Why has Marie-Émilie Salières become a “part of a legend” just because she gave birth to a child out of wedlock to Abbé Alfred Saunière? What is so special about Abbé Alfred Saunière?

We know all about the illegitimate childbirth because it is a common recycled fact made by The Rennies. Around 1893, Abbé Alfred Saunière left his position as priest, not due to any wrongdoing, but to be able to freely express his anti-government convictions. On 20 April 1906, Marie-Émilie Salières gave birth to a son, named André-Bérenger. Abbé Alfred Saunière died before the birth of his son, on 9 September 1905, aged 49 years. Such are the facts surrounding this episode.

But here comes the really juicy bit – quote: “Alfred Saunière ... around 1897 ... briefly held the position of tutor to the children of the Chefdebien de Zagarrida family in Narbonne. It was there that he was allegedly expelled from this noble family following some “indiscretion” or “misconduct,” without any credible evidence to specify what his fault might have been”.

That is correct, we do not know why he was dismissed. It may have been for a totally fabricated reason.

Continuing, The Rennies really love this hypothesis: “...Alfred Saunière consulted and likely disseminated to the appropriate authorities, certain confidential archives of the Chefdebien de Zagarrida, a family that distinguished itself, during the 18th and 19th centuries, in the development and dissemination of Egyptian Freemasonry, and more particularly in the creation, in 1779, of the “Primitive Rite of Narbonne” by François-Anne de Chefdebien d'Armissan and his six sons”.

However, there could have been another equally valid reason – Abbé Alfred Saunière could have been dismissed for his objections to Freemasonry, that would hardly constituted anything “immoral” by a priest (unlike carnal relations with a woman). But of course there is nothing “sexy” or remotely “addictive” about that! Therefore, we know why The Rennies prefer the choice about Freemasonry. Even if the “Primitive Rite of Narbonne” was pro-Monarchist in nature – so what? Pope Clement XII forbade the existence of Freemasonry and other Secret Societies in his decree “In eminenti apostolatus” of 28 April 1738 – some 40 years before the creation of the “Primitive Rite of Narbonne”.

We do not know the real reason behind the dismissal of Abbé Alfred Saunière by the Chefdebien family – nor are we ever likely to find out. This is only of significance to the mythmakers of the “mysteries” of Rennnes-le-Château and yet another sweetener to satisfy an already sweet tooth.

We are also still waiting for the first piece of evidence that Abbé Bérenger Saunière discovered a “treasure”. So far, Abbé Saunière's major controversies are his losing his priesthood following the Ecclesiastical Trial of 1910-1911 by the Bishopric of Carcassonne that The Rennies just cannot stop talking about.