The historical Bérenger Saunière, 1885-1917, who made his money from trafficking in masses, making it impossible for him to honour, because of the sheer number of mass requests posted to him by mail. (The village of Rennes-le-Chateau was most likely used as a centre of operation of a money-laundering scheme involving the Shrine of Lourdes).

The Bérenger Sauniêre of modern myth, who was invented during the mid-1950s – discovered a treasure, kept all kinds of secrets, discovered parchments, was a member of Right Wing Catholic esoteric societies, was a puppet of the Priory of Sion – or more fantastic still, was the guardian of the secret bloodline of Jesus Christ, the knowledge of which he used to blackmail The Vatican.