+ ECCLESIA GNOSTICA + part2

glise Gnostique Universelle Catholique -EgliseGnostique de France

Published with the kind permission of the author Milko Bogaard

1839 l'Oeuvre de la Misricorde / Church of Carmel

Pierre-Eugne-Michel Vintras (1807-1875) claimed a great vision in which the archangel
Michael appeared as well as the Holy Ghost, St.Joseph, and the Virgin Mary. In this vision
(or "visions") the coming of the Paraclete was formally declared. Vintras also stated he was
informed that he was the reincarnated prophet Elijah who would establish a new religious
order to proclaim the coming of the Paraclete / the age of the holy ghost. It is also
interesting to know that Vintras stated that he was told that Charles Naundorf was the ' true
king of France'. It is generally known that several of the well-known French and Belgian
occultists of the first half of the 20th century were "Naundorfists"
( see Chapter 7, "FUDOSI, 1934-1951" ). Another interesting statement I came across is that
Vintras apparently had a 'mentor' of some kind, "a certain Madame Bouche, who lived in the
Place St. Sulpice in Paris, and went under the name of Sister Salome". It is stated that mdm.
Bouche, a 'visionary', was 'connected' to the Johannites.
Vintras founded the "Oeuvre de la Misricorde" (the "Work of Mercy") to proclaim his
vision. He traveled through the French countryside proclaiming his 'revelation' acquiring
many followers, including Roman- and Irvingite Catholic Priests. His masses included
visions of empty chalices filled with bleeding hosts, which apparently could remain perfectly
preserved for many years.
The following information is for the greater part derived from a chapter of the book
"History of Magic, Including a Clear, and Precise Exposition of its Procedure, Rites and
Mysteries", written by Eliphas Lvi. Lvi gives an account of the events which led Vintras to
believe he was 'elected' to proclaim the coming of the Paraclete. Lvi starts his chapter on
Vintras (the chapter is titled "Hallucinations") with informing the reader of a sect which he
labels as the "Saviours of Louis XVII" (Naundorf ; "The "Naundorf-movement" was build
around a hypothesis that a certain Karl Wilhelm Naundorf, an adventurer, 'emerged' in
Berlin in 1810 and claimed to be the son of the French King Louis XIV and Marie
Antoinette"). Agents of the sect of the "Saviours of Louis XVII" were in Normandy, of
which the pretended Louis XVII claimed to be Duke. This sect apparently had chosen
Vintras to be their "instrument" of propaganda for the movement. Serge Hutin in his book
"Les Gnostiques" (published in 1958) refers to the "Sauveurs de Louis XVII" as a "Society
of Illuminates". It is generally asserted that the "Saviours of Louis XVII" started out as a
strictly political organization which later turned into a quasi-mystical organization. Hutin also
informs us that Naundorf founded a "Evangelical Catholic Church" within the bosom of the
Roman-Catholic Church. Naundorf's doctrine was published in his "La Doctrine Celeste",
which was published in 1839. Lvi continues with the story in which Vintras is visited by a
'beggar' who addresses him as Pierre Michel. A mysterious letter which is addressed to a
Mme.de Geners in London, written and signed by M.Paul de Montfleury of Caen, is left
1

behind by the stranger on Vintras' table. "The address not withstanding, this letter was
intended to place before the Duke of Normandy the most important truths of our Holy
Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Religion", thus Vintras. Vintras was devoted henceforth to
Louis XVII. There were other communications and considered the letter an "epistle from
heaven", addressing Vintras as Pierre Michel, the latter regards him as the Archangel Michael
"by an association of ideas which is analogous to that of dreams", thus Lvi.

"the discourses of St.Michael with Vintras are said to have concerned A) 'the
Destinies of France' B) 'the Future of Religion' C) 'the Reform of the Clergy'

"In the visions of the new Prophet there were everywhere lilies steeped in blood, Angels
habited like knights, Saints disguised as Troubadours. Thereafter came hosts affixed on
blue silk. Vintras had bloody sweats, his blood appeared on hosts, where it pictured
hearts with inscriptions in the handwriting and spelling of Vintras. Empty chalices were
filled suddenly with wine, and where the wine fell the stains were those of blood"
(Lvi,"History of Magic").
Lvi states that these miracles were witnessed by many well respected members of the
community on several occasions. The Priests of the "Work of Mercy" celebrated the
"Provictimal Sacrifice of Mary" in the oratory at Tilly-sur-Seulles. But opposition was bound
to come. A former member of Vintras sect, Alexandre Geoffroi, published a pamphlet in
1851 ( according to A.E.Waite probably not written by Geoffroi) called "Le Prophte
Vintras", accusing Eugne Vintras of i.a. homosexuality and of conducting secret masses at
which all participants were naked etc. With regard to these masses a modern-day "fanatic"
Christian group states:

" Eugne Vintras preached the advent of the Age of the Spirit, long prophesied by
Joachim of Flora, which would coincide with the redemption wrought by the
Virgin Mediatrix and her predestined priestesses. In this new dispensation, the
greatest sacrament was the sexual act, through which the original androgyny
would be restored."

Already in 1843 (November 8th ) Vintras' sect of 'Tilly-sur-Seulles', as Lvi's calls the sect
(after the hometown of Vintras), was condemned by Pope Gregory XVI. In 1841 the Bishop
of Bayeux had condemned the pamphlets of Charvoz (the movement's theologian ) as
"teaching doctrines incompatible with Catholic faith". Around 1842-43 Vintras was arrested
on a charge of roguery (?) and tried at Caen, condemned to five years imprisonment after
which he, in 1848, found asylum in England..But the opposition became stronger, and after
having been condemned by the Archbishops of Bordeaux and Nancy, and even by Pope
Pius IX (in 1851) Vintras left France and roamed around Europe (source ; Tau C.Harmonius
II ). Eugne Vintras finally returned to Lyon where he founded the "Sanctuary Interior of
the Carmel of Elie' ". Vintras also established a branch in Florence, Italy, the "Carmel Blanc".
For some years the "Church of Carmel", as Vintras' church became known, enjoyed a
modest prosperity with branches established in Spain, Belgium, England (1848), and Italy
(Florence).

Eugne Vintras died on December 7, 1875 in Lyon, leaving behind his "Pontifs Divins" who
continued this underground church. According to Tau Charles Harmonius II (Cokinis) of
the E.G.A. in his article -A Historical Brief of the Gnostic Catholic Ecclesia - " The
movement of this hidden ecclesia persisted throughout the 19th century in France and
drew many Grand Masters of the Arcane Orders, who also continued to move in the
shadows of the ongoing mystic and esoteric movements of this fascinating period".
Most of the accounts on Vintras and his movement are of a "sensational nature" and it's
rather impossible to write an objective text. I personally like Eliphas Lvi's general definition
on groups like Vintras' Oeuvre de la Misricorde / Church of Carmel ;

"Money, Miracles, Prophecies, None of these fail them, because theirs is that
Absolute of Will and Action that really works wonders, so that they're 'magicians'
without knowing it"

It appears that Vintras believed that his form of ministry was a renewal of the Catholic
Tradition. Vintras' publications, as for instance his book "Evangeli ternel", are written in
the tradition of the Roman-Catholic Church. Most of the members of Vintras' cult
considered themselves as "faithful Christians". His Holy Mass was identical to the Roman
Catholic one, the controversy about Vintras concerned his "gifts". The "bleeding hosts", the
seances with the Saints and the Holy Virgin etc. led to the opposition against Vintras' cult,
including the Pope's ban. Vintras' circle also incorporated the aspect of the 'Black Madonna'
into their doctrines.The 'Naundorf-aspect' could be another reason for the opposition
against Vintras. Vintras also apparently attracted other small movements which later merged
with the Church of Carmel . One of these groups were "the Brothers of the Christian
Doctrine", established in 1838 by the three brothers Baillard, all Priests. The brothers set up
two 'religious houses' , 1) at St.Odile in Alsace, 2) at Sion-Vaudemont in Lorraine. Their
doctrines were similar to those of Vintras, including the emphasis on the coming of the Holy
Spirit. "The Brothers of the Christian Doctrine" attracted great support, and it is said that
this support included that of the 'House of Habsburg' (source unknown).
Another controversial character of the movement is the priest Joseph-Antoine Boullan
(1824-1893), who is probably better known as the Abb de Boullan. Boullan became 'active'
in the 1850's when he founded the "Society for the Reparation of Souls" together with a
former nun, Adele Chevalier. It is stated by the general sources that Boullan 'specialized' in
"excorcising demons by unconvential means". After his conviction for fraud and serving his
time in jail, at which he was suspended from his priestly duties, Boullan voluntarily presented
himself at the Holy Office (i.e. the Inquisition) in Rome, which reversed its former decision.
Boullan's doctrines were written in Rome at the time, and this notebook became known as
the "Cahier Rose", which was later found by the novelist Joris Karl Huysmans after
Boullan's death in 1893. The "Cahier Rose" apparently was locked away in the Vatican
Library, after being described as a "shocking document". There are sources that claim that
Boullan was 'protected by the Church' and infiltrated Vintras' cultus "with the sole object of
bringing it down".
Boullan apparently met Vintras shortly before the latter's death in 1875. At the time Boullan
claimed to be the reincarnated St.John the Baptist (but this proclamation was done after

