[Seal of the Secretariat-General of the Priory
of Sion]
CONFIDENTIAL CIRCULAR R.C.
- O... PARIS 4 April 1989
My Very Dear Brothers,
More than three hundred letters received since
the publication of the last issue of VAINCRE, and all this mail
focuses on just one topic: the date of the foundation of the
Priory of Sion! I cannot reply to each of you individually, so I
must resign myself to publishing by means of this internal
circular of the ORDER the outcome of researches into this matter
undertaken over these past few years.
The majority of the members of SION believe (as
I myself do) that the foundation of the PRIORY goes back to 17
JANUARY 1681 at RENNES-LE-CHATEAU. Nevertheless, despite all our
researches, it has not been possible for us to find a document
proving that this date is correct.
What we do have in our hands is a document of
Cardinal de FLEURY, who was at the time in question Minister of
Louis XV, in which he remitted to Abbe Jean Paul de NEGRE, former
Vicar-General of the Diocese of ALET, subsantial sums for
"advising the Priory of Sion on 19 September 1738".
Incidentally, a letter from Francois d'Hautpoul to Abbe de Negre
(who was then at Saint Paul de Fenouillet) confirms this date.
Regarding 1738, many of our brothers think that this date must be
wrong, as it is not possible, for in 1681 Abbe de NEGRE was only
4 years old (he was born in 1677), and Francois de HAUTPOUL had
not even been born (he was born in 1689)! On the other hand it is
well established that the Abbe de FELURY made visits to ALET and
LIMOUX in 1680/1681, where he took an interest in the sanctuary.
It is therefore certain that he met there Henri d'HAUTPOUL,
protector of the "Enfants ou Bons Enfants"
["Children or Good Children"].
In any case Cardinal de FLEURY received in
1698, via a donation from King Louis XIV, the property of ROC
NEGRE and the bishopric of FREGUS.
If we no longer have formal proof of the
foundation of the PRIORY OF SION in 1681 we can however accept
that LABOUISSE-ROCHEFORT, a brother of the ORDER, was a great
friend of VICTOR HUGO and a friend of Brother NODIER, and
undoubtedly possessed archives since lost (perhaps during the
wars of 1914/1918 or 1939/1945), but certainly not in 1870, for
Victor HUGO drew up the constitutions on 14 July 1870 and on the
same day, he planted the oak-tree of the United States of
Europe, when he held the relevant documents in his own hands.
Victor HUGO lodged part of his archives on 19 July 1870 with PAUL
HEURICE, of 5 Avenue Frochot, Paris, and the other part on 13
August 1870 in a trunk in GUERNSEY. In 1885, during the advent of
Claude DEBUSSY as Grand-Master, one part of the Archives of the
PRIORY OF SION was found in GISORS and the other at the house of
Monsieur de SAINT HILLIER at the Chateau du LYS (SAINT HILLIER
was the great-uncle of Philippe de CHERISEY).
I think that it would be good to remember that
the "17 JANUARY" has an esoteric significance for the
PRIORY OF SION, as follows: JANUARY/17, that is to say 19
SEPTEMBER, the fete of Bishop JANVIER [JANUARY], born 270 + 305,
or 17 – he wore the Mitre of the Sun.That is the
Pierre de Trou [Peter of the Hole], who appears in an Honoured
place on the chimneys. That represents what one must believe. I
dedicate this information to those of our Brothers who have the
necessary wisdom to understand it.
Numerous profane persons thought and still
think that our aim is to discover the treasure of
Rennes-le-Château, something that is kept alive by a press and
publications whose sole aim is to SELL their literature to these
who are naive enough to buy it.
Our TREASURE, that of the PRIORY OF SION, is
the SECRET of the
ROC NOIR [Black Rock]. Venerated since high
antiquity by those who believed in its immense power, it was
likened to the DEVIL, and even LABOUISSE-ROCHEFORT wrote the
following about it for the initiated:
- "The Angel, of bastard race,
- "In a dry and preposterous tone
- "Constantly keeps under this watch
- "This immense wealth...
... and only the initiated could
understand that the treasure was not gold but the considerable
energy which the MASTER of the genie who knows THE SECRET has at
his disposal.
And so, Very Dear Brothers, there is nothing to
stop you believing in the creation of the ORDER in 1681, even if
we cannot... demonstrate in our own times the eternal TRUTH,
-
[Signature]
Pierre PLANTARD de SAINT CLAIR
- ET IN ARCADIA EGO
- PLANTARD DE SAINT-CLAIR
-
Or... of Paris, 6 July 1989
To all Brethren,
Four months ago now, I (temporarily) accepted
the responsibility of once again becoming Grand Master of the
PRIORY OF SION (on certain conditions), and I feel that during
this period I have made indispensable reforms to ensure that the
ORDER has a solid basis for the future.
Together we have foiled the dangers posed by
the American infiltration – which is not to say that we
should allow ourselves to fall into the opposite trap, as
constructing a "community house" seems to us to be a
very Utopian dream and one that is dangerous for the future.
During this short period I have tried to put
our ancient archives back into some sort of order... I have
finally been able to get hold of some researches on the origin of
the PRIORY of SION... I have been able to put an end to "a
mythology" of false Grand Masters who, it was alleged,
formed a chain going back to the ORDER of the TEMPLE and even to
Jesus!
The PRIORY of SION is of recent origin, as the
documents found in BARCELONA prove that it was created in 1681 in
RENNES-LE-CHATEAU, which is a long way in time from the end of
the ORDER of the TEMPLE in 1314...
The origin of the Priory was inspired by the
spirit of the KNIGHTS at the time of GODEFROI VI, called the
Pious, who was Duc de BOUILLON around 1099, then by the dynamism
of the ENFANTS de SAINT-VINCENT, and channelled the energies of
the adepts of the Compagnie du SAINT SACRAMENT, dissolved in
1665, whose secret ritual the ORDER retained, and whose degrees,
recopied in 1934 by Georges MONTI, underlay the foundation of the
ALPHA GALATES.
Last June I obtained the majority of votes
regarding a motion relating to the abolition of a linen robe and
part of an outdated ceremony (by a majority vote).
On the other hand I have opened up to all the
Brothers the possibility of undertaking research in our archives
on our traditions, the study of our symbolism and the hermeticism
in our ORDER.
Because of my state of health and age it is my duty to leave my position to my son Thomas, who, I am sure, will
assume with plenty of devotion, resolve and competence the heavy
burden of continuing our WORK for unity and PEACE.
Therefore, by virtue of Articles XIV and XVI of
the CONSTITUTIONS of the PRIORY of SION, I ask you, Very Dear
Brothers, to ratify the act of promulgation of Thomas PLANTARD de
SAINT CLAIR as Grand Master of the ORDER.
-
[Signature of Plantard]
