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Bérenger Saunière’s "wealth" is a myth that first originated during the mid-1950s. Saunière’s entire estate was only valued at 18,000 Francs by the Credit Foncier de France in 1913 when Saunière had asked it for a loan because by that time he did not have enough money to even buy food.

This was not the first time that Abbé Saunière had asked for a loan in order to eat. Abbé Saunière lived in poverty for most of his life except for the period between 1896-1905 and we have the relevant paperwork to prove it �?Abbé Saunière lived from the selling of masses during the years 1896-1905 and the paperwork for that exists as well.

Monsignor Billard, Abbé Saunière's Bishop, was far more wealthier - he inherited over a million Francs in 1891 from a rich widow and he too, lived from selling masses and, like Abbé Saunière, was eventually to become suspended from his sacerdotal duties over allegations relating to financial impropriety within the Church.

Pierre Plantard was a lifelong charlatan and confidence trickster �?his 1937-1954 activities involving confidence trickery, anti-semitic and anti-masonic activities are provided in File Ga P7 which is available for public inspection at the Paris Prefecture of Police, 9 Boulevard du Palais, 75195 Paris (Monsieur Claude Charlot, is the Director of Museum Archives of the Bureau of Associations at the Paris Prefecture of Police, for written enquiries).

References to Pierre Plantard’s criminal convictions are available for public inspection at the Sub-Prefecture of Saint Julien-en-Genevois, 4 Avenue de Geneve, 74164 Saint Julien-en-Genevois, Haute-Savoie (Monsieur Serge Champanhet, is the Secretary General of the Sub-Prefecture, for written enquiries �?the letter dated 8 June 1956 by the Mayor of Annemasse to the Sub Prefect contained in File Number KM 94550 which holds the 1956 Priory of Sion Registration Documents must be cited in the written enquiry).

Pierre Plantard’s Judicial Archives are held in the Tribunal de Grand Instance de Thonon-les-Bains. But these unfortunately are not available for public inspection due to the French Privacy Law.

Pierre Plantard got into serious trouble in 1993 with Judge Thierry Jean-Pierre because he claimed that Roger Patrice Pelat was a "Grand Master of the Priory of Sion" - and the Judge was heading an investigation into Pelat’s activities that involved financial improprieties - it was following this incident in September 1993 that Plantard ceased his Priory of Sion activities and lived out the rest of his life in isolation.