Vintras death, obviously). Boullan joined Vintras' "Church of Carmel" and became its leader
when Vintras died. Shortly thereafter a schism ensued, because most of the members refused
to accept Boullan's supremacy. A few followed Boullan's splintergroup which remained
active until Boullan's death in 1893. Around 1889 Boullan's group was 'infiltrated' by
Stanislas de Guaita and Oswald Wirth. De Guaita published an expos, titled "Le Temple de
Satan". This work belonged to De Guaita's "Essais de sciences maudites", which consisted
of four publications, published between 1886 and 1897 ( see "1888 OKR+C"). It is generally
assumed that Boullan's sect used a rite derived from a 18th century printing of "Cult des
Goules". Boullan is portrayed in J.K.Huysman's "La Bas" as Dr.Johannes ( the novel "La
Bas" can be found at: http://www.huysmans.org.uk/ ), "The French occultist would
probably have remained, virtually unknown to the world at large if it wasn't for the work of
J.K. Huymans "
The "Church of Carmel" was probably not a formal church, it appears that there was no
strict hierarchy nor leadership. Vintras was no Patriarch nor Bishop of the 'Church'. Vintras
did appointed several so-called "Pontifs Divins", with each 'Pontif' leading a group or
community. According to Terje Dahl Bergerson (e-mail on the "Eglise Vintrasienne", July,
2000) men like the Abb Boullan, Abb Roca and Louis Van Haeckel were ordained Pontifs
Divins in the "Elie Carmel ". After Vintras' death these men, and probably others,
established their own communities on the model of the Carmelite Order. Several of these
groups developed their own theology. "Some of those who followed Van Haeckel developed
a rather darker view of things and apparently associated themselves with certain occultists
who believed in the efficacy and correctness of Black Magic - they also developed a
Luciferian Theology". Bergerson corrects "his" vision in a later email-correspondence by
stating that the information (on Boullan, Roca en Van Haeckel) is probably unreliable by
stating : "Luciferian Theology sounds omnious as well. In view of both the "heterodox"
spirit of the specifically Gnostic esoteric orientation(s) (my view, not necessarely shared by
any other contemporary Gnostic) and our modern ideals of Humanism, certain
interpretations of the *myth* of Lucifer, or at least the biblical occurance (2 places??? Isaiah
and Revelation?) of Lucifer and consequent speculation - wouldnt be so "dark" by far. I
now rather think that Haeckel and Boullean, like Huysmans and Levi on the outside, only
contributed to the history of the order(s) in the capacity of stirring up public awareness
towards the *existence* of these for posterity.
Furthermore Bergerson also mentions another descendent of Vintras' "Work of Mercy",
John Kowalski (+1941), who continued Vintras' work in the "Order Maria Vitae". The
Order caused as much controversy as Vintras had done before Kowalski, by introducing
certain ideas as the abolition of celibacy among the Clergy, nuns and monks etc. The Maria
Vitae Order has its own church, "Eglise Vielle Catholique Maria Vitae". The "Carmel Elie"
affiliation descends from Feliksa Magdalen Kozlowskaya (+1912), who apparently 'initiated'
Kowalski into the ideals and workings of the "Carmel Elie", which had its "headquarters" at
the beginning of the 20th century in Warsaw, Poland, thus Terje Dahl Bergerson.
Finally Bergerson mentions another interesting Polish "Gnostic" mystic, Maria Naglowska
(+ early 1900's). Naglowska apparently knew Pascal Beverly Randolph, with whom she had
some 'working relationship' of some kind. She was a charismatic mystic ('channeling' or
'attunement" with the Virgin) who had some "connection to an underground dissenting

church, in the company of a 19th century Magus" . I can add to Bergerson's information that
In 1931 she eventually published Randolph's "Magia Sexualis". She is also mentioned in the
history of the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua, where she allegedly studied Voodoo with
some
of
Jean-Maine's
disciples
from
1921
until
1930.

1828.

l'glise Johannites des Crtiens Primitif

Seal for Palaprat's Neo Templar Order

"The Templars, whose order was suppressed and the members thereof executed
on account of their sorceries, were clearly a Society of Gnostic heretics, active
propagandists, closely connected with the Bogomiles and the Mandeans or
Johaninites".

Page 26 / 27 *Fabre Palaprat. Recherches Historiques sur les Templiers. Paris 1835
In 1804, Ledru, de Chevillon, de Saintot and Raymond Fabr-Palaprat, "restored" an Order
of the Temple, based on the Larmenius' Charter of Transmission from 1324, the Manuscript
statutes of 1705, and 'a journal of proceedings of the Order of the Temple'. These
documents were presented by Ledru, a physician. Ledru had purchased these documents
through the sale of the properties of the deceased Duke du Cosse-Brissac, a former Grand
Master of the Societ d'Aloya which was established in Paris in 1789. The society claimed to
be (or is said to be) a continuation of the medieval Templar Order. According to these
documents, the Order was reestablished in 1705 by the Duke of Orleans, using the Charter
of John Mark Larmenius, the alleged successor of Jacques De Molay ( the Charter has been
examined by experts at the British Museum who say the inks used are not in accord with the
alleged dates, the implication being that part of the document could be a forgery ). The
whole history of the foundation of Fabr-Palaprats' "Ordre du Temple" can be found in

numerous books written on the subject and all over the Internet, the main focus of this
Chapter is the "Johannite Church" which became connected to the French neo-Templars.
Also of interest are the masonic rites which were behind the formation of Fabr-Palaprat's
Templar Order (of which the founders were masons).
The Masonic Rites behind the "Ordre du Temple"
The masonic scholar R.F.Gould in his "History of Freemasonry" (1902 edit.) suggests a
possible connection between Fabr-Palaprat's Templar Order and several Johannite Lodges.
Gould refers i.a. to "La Petite Resurrection des Templiers" ("Little Resurrection of
Templars"), a licentious society established in 1682, and to a French masonic lodge named
"Les Chevaliers de la Croix" which existed around the time of the foundation of the "Ordre
du Temple" in 1804.
The connection to "La Petite Resurrection des Templiers" was made by several masonic
scholars at the time who asserted that the "statutes" of 1705 were a forgery. According to
these sources, these statues had been forged by the Jesuit Father Bonani and was "actually
the resuscitation of a 1681 Society entitled the "Little Resurrection of Templars" and that it
had as one of its members the learned Fenelon who converted Ramsay to orthodoxy", thus
John Yarker in his book "Arcane Schools". Yarker continues stating that "in any case, if of
1705, the Charter proves the existence of a branch of Scottish Templars". Papus stated that
"Templarism" always had existed as a "revolutionary force" in France. Since the mid-1750's
the Templar Order had changed its activities and started to infiltrate masonry by creating the
Higher Degrees, their influence within the masonic Lodges created an atmosphere which
eventually 'fueled' the French Revolution, thus Papus :
"Victorious rebels thus founded the Grand Orient of France. So a contemporary Mason
is able to write : " It is not excessive to say that the masonic revolution of 1773 was the
prelude and the precursor of the Revolution of 1789." What must be well observed is the
secret action of the Brothers of the Templar Rite. It is they who are the real fomentors of
revolution, the others are only docile agents". ( source : "Martines de Pasqually", par Papus,
prsident du Suprme Conseil de l'Ordre Martiniste, p. 144 ,1895 )
According to CESNUR's Massimo Introvigne at the end of the 18th century, at the time of
the French Revolution, there was a controversy within the French masonic lodges
concerning the subordination of 'Templarism' towards Freemasonry. There was a trend
among masons to subordinate freemasonry towards Templarism. According to Introvigne
the first "disagreement" originated in the Lodge of the "Chevaliers de la Croix" ("Knights of
the Cross"). Introvigne also mentions the involvement of the "Chevaliers de la Croix" in the
"discovery" of the Larmenius charter.
The earlier mentioned "Societ d'Aloya" is also mentioned by the Baron De Tschoudy in
1766. He refers to them as the "Freres de Aloya", a nickname for these French Knights of
the "Fraternity of Jerusalem" . In the earlier statement on the Societ d'Aloya it is asserted
that the society was established in 1789, which is in contradiction with the reference made by
De Tschoudy. The archives of De Tschoudy were donated after his death to the Council of
the "Chevaliers d'Orient", of which he had been an active member. The "Chevaliers

