The Gnostic Catholic Church co-founded by Jean Bricaud, Gerard Encausse (Papus) and Louis-Sophrone Fugairon in 1907 had absolutely nothing to do with the Gnosticism of Ancient Christianity nor with the Manicheans, Bogomils or the Cathars. The Gnostic Catholic Church was a modern 20th century movement that used as its basis the “Gnostic Mass” of Aleister Crowley, 1875-1947.

The translation of a text written by Louis Sophrone Fugairon by Jason Colavito has got absolutely no bearing on the life of Abbé Bérenger Saunière who was a Traditionalist Roman Catholic priest opposed to the French Republic (except for the “Rennies” and all other dabblers in fringe made-up histories, shortly to announce the existence of a Fringe History Centre in Couiza, close to Rennes-le-Château).

It was this French early 20th-Century Gnosticism that was responsible for creating the MODERN Dualists who regarded Jesus as just another [historical] man – utterly responsible for confusing the authors of “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” into believing therefore that was also what the Cathars, Bogomils, Manicheans and the first century Gnostics believed – and in so doing responsible for creating a whole generation of misguided people.

Abbé Saunière was devoted to Bernadette Soubirous who could easily be said was a symbol of Anti-Republicanism. Abbé Saunière went on pilgrimages to Lourdes in August 1911, August 1912 and August 1913. In 1915 Abbé Saunière went on his pilgrimage to Lourdes in October. The Assumptionists’ make their Pilgrimages to Lourdes every August.

The friction between Abbé Saunière and Prosper Estieu sets out the scene that the priest was no spiritual renegade. From here by Val Wineyard.

Meanwhile, the tiny hilltop village of Rennes-le-Château is now known around the world. I have been interested in the Rennes-le-Château story for a long time. It was one of those heart-thumping moments when I discovered that Jules’ Félibre friend Prosper Estieu was teaching there around 1900. (I believe Jules went to see Prosper there.)

Back in the 19th century Bérenger Saunière was more than ten years renovating his church and held a great party to celebrate it, in June 1897. Then in 1899 came his supply teacher Prosper Estieu from Castelnaudary. In those small villages then the trio of mayor, schoolteacher and priest ran the village. Prosper was described as a “non-religious” teacher; this would have been a left-over from the Revolution, after which religion was dead, but human nature being human nature, it kept reviving. Prosper Estieu passed his Oocitan examinations in 1900 and gained his “Majoral” which means, “appointed,” while at Rennes-le-Château. He was listed among the top 50 of the Félibrige in France. His passion in life was Occitania and the Occitan language, with its great writings and poetry, and he had been writing and teaching Occitan for many years. He founded many “schools” of Occitan, some of which exist today.

In 1900 at Rennes-le-Château, on the 2nd August, Prosper met Déodat Roché, who had such a great interest in the Cathars. Déodat lived at Arques, some fifteen kilometres away and believed he was reincarnated from the great Cathar Perfect, Pierre Authié, who very nearly revived Catharism in the early 14th century, before the Inquisition caught him.

In 1896 Prosper had founded a magazine called Mont Ségur. Many think this was founded by Déodat Roché but Prosper started it and then Déodat joined him after the two men had met at Rennes-le-Chateau. Mont Ségur ran from 1896 to 1899 and then from 1901 to 1906. It looks as though Déodat rescued it, probably financially. In the 1901 and 1902 editions, “Jan D’oc” the Director was Prosper under another name. (My other life also wrote for it.)

Certainly the magazine seemed to have a new lease of life from 1901; the cover changed and it was published from Rennes-le-Château, and continued to be so until August 1903 – two and a half years. The issue dated September/October 1903 was published from Toulouse. Things had changed considerably by then!

Later that summer of 1900 in Rennes-le-Château, Prosper discovered that he had no water. Bérenger Saunière had been taking water from the village water-tank to water his garden, which deprived the school where Prosper was living. The town council, devoted to Saunière, did nothing and eventually Estieu got permission from Limoux for a separate water supply to the school.

On the 22nd July 1902 (Mary Magdalene’s Day) Berenger Saunière wrote to the Prefecture (at Carcassonne) complaining that Prosper Estieu was filling the children’s heads with “excessively progressive ideas” and he was supported by the Mayor. Two against one. It was not settled by the 8th February 1903, for the Mayor then told the Prefecture that Prosper was a bad teacher. I suspect Prosper was teaching the history of Catharism and the Catholics didn’t like it; but teachers weren’t supposed to teach religion, so what they actually accused him of is not known.

In July 1903 – again on Mary Magdalene’s day? – Bérenger Saunière formally complained once again, and Prosper left to go and teach in Raissac-sur-Lampy, between Castelnaudary and Alzonne.

