees with revelations of underhand dealings and tax evasion.

“It’s all a set-up, particularly a financial one,” he declares after 32 years in the sect. “They’re just using the miracle of the Virgin Mary as a front.”

The former pontiff’s revelations have also lifted the lid on an isolated world where children and adults have been brainwashed with manipulative religious texts pronouncing, among other things, the coming of the Antichrist.