d'Orient" or "Knights of the East" were probably founded around 1756. De Tschoudy is
said to have been involved in the development of this rite. The rite experienced some
troubles around 1762, which resulted in the establishment of the "Sovereign Council of the
Knights of the East", which apparently united with its own offspring, the "Sovereign
Council of Princes of the Royal Secret " in the same year. But it appears that the "Council of
the Knights of the East" existed independantly from the "Emperors of the East and West"
after 1762, as we'll see later. The constitutions of this system ("rite of Perfection" or
"Heredom" or "Emperors of the East and West") are still recognized today as the
groundwork of the Scottish Rite (15th Degree, Chevalier dOrient ou de lEpe 17th Degree,
Chevalier dOrient et dOccident ). De Tschoudy also worked his own system in France
during the 1760's, which was known as the "Adoniramite Masonry". In 1766 he published
his most important work, "L'Etoile Flamboyante, ou la Societ des Franc-Maons
considere sous tous les Aspects; i.e., "The Blazing Star, or the Society of Freemasons
considered under Every Point of View". What is of interest here is that De Tschoudy's
"Etoile Flamboyante" is the source of the story concerning the "Qadosh Fathers" or "the
Knights of the Morning Star", otherwise known as the "Thebaid Solitaries", names for
Gnostic sects that were connected to the Templars of the First crusades. It appears that De
Tschoudy and his movement, through his writings and his influence on the development of
certain Masonic rites, such as the 17th degree of Scottish Masonry which can be looked upon
as an "esoteric Christian degree" with its use of the allegory of the Seven Seals, was one of
the "invisible forces" behind the foundation of the "Ordre du Temple" .
In Peter Partner's book "Murdered Magicians : The Templars and Their Myths" , the writer
also suggests a connection between the masonic Lodge "Chevaliers de la Croix" ("Knights of
the Cross") and the new Templarism of Fabr-Palaprat. In 1806, one of its original members,
Antoine Guillaume Chreau publishes a book called "Explication de la Croix Philosophique,
suivi de Explication de la Pierre Cubique" on the origins and significance of the (French)
Rose-Croix. Chreau was a member of the "Order of the Orient" and the "Chevaliers de la
Croix". The Grade structure of the "Order of the Orient" (J.M. Ragon, a member of the
Templar Order and famous French Masonic scholar, refers to to the "Order of the Orient"
as "Rite d'Orient-Templier") apparently suggests that the neophytes came from the 18th
Degree of the Scottish rite of the Grand Orient. Many members of this Lodge belonged to
the highest French nobility.These rites were related, and maybe behind the formation of rites
such as Fabr-Palaprat's Templar Order. Various sources (scholars, masonic historians etc.)
claim that these rites were the "invisible" moving forces behind the more visible Templar
Order, including its "Primitive Christian Church".
The "Order of the Temple" apparently officially announced their independency from any
masonic organization in- or around 1811, including their disconnection from the Grand
Orient of France. But it is asserted that their connection to the "Chevaliers de La Croix"
remained, and the 'official ' break with masonry is doubted by many.

The Evangelicon / Levitikon

The "Evangelicon" is a version of the Fourth Gospel, which is preceded by an introduction

and a commentary which carries the name "Levitikon", said to have been written by a Greek
monk of Athens, Nicephorus. Fabr-Palaprat's "Primitive Christian Church" is grounded on
this (spurious?) Gospel of St.John. The story goes that Fabr-Palaprat purchased the vellum
manuscript in a second-hand bookstall in Paris in 1814. Fabr-Palaprat adopted the contents
of the manuscript as the future doctrine of the Templar Order. The manuscript consists of
two parts :

the religious doctrines including the rituals of the nine grades of the Templar Order;
a description of the Templars' "Church of John" and explanation of the name
"Johannites".

The "Gospel of St.John" , the last two Chapters (20-21) are missing. "It also
eliminates all hint of the miraculous from the stories of the turning of the water into
wine, the loaves and fishes, and the raising of Lazarus. and certain references to St.
Peter are edited out, including the story of Jesus saying 'Upon this rock I will build
my church' " ("the Templar Revelation", p.144 Picknett, Prince ).

In short ; the "Levitikon", a gnostic version of the Book of John , which also claimed that
"Our Lord was an initiate of the Mysteries of Osiris". The writings of the Neo-Templar
Order have a close resemblance to the "Sepher Toledoth Yeshu", a Jewish text from around 1100
BC, which talks about Jesus as an initiate of the Kabbalah.
In (probably) 1811 the Order published the "Manuel des Chevaliers de l'Ordre du Temple ",
which was printed for private circulation amongst the members of the Templar Order.
Fabr-Palaprat's desire to be recognized by the Grand Master of the Portuguese "Order of
Christ" as the successor of De Molay was denied. Both publications ("Manuel des
Chevaliers" and "Levitikon" ) relate that the Templar Order never ceased to exist since the
days of Jacques De Molay. Fabr-Palaprat composed from the manuscripts the Johannite
Legend of the Templars. According to J.M.Ragon the Templars "learnt from the " initiates
of the East " a certain Judaic doctrine which was attributed to St. John the Apostle ;
therefore " they renounced the religion of St. Peter and became Johannites" ("Cours
Philosophique et Interprtatif des Initiations anciennes et modernes", Ragon 1842).
Patrick Brunout, in his afterword to A.Guillaume Chreau's "Explanation of the
Philosophical Cross.", defines Fabr-Palaprat's doctrine of his "Primitive Christian
Church" as a composition based on Palaprat's "revelation" of the secret Johannite Religion,
combined with the "claimed Masonic tradition on Egyptian origins of the Secret Societies
with the sconian thesis, the fable of the Disciplina Arcani, and the inherited anticleralism of
the encyclopedists" .
Fabr-Palaprat claimed to be the heir to the Apostolic Succession of John the Divine on
which he finally founded in 1828 the "glise Johannites des Crtiens Primitif" ("Johannite
Church of Primitive Christians"), although other sources claim a later date, 1930, after the
so-called July Revolution (the foundation of the "Monarchy de Juillet", 1830-1848).

