While there are no official reports of a massive money-laundering “scam” involving a priest at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes as of April 2026, there have been several historical and recent incidents involving financial misconduct or fraudulent activities related to the site.

Here is a brief outline of recent present day suspected money-laundering scams involving the Shrine of Lourdes.

1. The “Zambelli Affair”: A high-profile investigation once focused on Father Raymond Zambelli, a former rector of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. French police investigated roughly £350,000 found in his personal account, which was allegedly destined for the sick and dying. Zambelli denied wrongdoing, claiming the funds were a gift from an elderly worshipper. This affair became public in July 2008.

2. AI-Generated Scams: Recent warnings highlight scammers using AI-generated videos and audio of well-known priests, such as Father Mike Schmitz, to solicit fraudulent donations for “sending prayers” to Lourdes. AI-generated scams and fake social media accounts impersonating Father Mike Schmitz to solicit money have been actively reported throughout 2025 and early 2026.

3. Lourdes Water Fraud: Priests have frequently warned parishioners about mail-order scams offering “Lourdes water” in exchange for donations, characterizing these efforts as preying on the vulnerable. Dating from at least as far back as 2004.

4. Impersonation Scams: Fraudsters often pose as priests via WhatsApp or email to request money. For example, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Pittsburg issued alerts about fake messages claiming to be from “Fr. Mike”. Fake videos using Fr. Mike's name, likeness, and voice to solicit money for Lourdes appeared around November and December 2025.

5. Other Clergy Financial Scandals: While not directly tied to the Lourdes site, other Catholic clerics have faced money-laundering charges recently. In late 2024 and 2025, two Catholic priests in Greece were accused of embezzling and laundering over €3 million through nightclubs.

So the question becomes raised about Rennes-le-Chateau in relation to possible money-laundering activities relating to Lourdes and Abbé Bérenger Saunière during the late 19th century.

Why would a priest and sculptor named Father Claudio Granzotto (1900-1947) have visited Rennes-le-Château, following his visit to Lourdes? He only sculpted two versions of the Devil and Holy Water Stoup that strongly resemble the one in the church of St Mary Magdalene in Rennes-le-Château. Could the initials “B.S.” above the statue of the Devil really stand for “Bernadete Soubirous” – also doubling-up for “Bérenger Saunière” – because they both shared the same common religious Catholic beliefs and faiths about The Virgin Mary? [1] [2]

Parishioners probably sent their donations to Abbé Saunière at Rennes-le-Château knowing full well (in secret) that it was being primarily used in honour of Lourdes, that also during Saunière's period could have been used for political purposes in anti-Republican activities, with the priest also using the funds for renovating his church and building projects, including buying local lands. The official Bishopric of Carcassonne would of course not have been part of such an operation – but it would have had sneaking suspicions for good reason – for example it's a well-known fact that Abbé Saunière went on pilgrimages to Lourdes on several occasions, and on the date of Abbé Saunière's death, had a letter written by his solicitor to inform him from the Vatican in Rome stating that his local Bishopric would consider reinstating him officially as a priest – only if he accepted a parish other than Rennes-le-Château.

There of course would never have been evidence found that he was responsible for money-laundering activities relating to the shrine of Lourdes – nor should we ever expect to find such evidence.

While there is no evidence that Bernadette Soubirous herself was ever personally or actively involved in anti-republican in her political views, she was described as an uneducated, humble peasant girl who focused entirely on her religious experiences. However, her apparitions and the resulting phenomenon of Lourdes were deeply intertwined with the political and religious tensions of 19th-century France. While Bernadette herself was not a political actor, her story was adopted by conservative, monarchist, and Catholic forces who were opposed to the secularizing trends of the French state. The Catholic Church and counterrevolutionary figures used the events at Lourdes to bolster religious traditionalism, which was seen as a challenge to the republican, anti-clerical, or liberal ideology. In summary, while the MOVEMENT and IDEOLOGY surrounding Lourdes were used to oppose anti-republican, counter-revolutionary, and traditionalist Catholic ideals, Bernadette Soubirous herself was focused purely on her spiritual experiences rather than political engagement.

The church built at Lourdes was not built – as expected – to the honour of Our Lady of Lourdes, The Mother of Jesus – but rather to the glory of Sacré-Cœur – that was the symbol of anti-Republican activity in France during the 19th century. The church was constructed between 28 July 1875, and 8 September 1903, replacing the former church of St Pierre; the neo-Romanesque structure was officially completed with its 65-meter bell tower in 1936.

The well-known church of The Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, Paris, was mainly built between 1875 and 1914 (designated the status of Minor Basilica by Pope Benedict XV). The construction of the building was financed entirely through private donations and a national subscription campaign, rather than state funding. Promoted as a “national vow” of repentance after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, it was funded by Catholic donations from across the country.

The suspected connection between a money-laundering scam, the Holy Shrine of Lourdes, anti-Republican activities and what was happening in the village of Rennes-le-Château (in private) can hardly be anything new!