Jean Fourié, in an interview with Patrick Mensior given here, expressed his belief in the story of Saunière’s “Deathbed Confession” to Abbé Riviére (asserting the story originated with Marie Dénarnaud). Claire Corbu repeated Jean Fourié’s belief in Saunière’s “Deathbed Confession” in her introduction to the recently published Le journal de l’abbé Saunière 1901 à 1905.

Saunière’s “Deathbed Confession” was not mentioned anywhere by Noël Corbu nor was it mentioned in Madeleine Blancassall, “Les Descendants Mérovingiens ou l’énigme du Razès wisigoth” (1965). The story originated in Gérard de Sède’s 1967 book L’Or de Rennes. If Claire Corbu has chosen to believe this story, her belief has consequently been passed on to Jean Fourié – that appears to be another apocryphal anecdote devoid of any historical provenance.

Jean Fourié is sceptical about the treasure of Rennes-le-Château.

Monsignor Boyer poured scorn over Saunière’s “Deathbed Confession” as part of his debunking of Gérard de Sède’s L’Or de Rennes in L’Indépendant, 9 December 1967:

“That the Abbé Saunière could have received the last sacraments two days after his death is absolutely incredible. And that dear old Abbé Rivière, the curé of Espéraza, who died in 1929, and who was the Dean of Coursan (where I got to know him well) never smiled again after the death of the Abbé Saunière, to whom he had administered extreme unction, is another puzzling statement, as I myself saw him roar with laughter.”