l'glise Johannites des Crtiens Primitif

The Neo-Templar Johannite Church had its premises in the Cour des Miracles, a former
bottle shop near de Porte St.-Denis in Paris. The premise was used to locate their
publications. The documents were dated from Magistropolis, according to a calendar which
commenced with the foundation of the Templar order in 1118, the consigner being "the
Apostolic Court of the Temple" . The "Johannite Church of Primitive Christians" was in fact
a reorganization of Fabr-Palaprat's doctrine of the Levitikon and was also known as the
"High Initiation". Fabr-Palaprat claimed he had received a legate from the East, and these
unknown contacts apparently were associated with the Knights Templar and , through the
Knights, with the "Johannites" of Judea.
It is said that the glise Johannites des Crtiens Primitif was co-founded by Palaprat with
Mr.Mauviel, an ecclesiastic who had been consecrated in 1800 at Paris as Constitutional
Bishop of Cayes in Haiti. Fabr-Palaprat had also been ordained a Priest by the Bishop of
Lot (and also later by Mauviel). The Primate of the Johannite Church was Mgr.Machault. It
was Machault who consecrated Mr.Chatel in the Johannite Church in 1831. According to
Tau C.Harmonius in his article "a Historical brief of the G.C.E. pt.1" "Mgr. Chatel was later
to receive the title "Bishop of the Gauls", creating the prominent but somewhat short-lived
"Eglise Catholique Franchise, with Diocese in Paris, Brussels, and Nantes."
Ferdinand Chatel was a clergymen whose " Eglise Catholique Franchise" proclaimed
freedom from Papal authority with a liturgy spoken in French. Other sources claim that
Chatel's E.C.F. was founded by Chatel before his involvement with the Johannite-Church.
"Chatel was seeking an authority to consecrate him as Bishop of this new Church, and he
found it in the doctrines of Fabr-Palaprat's Levitikon and in the Neo-Templar chief's
willingness to consecrate him 'Primate of the Gauls.' " The same source on Fabr-Palaprat :"
He (Palaprat) needed, however, a 'Primate' of some kind, and found him in the advanced
radical clergyman, Ferdinand Chatel",
(source"Timeline
of
the
Authentic
http://www.geocities.com/antiqillum/TLSix-012.htm )

Trad."at

According to this source Chatel's French Catholic Church was established in "some former
shop premises" at Montmartre in 1831. It is also stated that the relationship between FabrPalaprat and Chatel did not last long. As a matter of fact, it appears that Chatel was even
expelled from the Neo-Templar Church, "The alliance between Chatel and Fabr-Palaprat
did not last long. Chatel soon tired of his Masonic friends, was expelled with ignominy from
the Neo-Templar or Johannite flock, and was 'tried' for heresy in a synod in which, in true
Masonic fashion, the guilty heretic was represented by a rag-doll. This was not the end of the
troubles of the new religion".
(" Timeline of the Authentic Tradition" ) After 1831 the name of Jean-Marie Ragon turns up
as Count Jean-Marie de Venise, Primatial Vicar of the French Catholic Church.
Again, two sources in contradiction with each other .

According to the masonic scholar Albert G.Mackey in his book "Lexicon of Freemasonry"
(1871) the "Johannite doctrine" as propagated by Fabr-Palaprat caused a schism in the
Templar Order. The Neo-Templar Order apparently started as a "perfectly orthodox" Order
and when Fabr-Palaprat introduced the Johannite doctrine many members opposed to the
"new religion". Fabr-Palaprat proclaimed himself the Sovereign Pontiff and Patriarch of the
Johannite church and demanded all the Templars to accept the "new" faith.
"The consequence of this change of religious views was a schism in the Order. The
orthodox party, however, appears to have been the stronger; and after the others had for a
short time exhibited themselves as soi-disant priests in a Johannite church which they erected,
and in which they publicly chanted the liturgy which they had composed, the church and the
liturgy were given up, and they retired once more into the secrecy of the Order." ("Lexicon
of Freemasonry", 773).
Apparently the Johannite church faced many difficulties and it seems that after FabrPalaprat's death in 1838, both his "Order of the Temple" and the Johannite church declined.
But it is stated that although the orthodox Templar Order died out, the Johannite Church
"continued its activities in secret". The small circle of French and Belgian noblemen that
directed the order's activities continued the "Primitive Christian Church" in small selected
groups. There are indications that out of these circles a group evolved in Belgium which
would finally establish a lodge called "KVMRIS".
Lodge KVMRIS was Brussels' first and main Martinist Lodge, originally established in 1892.
A possible lead which provides a connection between the remnants of Fabr-Palaprat's
Templar Order and its Johannite Church and Lodge "KVMRIS" is a document published in
1840 by the "Ordre du Temple" in Brussels, Belgium. The document represented the
"original" statutes of the Templar Convention which was held in Versailles in 1705 at which
Philippe, Duc d'Orleans was appointed as Grand-Maitre of the "Ordre du Temple"
( Philippus, Dux Aurelianensis ).
These statutes were published by the "Imprimerie de l'Ordre du Temple" in Brussels,
Belgium. The document can be found in the publication "Ordre des Chevaliers du Temple
Bruxelles - Imprimerie de LOrdre du Temple 1840, pg 58 - 60 ( Art.2 Charte de
transmission ). The 'Charte de transmission' mentions Fabr-Palaprat as the 46th GM of the
Templar Order:

Bernard-Raymond Fabr-Palaprat de Spolette, n Cordes ( Tarn ) ( BernardusRaymondus Fabr, Cordo-Albiensis )- November 4, 1804

As mentioned earlier on, the Templar Order experienced a schism after Fabr-Palaprat's
death, dividing advocates and opponents of the Johannite-Church. Introvigne states that the
Johannite Church was led by Ferdinand-Francois Chatel after Fabr-Palaprat's death
( Introvigne contradicts the information on Chatel's expulsion from the Johannite Church
given by "Timeline of the Authentic Tradition" ). It seems that the two branches, led by
Count Jules de Moreton de Chabrillan (advocate of the Johannite-Church) and Admiral
William Sydney Smith, reconciled in 1841 under Jean-Marie Raoul.

10

The book "Ordre des Chevaliers du Temple" also has a list of the successors of FabrPalaprat in which Raoul is mentioned as ' Grand Maitre' from 1840 untill 1850. A certain
Vernois, who was appointed GM of the "Ordre du Temple", disbanded the Order. In 1892
Josphin Pladan (1859-1918) receives the "regency" of the Neo-Templar Order, which was
given to him by some surviving members. And here a connection is made with i.a. Lodge
"KVMRIS". Pladan had founded in 1891 his own order, "Ordre de la Rose-Croix
Catholique et Esthetique du Temple et du Graal " ( see the Chapters on the "R+C de
Toulouse" and the "OKR+C", as well as the forthcoming Chapter on Pladan's Rosicrucian
Order). Several Belgian Martinists were also member of Pladan's "Ordre de la Rose-Croix et
Catholique", among such men as Francis Vurgey, Nicolas Brossel, and Clement de SaintMarcq. Brossel and Vurgey were directing Lodge "KVMRIS", the former being its President
( see "Manifestations of the M.O - the M.O Abroad" ). As mentioned in the chapter "the
M.O. Abroad", "the Gnostic elements which influenced the works of such lodge-members
as Clement de Saint-Marcq were part of the doctrine of the Johannite church". It is stated
that Clement de Saint-Marcq was also a member of Jules Doinel's Gnostic Church.
There's not much information on Pladan's activities as 'Grand Maitre' of the "Ordre du
Temple" and it seems that Pladan was much more interested in the activities of his own
"Rosicrucian Order" then in the development of the Neo-Templar Order. The book "Ordre
des Chevaliers du Temple" reports an international Templar Congress held in Brussels in
1894. With the exception of the English branch of the Templars all other European Templar
Orders were represented on the Convention of Brussels. It was decided to establish an
"International Secretariat" under the direction of the leaders of Lodge "KVMRIS", Brossel
and Vurgey. They were later succeeded by Selliers de Moranville, Georges le Clment de
Saint-Marcq, Georges le Roy van Daems, Oscar Jamar, Arthur van Hecke, Carlos Mosias
and Joseph Daems. The next date which is given in the book is the date of the foundation of
the "Ordre souverain et militaire du Temple de Jrusalem" ( OSMTJ ) or Sovereign Military
Order of the Temple of Jerusalem ( SMOTJ ) or Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi
Hierosolymitani ' in 1932
As reported before, Bricaud's succession of the Johannite Templar Gnostic Church was
received from B.Clment, who was a member of Bricaud's Universal Gnostic Church. I
could find no information on Clment's affiliation with the Neo-Templar Johannite Church.
But it appears that various (older) members of the French mystic and occult arcane orders
(Martinist movement, Memphis-Misraim, Pladan's R+C etc.) were connected to the various
'underground churches' existing in France at the time. The Templar lineage is confirmed by
several sources, Koenig states i.a. that Papus' G.I.D.E.E. ( French and Belgian branch )also
carried a line of succession of Fabr-Palaprat's "Ordre du Temple". According to Bishop
Bertil Persson of the St.Ephraim Institute the lineage of the Johannite Church in which
Fabr-Palaprat was ordained can be traced back to 1726. Bishop Persson keeps the world's
largest and most accurate record of independent bishops. The following "line of succession"
represents the lineage of the Franco-Haitian Gnostic Church;

