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Jean Rivière the confessor of Bérenger Saunière
Priest of Espéraza (1906 - 1920)
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 By this page, we can only do homage to Jean-Luc Robin. Indeed, without the reading of his book, "Rennes-Le-Château : The scert of Saunière", we would not have had surely the gait to create this new page.
In his book, Jean-Luc Robin, learns us that the vicar Jean Rivière of Esperaza and friend of Bérenger Saunière made, him also, of the remarkable transformations in his church.
The fact is of as much more astonishing that Jean-Luc Robin specifies us that these transformations were achieved by the priest after the death of Bérenger Saunière.. |
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We know, that a legend runs on the death of Saunière. Feeling close to the Big Departure, Saunière, after having made an attack, demand in Marie Dénarnaud to make come the priest of Espéraza to hear it in confession.
The famous legend returns us that the vicar of Esperaza took out again of the room of Bérenger completely upset Saunière and that he refused him the extreme unction while alive. This last will only be managed him post-mortem.
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According to some witnesses of the time Jean Rivière seemed changed after this évènement. He became taciturn and communicated less.
The legends embellish or alter the facts. In the one here, some were as far as pretending that Jean Rivière died six months later of depression, however, it is false since one knows that it finished his career as vicar in Coursan in 1929.
However, it seems that the confession of Saunière was not without effect or the less can think one it. It is indeed after these évènements, that Jean Rivière made several transformations and decorations achieve within his church. |
The church of Esperaza, dedicated to Saint-Michel, was constructed during the XIIIe century. Of Romanesque origin she doesn't undergo a big transformation until the end of the XVIe century. It is to this time that it was fired during the wars of religions. The apse and the absidioles will be redone entirely
It possesses an astonishing entry: Just to the over of the porch an enrollment recalls us the time where the relative law to the separation of the church and the State was promulgated.
It is not yet this enrollment that kept our attention.it is attracted by several particular elements of this church, The statuary and two surprising constructions. |
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Let's start with the statuary..
It is not without recalling us the one of Rennes-Le-Château. We recover the same representations there even with surprising interrelationships.
We can meet there Saint-Roch and Saint German.
More astonishing: on both sides of the church, framing the heart two chapels received each a statue, one of Saint-Joseph, the other of the Virgin Marie, one and the structural other a Jesus child, all as to Rennes-Le-Château.
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The constructions in the church
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Let's interest ourselves to the first: The virgin's apparition in Lourdes :
It is nearly about a representation full size of the virgin's apparition in Bernadette Soubirou in Lourdes in 1858. Placed in a very dark, only place the photograph to the flash permits to discover some details.
The paving of soil is not uninteresting. It is constituted of hexagonal tiles decorated in their centers by a star to painted six branches
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La deuxième construction :
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Just in front of the chapel welcoming the Virgin's apparition in Lourdes, we can see another interesting construction: The representation of an underground cave.
Placed on the left in a chapel of the nave of the church in a particularly dark place, It represents the XIV station of the path of cross of the church of Esperaza. All as to Rennes-Le-Château the priest of this church wanted to attract our attention on this particular moment of the gospels. |
As we can see it on the different pictures, this underground cave is nearly of an invoice identical to the one of Rennes-Le-Château. Besides, the tiles constituting soil before this Underground cave are of two hues, one dark and one a lot more fattening pond and of hexagonal shape. These two hues permitting an assembly achieving some stars thus to stylized six branches. |
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The surprising point of this underground cave is Jesus' representation in the tomb. We know than normally, in the usual churches, the XIV station represents the Christ's entombment. Generally, we see Joseph of Arimathie, Marie, Marie-Madeleine and Jean, there structural or supportive the Christ's body at the time of placing it in the tomb. One never, represents us Jesus to the only tomb and this for the good reason that this state, in the Christ's history in the gospels, is only transient. |
Then why a Christ's representation that, undoubtedly in this representation, seem well dead ?
When Bérenger Saunière achieved the gardens of the Rennes-Le-Château church, he made it six years before the big restoration of the church, he became attached to the realization of the underground cave of the gardens. For many, this underground cave is" the underground cave to the bench ". Bench, that always keeps its mystery as for the enrollments that have been made over on sound by means of stones sealed in its cement.
In another page treating gardens of the church, we wondered about what this bench could represent to the bizarre enrollments. We concluded, at the time« … as for the" bench ", probably a tomb or a sarcophagus… »
The underground cave of Rennes-Le-Château |
The underground cave of Esperaza |
Must we think, that following the confession of Saunière who upset it so much, did Jean Rivière dare to show this that same Saunière had not dared to show? This simple question is by it even incredible.
Yet, it seems that this underground cave brings an uneasiness within this church of Esperaza. As to assure some to us, one put, close to the Christ's body, Jesus' representation the arms in cross without the cross, as for good to mean us that the one that is exposed there is well Crucified it! Something would have to him to make us to doubt of it ?
More astonishing again, this calm Jesus statue on the "roof" of the underground cave, as if it protected the man's body died in the underground cave. The symbol is heavy of consequence. |
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The constructions of the church of Esperaza have surprising likeness with those achieved by Bérenger Saunière in the gardens of his church.
As to Rennes-Le-Château, the underground cave of the church of Esperazza faces the representation of the representation of the Virgin of Lourdes.
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Other funny detail" ". The church of Esperaza is dedicated to Saint-Michel. One knows that it is he that floored the dragon, representing the pain. And well, when to penetrate you in the church, you are welcomed by an angel, or rather an archangel, then, that to Rennes-Le-Château, you are welcomed by a devil !
What meant to say Jean Rivière through his constructions? To him by the slant of these different elements, wanted to reveal us the secret of the confession ? |
All as his friend Bérenger Saunière, Jean Rivière carried away are secret in the eternity.
NB : All as the church of Rennes-Le-Château, the church of Esperaza is a Catholic cult place. It visits itself in the silence and the respect. The places and the objects must be observed and non must be touched..
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