It is true that Prosper was involved in a spiritual scene that must have seemed very heretical to Bérenger Saunière, who was staunchly pro Catholic church and Monarchy.

The whole Occitan liestyle revolved around poetry, ancient languages, history hidden from the “men from the north” and a great patriotism and love for our land. There’s a hint of old pagan religions and certainly alternative beliefs such as gnosticism and reincarnation. It’s said that Prosper was interested in the Occult, being a close friend of Anne Osmont and acquainted with Monti the magician.

Esclarmonde

This was the time that what is now called neo-Catharism developed. The concept of Catharism changed in the 19th century and was far more romantic, intense, colourful. This began with a writer called Nicholas Peyrat.

Born in 1809 in Ariège, he became a pastor in the Reformed Church of France and was anticlerical, regularly criticising the anti-democratic Catholic establishment. There were many like Saunière who wanted a return to pro-Revolutionary times. I have met friends today who despise the Cathar ideas. It’s interesting that Saunière’s favourite saint was St. Anthony of Padua, who was known as the “hammer of the heretics” for his work in persecuting Cathars.

Nicholas Peyrat was a natural and dramatic writer. In 1870 he wrote a History of the Albigensians that read like a romantic novel. Medieval Languedoc was refined and civilised, a country of music and song which was attacked by barbarians from the north. (Occitan people today agree with this and so do I.) Peyrat wrote about Esclarmonde, a high priestess guarding Cathar treasure and texts, a beautiful preacher, a godmother to other beautiful female Perfects, and a martyr who turned into a dove on the funeral pyre of Montségur.

The cult of Montségur became central to the Occitan culture. Peyrat’s words became a rallying cry for nationalists. From Montségur’s peak this conjuration took wing, under the name of spirit, to make its secret way through the winds, the invisible path through storm; it was this mysterious horseman, mounted on the tempest and the thunder . . .who would regenerate Europe and the whole world.

While it’s true that treasure, possible coins and religious texts, were smuggled out of Montségur, it was not a mythic treasure. But Peyrac weaved his tale; the treasure was taken to Lombrives where lived a large Cathar community. The French army there discovered them and bricked up the entrance so that they perished. (I tried to imagine this – the soldiers getting a cement mixer and laying the bricks one by one and the Cathars just watched and let them do it?) But many believed this atrocity. Prosper Estieu wrote a poem called “The Cave.”

Martyrs, you have suffered an atrocious death; your bones are bleached white in this black tomb; but the Crusades have not conquered your soul. Neither rock nor wall has stopped it; it has come again to inflame the Albigensian country, and it is us, your decendants, who have inherited it.

The Félibrige, started by Frédéric Mistral to promote the revitalisation of the language and literature of old Occitania, now adopted these stories as part of their culture. In the last ten years of the nineteeth cenury “neo-Catharism” was born. Many of the félibres were Republicans and wanted a regional identity for Languedoc, concentrating on the language and music.

Peyrat’s writing reflected the truth many Languedocians feel; their freedom of thought had been crushed by the Crusaders led by the “wolf from the north.”

By the early 20th century, the lady Perfect Esclarmonde had become a shining symbol of a new life and spirituality. The legend says that she turned into a dove during the burning, hence the symbol of a dove that has appeared in Cathar castles. She was seen at séances in Paris and people started claiming they were reincarnated from her. Operas were written about her and films made, each more fantastic than the last.

In 1911, in Esclarmonde’s memory, Prosper Estieu initiated the idea of a statue “to her glory” in front of the castle in her town of Foix and formed a committee which included 50 dignitaries from the region and 40 félibres which included Antounin de Perbosc. It was also supported by the anti-clerical movement and the freemasons. (One can almost smell the sulphur!) It was not only important to remember she was the heroine that organised the resistance of Montségur to the hordes of Simon de Montfort, but also our ancesters and that struggled and fell beside her in the defence of Occitania, said Prosper.

It seemed all was going well; In 1912 he wrote to a friend; This will be the Sainte-Estelle of Foix and Montségur, this great day when we will inaugurate this statue of Esclarmonde. The clay version is marvellously made, we need only to find the money. The sculptor’s name was Grégoire Calvet. Sainte Estelle, the star, was the patron saint of the Félibrige.

But “passionate controversy arose.” This was at a time when the 1905 separation of Church and State was still new. Prosper had to defend himself and was accused of mental hysteria. Fréderic Mistral, recently congratulated by the Pope himself for his 80th birthday, decided to back out. The Bishop of Palmiers was strangely against the project. A statement was issued. We reject Esclarmonde because it will only revive the religious hatred of bygone times which is better forgotten. We want unity and peace. By celebrating her, we would exalt an immoral and antisocial heresy!