Benedictus PP XIII (1726) - De Polignac (1735) - De Grammont II (1744) - Von

Baldenstein (1759) - De Montenach (1772) - Gobel (1791) - Lamourette (1791) Royer (1800) - Fabr-Palaprat (1810) - Mauviel (1810) - Machault (1831) - Chatel

11

(1836) - D'Adhemar (1857) - De Brion (1860) - De Marraga (1899) - L-F Jean Maine
(1953) - H-F Jean Maine (1966) - Bertiaux (1979)
According to Emanuele Coltro / Tau Sebastos of the "Ecclesia Gnostica Latina", who
produced the 'Line of Succession', the dates are not all correct. This could be the case with
the date of Mauviel's ordination (1810). Tau C.Harmonius mentions 1800 as the year in
which Mauviel was consecrated. "It seems also that with De Brion the Templar Church was
also linked to the Memphis-Misraim Rite and an Albigensian Church prior to the Church of
Doinel",
thus
Coltro.

the Syro-Jacobite Church of Antioch - The Consecration of Jean Bricaud,

July 21, 1913
Jean Bricaud, vques-Primat (Primary Bishop) and member of the "Suprme Conseil du
Haut Synode" (High Synod) of the "glise Gnostique Universelle" received a new episcopal
consecration in 1913 which would finally complete the connection to the Martinist Order
because of its validity as recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Bricaud had met LouisMarie-Franois Giraud (1876-1950) with whom he became friendly. Giraud was a disciple of
Abb Julio ( Julien-Ernest Houssay, 1844-1912), a former Catholic Priest, Occultist and
"faith-healer" who had consecrated Giraud in 1911. Giraud apparently stated that he
considered the 'Eglise Gnostique Universelle' to be a continuation of the Gallican Church. It
appears that it was especially Charles Dtre (Tder) who exerted pressure on Papus to
'officially' connect the "Eglise Gnostique Universelle" to the Martinist Order. Abb Julio was
concecrated as a Bishop of the "Eglise Catholique Libre de France" on December 4, 1904,
by Mgr.Paolo Miraglia, a Bishop of the "Eglise Catholique Indpendante d'Italie". Paolo
Miraglia-Gulatti, also a former catholic priest, had been consecrated as an "Old Catholic
Bishop of Italy" by Mgr. Vilatte in 1900 "with the title of Bishop of Piacenza".
Joseph Ren Vilatte held a lineage into the "Old Catholic Church of Utrecht" and a lineage
into the Syro-Jacobite "Church of Antioch". Bricaud's consecration into the old Catholic
rites was important for the E.G.U. because it provided "a valid and apostolic episcopal
succession, which was recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as valid but 'illicit' (source :
T.Apyrion).
The consecration into the Church of Antioch provided the Gnostic Church of the French
Martinists the apostolic authority to administer the Christian sacraments. Many members of
the M*O* of Papus were of the Catholic faith, and being a Martinist or member of any
secret society ment excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church. Assurance of
receiving the sacraments was achieved through the consecration into a valid rite. Both
Giraud and Julio were in close communion with the Gnostic Churches of France as well as
with the Arcane Orders and Societies of their time. Abb Julio is primary responsible for the
12

occult infusion into the Apostolic succession. It was Abb Julio, through Giraud, who gave
the Apostolic filiation to Bricaud's Gnostic Church, "glise Gnostique Universelle".

Joseph-Rene Vilatte ( Mar Timotheos, 1854-1929 )

The story of Vilatte is well known and all the written documentation on Vilatte is almost
unanimous.. Therefore I'll quote from T.Apiryon's text "History of the G.C.C" ("the E.G.U.
and the Antioch Succession") presenting the historical facts on Vilatte's ecclesiastical career :
"Vilatte was a Parisian who had emigrated to America early in life. He was a lifelong religious
enthusiast, but he was unable to find fulfillment within the strictures of the Roman Catholic
Church; so, in America, he began a quest for a religious environment more congenial to his
personality and ambitions. He wandered from sect to sect, serving for a time as a
Congregationalist minister, later being ordained to the priesthood within the schismatic "Old
Catholic" sect. He ultimately obtained episcopal consecration in 1892 at the hands of Bishop
Antonio Francisco-Xavier Alvarez (Mar Julius I), Bishop of the Syrian Jacobite Orthodox
Church and Metropolitan of the Independent Catholic Church of Ceylon, Goa and India,
who had in turn received consecration from Ignatius Peter III, "Peter the Humble," Jacobite
Orthodox
Patriarch
of
Antioch"
(
source
:
http://www.hermetic.com/sabazius/history_egc.htm
).
Apparently,
Vilatte's
consecrations and the Orders he founded were not recognized by the Jacobite Church, the
Syrian-Antiochan Church or the Roman Catholic Church (source; Koenig ).
Abb Julio ( Julien-Ernest Houssay ), 1844 - 1912
The Abbot had been a Catholic Priest until 1885, when he became a priest of the Gallican
Church of France. In 1870 the Abbot becomes a national hero of the French-Prussian War,
when Abb Julio saved the lives of ten wounded men by returning them to the French lines
under enemy fire, on the same night he guids twenty lost soldiers, through enemy lines after
dark, to a safe haven.
After serving the Roman-Catholic Church as a vicar in several French villages he receives a
position as a vicar in Paris at the "Eglise Saint-Joseph de Paris". His social ideas and his
involvement in the local community is valued by the parishioners, but these ideas were
certainly not appreciated by the superiors of Abb Julio. The Abbot also attacked the
"perversion" of the Roman-Catholic Clergy at the times, a subject which he addressed to
Cardinal Richard on several occasions. "The French Catholic Church of the last century was
an inwardly broken vessel. In wishing to crush out the so-called Jansenist movement of the
previous century and a half, the ecclesiastical authorities had attacked the very traits of the
personalities of that group, which included even the great Pascal" (Abbot George Burke
from his novel "Way of the Chalice"). In Robert Ambelain's booklet "Abbe Julio , Sa Vie, Sa
Oeuvre, Sa Doctrine" (p.15) the Abbot recounts one of these occasions, "a conversation
with Mgr Richard which took place on the 1st March 1885. Mgr Richard was threatening
Julio with expulsion from Paris to a backwater parish in rural France". In the context of the
Abbot's recollection he also mentions Fabre des Essarts (Synesius) as being Julio's "direct

13

disciple", as stated in one of the preceding chapters. On February 28th , 1885 the reputation
of Abb Julio is disgraced when he's accused of swindle by two "associates" of Cardinal
Richard. His career within the Roman-Catholic Church is over and he leaves the Church.
The following years he's involved with the publication of several religious journals and
reviews, such as "La Tribune de Clerg", "L'Ami de L'Humanit", and "La Tribune
Populaire, organe de la dmocratie religieuse et de la dfense du clerg" in which his dreams
of a really free Catholic Church are propagated.
At the end of the 1880's Abb Julio meets Jean Semp, a well known "faith-healer" or as the
French put it, a "gurisseur mystique extraordinaire" who uses the "seule prire" (the 'sole
prayer'). Jean Semp teaches the Abbot that "Christ gave to his disciples the capacity to impose
their hands on their patients" to cure their diseases. Abb Julio "received from Jean Sempe
the method of uniting with archetypes from Holy Scripture before saying certain prayers , in
order to consecrate such things as wine, salt water and oil to be used in combat with the
forces of darkness" (source: "Abbe Julio , Sa Vie, Sa Oeuvre, Sa Doctrine ", R.Ambelain
publ. 1981). Jean Semp died in 1892 and his "prayers" were published in 1896 as Abb
Julio's "Prieres Merveilleuses pour la guerison de toutes les Malades Phisiques et Morales"
(signe mystrieux de Jean Semp). According to Abb Julio's book Jean Semp had
"hundreds of miraculous cures to his credit, obtained by means of these prayers". The
prayers published in the Abbot's book had multiple applications, prepared for both physicalas mental diseases. The Abbot's most famous publication is "Livre des Secrets
Merveilleux"("Book of Marvellous Secrecies").
Abb Julio studied religion and the position of the Church from the prospect of Occultism.
He studied the "occult value" of the Psalms and their effect on the human being. According
to Abb Julio all diseases, including mental diseases, can be treated through the employment
of the Psalms resulting in "reharmonisation". It appears that his doctrines were based on the
teachings of the Gnostic Origen (185-224 AD), who was one of the founders of the Catholic
Church.
It appears that the Abbot had established a chapel in Paris where he healed, blessed,
exorcised, his motto being Nothing Hidden That Will Not Be Made Known'. It is stated
that he was greatly persecuted by the authorities. Around the year 1900 Abb Julio published
a book called "les vritables pentacles et prires" ("Authentic Pentacles and Prayers"). He
associated and connected the prayers with concrete symbols, pentacles, "abstract ideas
translated into concrete symbols". The Pentacle 'materializes' the thought, the 'word', and
'action', the three phases of any creation
(the pentacles designed by Abb Julio and published in his book "les vritables pentacles et
prires" can be found at : http://perso.wanadoo.fr/laurent.dubec/julio1.htm ).

