Abbé Bérenger Saunière and Freemasonry

Abbé Bérenger Saunière and Freemasonry

Denis Dorléac

18 February 2024

The Catholic Church first prohibited Catholics from membership in Masonic organizations and other secret societies in 1738. Since then, at least eleven popes have made pronouncements about the incompatibility of Catholic doctrines and Freemasonry.

From 1738 until 1983, Catholics who publicly associated with, or publicly supported, Masonic organizations were censured with automatic excommunication. Since 1983, the prohibition on membership exists in a different form. Although there was some confusion about membership following the 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), the Church continues to prohibit membership in Freemasonry because it believes that Masonic principles and rituals are irreconcilable with Catholic doctrines. The current norm, the 1983 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's (CDF) Declaration on Masonic associations, states that “faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion” and membership in Masonic associations is prohibited.

In France, The Grand Orient is cognate with the French Republic.

Also in France, there is the irregular and minor form of Freemasonry called Le Grand Occident that deems itself Roman Catholic. (The common French people are ignorant about the history of their own country).

But most of all, author Michel Rzepecki is guilty of not knowing anything about the 1910-1911 Ecclesiastical Trial that found Abbé Bérenger Saunière guilty of selling masses and not asking his Bishop for permission to build his domain – the Tour Magdala and the Villa Bethania. Rzepecki does not seem to know the circumstances that led to Abbé Bérenger Saunière’s suspension as a priest (that lasted until his death).

Therefore, Michel Rzepecki's book can be described as another example of romantic pseudo-history about the village of Rennes-le-Château, and can be easily dismissed.