14

circa 1900, Abbe Julio's "Authentic Pentacles and Prayers"

In 1901 the Abbot is visited by Joseph-Ren Vilatte (1854-1929) at is home in Fontenay.

Vilatte was a Bishop of the Syro-Jacobite Church of Antioch. A few years later the Abbot
would become one of Vilatte's successors in the episcopate. On December 4th , 1904 Abb
Julio was consecrated as a Bishop of the "Eglise Catholique Libre de France" by Mgr.Paolo
Miraglia, who had received his consecration by Vilatte in 1900. He also founds another
review, "L'Etincielle Religieuse, Librale et Sociale", organe de l'union des Eglises. In 1904
the Abbot is appointed the head of the "Eglise Catholique Libre de France". In 1907 Vilatte
founds the "Eglise Catholique Francaise" in Paris, the church was inherited from Vilatte by
Abbe Julio. The Eglise Catholique Francaise is an Occult-Gnostic church. The Abbot's
dream of a really free catholic Church is carried on after his death in 1912 by his direct
successor in the episcopate, Mgr.Giraud. Abb Julio appoints Mgr.Giraud officially as his
successor on June 21, 1911.
It is generally stated that Abb Julio has never been a member of any occult organization,
order, or society. Although he was in 'close communion' with many members of such
organizations as Papus' Martinist Order, he has never been a member of the Martinist Order.
He admired and respected a man like Maitre Philippe (Philippe Nizier). In his (fictitious)
novel "Way of the Chalice" Abbot George Burke, co-founder of the Colorado-based "RoseCroix Martinist Order", indicates at the existence of a 'Theurgical Fraternity" founded by
Abb Julio. But, according to George Burke, it did not flourish. Of course Burke's novel is
fiction but several successors of Abb Julio claim that the Abbot indeed was involved in the
establishment of some kind of Occult Fraternity. One of Abb Julio's successors living today,
a Mgr Nicholas from Paris, does make such a claim. Mgr Nicholas leads the "Ordre des
chevaliers Francs-maons Elus Coens de l'Universelle Fraternit", the "Order of Knights
Elus Cohen of French Masonry and the Universal Fraternity". According to Mgr Nicholas
Abb Julio received a "mission" of certain S.I.'s to "revitalize" the "Universal Fraternity"
with the (Theurgical) Rau-Croix Degreeof the Elus-Cohen. Nicholas states that the original
Elus-Cohen of De Pasqually aimed at being a 'universal' rite. However its base was JudeoChristian. He furthermore explains that although Abb Julio called upon all spiritual and
religious tendencies, he especially aimed at the Christian current.
This Masonic group does not celebrate the resurrection of a Master architect , but of Lazarus
resurrected by Christ. According to Mgr.Nicholas since the days of Abb Julio his successors

15

continued the aims and goals of the "Universal Fraternity", L'universelle Fraternit is
constituted as an association "conform the Law of 1901"(orig.text
"L'universelle Fraternit est constitue en Association conformment la Loi de 1901).
Of course there's no documental proof of Mgr Nicholas assertions His small group
consists of priests and deacons of various ecclesiastic organizations.

Louis-Marie Franois Giraud, 1876 - 1950

Louis- Franois Giraud "ascended to the Primacy of the Gallican National Catholic Church
of France" on June 21, 1911, when he was consecrated by Abb Julio (Mar Julio) as
Archbishop in the Old Catholic Chapel at Aire, near Geneva, Switzerland. Mgr. Giraud, a
former Cistercian / Trappist monk, became a Deacon on March 19, 1907, and a Priest on
June 21 of the same year under the jurisdiction of Mgr Joseph-Rene Vilatte. In 1928 Giraud,
a Gallican bishop and archbishop of Almyre at the time, was appointed as "Patriarch of the
Gallican Church". This was done to give the small Gallican Church some authority towards
the other patriarchal seats of Christendom. The Gallican Church strived towards a federation
of Western Churches under the banner of the "Union des Eglises Catholiques et Orthodoxes
d'Occident", something which only succeeded partially. The Gallican Church was closely associated with the
"Eglise Orthodoxe Chaldenne" and the "Eglise Armnienne de France" at the time.In 1936
(January 5th) Giraud consecrated Constant Chevillon (Tau Harmonius, 1880-1944) as a
Bishop into the "St Pierre Antioche-glise Syrienne". As said earlier on, both Abb Julio and
Giraud always were in close communion with many prominent occultists of their time.

E.G.U. 1912 - 1918

Jean "Joanny" Bricaud ( Tau Jean II ) was consecrated by Giraud in 1913 in the Gallican
Church at Saint-Amand. Bricaud consecrated Papus probably shortly after his own
consecration, and this time Papus received a validly 'catholic' consecration. At the time of
Bricaud's consecration he held several titles within Papus' organizations, as a matter of fact
Bricaud, in close association with Charles Dtre (Tder ), became very powerful within
Papus' organization. After 1909 he held the following titles :

Patriarche de l'Eglise Gnostique Universelle

President de Supreme Conseil de l'Ordre Martiniste

Grand Hierophante de Rite Ancient and Primitif de Memphis-Misraim
Recteur de la Rose Croix
16

A publication of "L'Initiation" in the 1950's mentions the following titles held by Bricaud in
1914 :

Grand Master of the Memphis-Misraim Rite

Vice-Chancellor of the Ordre Martiniste Rose Croix
Patriarch of the glise Gnostique Universelle
Prsident of the S.O.I., Socit Occultiste Internationale"

In 1912 both Edgardo Frosini and Tder had been appointed as "Legats Gnostique de
l'Eglise Gnostique Universelle". As mentioned in "1891 Ordre des S:::I::: " Papus' authority
had shrunk around 1912 within the Martinist Order and other related organizations. " There
had been many difficulties over the last couple of years within the Order (Guenon and the
"Ordre Renove de Temple", Papus activities in Russia, etc.) and Papus decided to appoint
Charles Dtre (Tder ) as head of the Supreme Council (in Papus' name, so to speak or
'semi-official' )"- as it is stated in the chapter "1891- Ordre des S:::I:::". And indeed, it looks
like Tder started to work independantly from Papus, supported by such associates like
Joanny Bricaud. This aspect is generally overlooked in the various accounts on the history of
Papus "Ordre Martiniste", and more research into this aspect of Papus life would be
welcomed ( see "1891 "Ordre des S:::I:::").
Bricaud was, like many Martinists at the time, also a disciple of "Le Maitre Philippe". Bricaud
studied "the rites of Willermoz and Pernety, the Elus Cohen, Stricte Observance, les
Philalthes, and les Philadelphes. In 1911 he helped Tder and Edouard Blitz (1) in
developing "new ideas" with relation to the recruitment of members. In 1914 Bricaud
established a 'Martinist movement' based on the ideas of 1911. These ideas were based on
the rules of Willermoz and his successor, Antoine Pont (Blitz was Pont's successor in the
U.S.A., Tder and Fugairon were the successors in France), which were the rules of the
C.B.C.S., 'Chevaliers Bienfaisants de la Cit Sainte', which included the rites of the Elus
Cohen. In 1914 Tder appointed Bricaud Lgat of the Order for the provence of Lyon
(Bricaud lived in Lyon)". Source: Chapter "The Martinist Rituals", "O.M. de Papus 18911916". According to Bishop Bertil Persson of the St.Ephraim Institute in Stockholm,
Bricaud was also reconsecrated by Albert Rene Laurain de Lignieres on May 20th, 1914.
Laurain de Lignieres was a Bishop ('Vilatte-succession') in the glise Catholique Gallicane.
Bricaud already received a consecration into the 'Vilatte-succession' in 1913 by Giraud, so
the question remains why Bricaud received another consecration into the same succession,
the "Apostolic Succession of the Independent Evangelical Catholic Church from the
Apostolic See of Saint peter at Antioch through the Malankara (Malabar) Orthodox Church
of India"...
After Papus' death in 1916, Charles Henri Dtre (Tder) succeeded Papus as head of the
Martinist Order, the French Memphis-Misraim Rite, and the French section of the O.T.O.
Tder died in 1918 and was succeeded by Jean "Joanny" Bricaud, who redirected the whole
organization
towards
Lyon.

17

The Gnostic Church, Interbellum 1919 - 1939

The "Eveque Primat de France" and "Souv. Patriarche de l'Eglise Gnostique Universelle",
Jean "Joanny" Bricaud succeeded Tder as head of the Martinist Order at the latter's death in
1918. The treaty of 1911 which recognized the E.G.U. as being the "official Church" of the
Martinist Order, had been ratified by a handwritten document issued on January 11 1917.
The document was signed by Tder on behalf of the "Ordre Martiniste" and Bricaud on
behalf of the E.G.U.
As described in the chapter on the 'Ordre Martiniste de Lyon' Tder "wanted to restrict
membership into the order strictly for Master-Masons".
The Martinist Order Tder had in mind "was much more focused upon the Theurgy of
Martinez de Pasqually and High Degree Masonry". Jean Bricaud "took the order even closer
to a Masonic basis. Female Martinists suddenly found themselves cut off from Martinist
activity, as they once knew it"
(see chapter "1916 Ordre Martiniste-Martinziste/ LOrdre Martiniste de Lyon").
The whole story has already been told in the preceding series on Martinism, the Martinist
Order(s),
and
the
F.U.D.O.S.I.
which
can
be
found
at
http://www.geocities.com/roggemansmarcel/milkomartinisme.htm
But what is of importance with regard to the "glise Gnostique Universelle", E.G.U. , is the
fact that Bricaud's "reorganizations" also caused all kinds of problems within Bricaud's
Gnostic Church.
On May 5, 1918, Jean Bricaud / Bishop Tau Jean II consecrated Victor Blanchard ( member
of the "Suprme Conseil de l 'Ordre Martiniste" and a "Venerable of Lodge Melchissdek
no.208" ) as a Bishop of the E.G.U. , carrying the name of "Tau Targelius".
On September 18th 1919, a synod of the E.G.U. was held at Lyons where Bricaud (see
Bricaud's Annales Initiatiques, Lyons, 1920, 1, i, p.5) appointed Theodor Reuss as a 'Gnostic
legate for Switzerland ' ("lgat Gnostique pour la Suisse").
Reuss had made Bricaud "Dlegu Gnrale" of the O.T.O. for France nine days earlier, on
September 9th , 1919. Reuss also granted a warrant to establish the French Sovereign
Sanctuary of the MM [33, 90, 96]. On the 30th of September Bricaud activated the
French foundation of a "Supreme Grand Council of Confederated Rites, Early Grand
Scottish Rite, Memphis and Misraim, Royal Order of Scotland". As stated earlier on, Papus
apparently granted Reuss episcopal and primatial authority in the "glise Catholique
Gnostique", after receiving authority in the M.'.M.'. Rites from Reuss.

18

Reuss referred to his German Gnostic Church as the "Gnostische Katholische Kirche"
(
G.K.K.
).
Koenig
states
(in
"Gnostics
&
Templars"
at
http://www.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/bishops.htm ) that Reuss described himself in the
postscript of his translation of Crowley's Gnostic Mass in 1917, as "present Head of the
Gnostic Neo-Christians () Sovereign Patriarch and Primate of the Gnostic Church, and at
the same time as only 'Gnostic Legate of the Universal Gnostic Church of France for
Switzerland' (the headquarters of Reuss' O.T.O. was in Switzerland at the time).
Yet in the same breath he spoke of the latter as identical with the former, quite why remains
uncertain", thus Peter R.Koenig. More on Reuss and his successors will be discussed in a
separate chapter.
Around the time (1919) Blanchard's attitude to Bricaud radically changed.
He, like many Martinists at the time in France and abroad, did not accept Bricaud's alleged
Grand Mastership of the Martinist Order. Blanchard severed all ties with Bricaud and left to
establish his own Martinist Order ( Which Blanchard founded in 1921, see "Manifestations
of the Martinist Order, O*M*& Synarchy" ).
It is generally asserted that Blanchard under his own authority (Blanchard was Bricaud's
direct successor ) consecrated a number of Gnostic Bishops, including Charles A.Horwarth
and Roger Mnard ( Tau Eon II ).
Up to 1926 there existed in France the "glise Gnostique de France" and Bricaud's "glise
Gnostique Universelle". In 1917 Synsius had passed away and it seems that none of the
possible candidates to succeed Synsius were very eager to become the Patriarch of the "E.G.
de France" (see The "glise Gnostique de France" after 1917 ).
Patrice Genty (Basilide) is said to have been charged to "re-awaken the E.G. de France" in
1921. Genty was apparently reconsecrated "sub-conditione" by Horwarth after 1922
(receiving the lineage from Bricaud-Blanchard etc.). It is stated that Genty put the E.G. de
France to rest in 1926. As described in the chapter "E.G. de France after 1917" Le Forestier
states in his book "L'Occultisme en France aux XIXme et XXme sicles, L'glise
Gnostique" that in 1926 Genty was "elevated to the Patriarchate" in a probable supernatural
context ( in other words : "a Vision" ), which indicates a continuation of a Gnostic Church
under Genty / Basilide(s).
The sources are rather indistinct with regard to the activities of the successors of Synsius.
Several sources indicate that the glise Gnostique de France had been put to rest by Genty
in 1926.
T.Apyrion in his "History of the Gnostic Catholic Church" states that Genty had disbanded
Synsius' Gnostic Church of France "in favour of Jean Bricaud's glise Gnostique
Universelle". I doubt that Patrice Genty disbanded Synsius' branch in favour of Bricaud's
branch.

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One of the affiliated bodies to the F.U.D.O.S.I. was the "Eglise Gnostique Universelle", but
this Church was certainly not Bricaud's E.G. Universelle. The E.G.U. of the F.U.D.O.S.I.
was led by Tau Bardesane, Lucien Chamuel.
According to Le Forrestier's book "L'Occultisme en France" there is reason to believe
that "a discord if not a rivalry existed within this branch of the Gnostic tree". Not much is
known about this episod but it appears that Lucien Chamuel, who was a member of the
premier Sacred Synod of the Gnostic Ecclesia of the 1890's, had founded his own Church.
In Le Forrestier's book Lucien Chamuel is referred to as "President Elect of the High
Synod". Chamuel / Bardesane was represented by Blanchard / Targelius as "head of the
Gnostic Church" at the Convent at Brussels on August 14, 1934 (FUDOSI 1934-1951
http://www.geocities.com/roggemansmarcel/milko.htm)
The developments and activities of the Gnostic branches between 1925 and 1940 besides
Bricaud's E.G.U. are rather obscure and a lot is based on speculations.
After 1945 it is almost impossible to form a coherent picture of the various Gnostic
churches and their affiliations.
Up to the 1930's the following "genealogical tree" of the French "Ecclesia Gnostica"
(starting with Doinel's 'E.G. Universelle Catholique' ) emerges (next page) :

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21

Next Page ;
genealogical tree of French Gnostic Churches, 1890 - 1939

glise Gnostique (1890, Jules Doinel - Patriarch 1890-1895)

Dates of establishment vary (1892- year of consecration of Papus, Sdir etc. - 1893, as mentioned
in the -Protocol of the Union of the M*O*- of 1958.
LEglise Gnostique Apostolique Universelle (1893) / L' Eglise du Paraclete / L' Eglise Albigeoise
et Provencale L' Eglise Gnostique (post 1900)

glise Hieroglyphique des Imagiers, 1710 ?

L.F.Jean-Maine consecrated by Synsius around 1899 ? Also consecrated by P.P. de

Malaga (lineage of glise Gnostique d'Albigois - 1875?),

glise Gnostique de France

(1906, constitution Synsius)
glise Catholique Gnostique (1907,Bricaud)
glise Gnostique , Jules Doinel.
Sanctuary Interior of the Carmel of Elie, Eugne Vintras.
glise Johannites des Crtiens Primitif , Fabr-Palaprat.

glise Gnostique Universelle (1908)

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"Die Gnostische Katholische Kirche"

Incorporated within O.T.O.
-1908 ?, Reuss' Gnostic Catholic Church-1919 Bricaud made Reuss "Lgat Gnostique pour Suisse" - Crowley's E.G.C. derives its authority
from Reuss' G.K.K.

1917 Death of Synsius

Patriarch 1896-1917 1918,

Consecration Victor Blanchard (Bricaud)

( Tau Targelius )

1917-1926 Charles Horwath (?)

Leon Champrenaud

(President of the High Synod ?)

Patrice Genty -consecrated by Horwarth>1922

1926- .Genty ( ? )
Peithmann consecrates
Krumm-Heller in 1930

1932 glise Gnostique Universelle + Ancient Gnostic Church of Eulisis+

Lucien Chamuel's E.G.U. repr. by Blanchard in 1934
at F.U.D.O.S.I. Congress, Brussels

1934 Death of Bricaud

succeeded by Constant Chevillon
1936- Chevillon consecrated by Giraud

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1938 Consecration of Clymer (F.R.C.)

F.U.D.O.F.S.I. 1939, Consecration of

1st meeting, Paris, feb.1939

Krumm-Heller (G.K.K.)

the "Gnostic Delegates" abroad, 1908 - 1930

The "tree" on the previous page does not include all the branches, and is almost entirely
limited to the situation in France with the exception of the branches of Theodor Reuss
(O.T.O., Germany), Krumm-Heller (F.R.A., South-America) and the branch of the
"mythical" Lucien-Franois Jean-Maine (1869-1960). The activities of several other foreign
Gnostic delegates which were at one time appointed by Papus, are also not included in the
"genealogical tree". They are not included simply because I do not have any information on
them other then that they were appointed "delegate" !
For instance, Czeslaw Czynski/"Punar Bhava", who was appointed in 1913 by Papus as
"Legat de L'Eglise Gnostique Universelle en Russie". Dr. Czinski was already appointed
back in 1910 as "Sovereign Delegate" of the Russian Martinist Order. His appointment in
1913 as a Legate of the E.G.U. in Russia is a possible indication of a Gnostic Church
existing in Russia at the time.
And what about Frosini, who was appointed in 1912, together with Tder, as "legat
gnostique de l'Eglise Gnostique Universelle" ?
In 1910 Frosini was involved in the establishment (together with i.a. Reghini) of a Martinist
Lodge in Florence. But again, I have no other documentation at my disposal which indicates
any activities of an "active" branch of the E.G.U. in Italy. The Martinist Order (see
"Manifestations of the M.O.- Italy" ) in Italy was led in 1918 by Alexander Sacchi (Sinesius
S::I::, the president of the Gran Consiglio Italico della Gran Loggia Martinista nazionale).
The schism in France also caused a schism in Italy, a part of the Italian Martinists remained
loyal to the Martinist Order of Lyon (Bricaud) and were headed by Vicenze Soro. Because of
the connection of the Gnostic Church with the Martinist Order it is quite possible that the
Italian Martinists were connected to the E.G.U. Massimo Introvigne refers in one of his
articles on the Cesnur website to the Chiesa Gnostica dItalia, which apparently also had
strong ties to Italian Masonry, but the article does not mention any dates. I personally think
that the "Chiesa Gnostica d'Italia" has a 'line of succession' which comes from Brunelli.
Francesco Brunelli was a primate of the "Gnostica Apostolica Universale", the 'Univeral
Gnostic Apostolic Church' (see "Manifestations of the Martinist Order - Italy") The "Line of
succession" of Brunelli :

Bricaud, Blanchard, Mnard, Ambelain, Brunelli

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In Denmark Carl William Hansen / Ben Kadosh receives in 1923 a charter from Bricaud
after which Hansen's organization is recognized as "Grand Orient dela vrai et haute
Maconnerie esoterique et gnostique de Danmark". Hansen apparently posed as "Patriarch
and Primas, Naassenic Gnostic Synode of Scandinavia" (W.C. Hartmanns "Who's Who, The
Occult Press", 1927). Hansen was head of an order-compilation which consisted of such
orders and societies as O.T.O (Reuss'), OKR+C, M.'.M.'. etc. ( see "F.U.D.O.S.I. - Add.8" ).
Again, no further information available on the existence of a Gnostic Church in Denmark
(by the way, Kadosh was registered as a "Luciferian" in Denmark). Synsius referred to a
Gnostic branch in Prague in his lecture on the conference in 1908 in Paris. He stated that
this branch was an "old" Bohemian branch of the church which was led by a certain 'frre
Jrme'. Koenig states that Sophronius (Fugairon, former associate of Synsius) acted under
Bricaud as "Bishop of Prague", an indication of E.G.U.-activities in Bohemia ?
Synsius also mentions "a small, but active" branch of the church which was active in
Belgium at the time. It could be, and this is just a speculation, that Synsius referred to the
group of Clment de Saint-Marcq who resided in Antwerp at the time. According to a
Spanish article titled "La Iglesia Catolica Gnostica- unos curiosos obispos occultistas" my
speculation is proven wrong, because the article indicates that Clment de Saint-Marcq was,
at the time of his publication of "L'Eucharistie" in 1906, a member of the glise Catholique
Gnostique. To my knowledge the publication of "L'Eucharistie" is dated 1907 (Pangenetor
edition, Antwerp 1907) which is also the "year of birth" of the E.C.G. of Bricaud, Papus etc.
Whatever church he belonged to, Clment de Saint-Marcq was a "Gnostic" and a former
member of lodge "KVMRIS" as I've stated before ( i.a. "O.M. de Papus - the M.O.
Abroad" ), and later became the head of the Martinist Lodge "VISCVM" in Antwerp. De
Saint-Marq was a member of Doinel's Gnostic Church in the 1890's.
His publication of "L'Eucharistie" was and still is looked upon as a controversial
interpretation of the meaning of the Catholic concept of the Eucharist. Clment de SaintMarcq's intention was to give a "scientific and rational" explanation of the concept of the
"Union with the mystical body of Christ". According to Clment de Saint-Marcq the
keyword to all the evangelical references to the mystical union is "semen" ; " the procreative
semen is a comestible material, semi-solid, semi-liquid, which therefore can be eaten or
drunk; it is at once the flesh and the blood of the man who provides it, because in it is found
the germ of his possible descendance, which is the flesh of his flesh and the fruit of his
blood. It is therefore under the auspices of sperm that the flesh of Jesus Christ was able truly
to be a nourishment and his blood a beverage", thus Clment de Saint-Marcq (Translated by
Susanne Williams, Rose A Starr and Joe Collins, 1998 , published at P.R.Koenig's website ).
In a later edition of the original "pangenetor-edition" the introduction was written by Jean
Mallinger (see "F.U.D.O.S.I. 1934-1951"). Mallinger refers to Clment de Saint-Marcq as "a
former Commander of the Place Forte d'Anvers (The Fortification of Antwerp) and director
of an important spiritualist society" ( ? ). According to Theodor Reuss Saint-Marcq's
publication "contained the ultimate secret of the O.T.O.", which was, as Peter R.Koenig
puts it,"the more sperm you eat, the more the manifestation of the Christ takes place within
you: no women necessary for that".
( "Gnostic Catholic Churches" at http://www.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/church.htm )

25

As we've seen sofar, the various Gnostic Patriarchs of France appointed numerous "official
delegates" of their Gnostic Churches (E.G.U.-E.G. de France) as representatives in several
countries in Europe and America (North- and South America) of the "mother-church" in
France. But I suspect that in most of the cases these delegates represented a congregation
which numbered just a handful of "local neo-Gnostics"

26