The Taxil Hoax; Attack on Freemasonry and Catholics - S2 E96a

Taxil, previously known for his anti-papal writings, feigned a conversion to Catholicism around 1884. Under this guise, he authored numerous volumes supposedly in defense of his newfound faith. Among these works was the narrative of Dr. Bataille, a fictional surgeon embedded within the French merchant navy, who infiltrated Freemasonry and witnessed their purportedly sinister rituals worldwide.

Dr. Bataille's encounters revealed an even more clandestine faction within Freemasonry dubbed the Palladists, alleged to receive directives from demonic entities.

Central to Taxil's narrative was Diana Vaughan, a fictitious ex-high priestess of Palladism who had converted to Catholicism and was portrayed as being under imminent threat of assassination by aggrieved Freemasons.
Léo Taxil, also known as Marie Joseph Gabriel Antoine Jogand-Pagès, faced accusations of libel stemming from his book "The Secret Loves of Pope Pius the 9th." On April 20th 1884, Pope Leo the 8th issued the encyclical "Humanum genus," dividing humanity into two opposing factions: one advocating truth and virtue, represented by the true Church of Jesus Christ, and the other embracing vice and falsehood, symbolized as the kingdom of Satan, allegedly bolstered by the Freemasons.

Following this encyclical, Taxil publicly feigned a conversion to Roman Catholicism, expressing remorse for his prior actions against the faith. He then embarked on a new literary endeavor, producing a four-volume history of Freemasonry, replete with fictitious accounts of their involvement in Satanism.

Under the guise of Diana Vaughan, Taxil published "Eucharistic Novena," a collection of prayers commended by the Pope. In the context of Taxil's hoax, Palladists were depicted as members of a purported Theistic Satanist sect within Freemasonry, worshipping Lucifer and engaging with demons. Taxil and Adolphe Ricoux claimed to have unearthed a Palladian Society in 1891, with Taxil himself authoring a book in 1892 attributing the Palladists to Charleston, South Carolina, under the leadership of Albert Pike and Giuseppe Mazzini.

A publication titled "Confessions of an Ex-Palladist" purportedly authored by Diana Vaughan emerged in 1895 as part of Taxil's elaborate deception.

As Freemasons, this is very disturbing to hear! However, here is the rest of the story.

On April 19th 1897, at the Société de Géographie, Léo Taxil convened a press conference under the pretense of introducing Diana Vaughan to the public. However, he surprised attendees by admitting that his previous revelations regarding the Freemasons were entirely fabricated.

Taxil expressed gratitude to the Catholic clergy for their support in promoting his sensational but false claims. However, realizing the lucrative potential in perpetuating the deception, he continued to do so.

Taxil's admission was published in full by the Parisian newspaper Le Frondeur on April 25th 1897, under the title "Twelve Years Under the Banner of the Church, The Prank Of Palladism.

Miss Diana Vaughan - The Devil At The Freemasons. A Conference held by Léo Taxil, at the Hall of the Geographic Society in Paris."

Despite the revelation of the hoax, elements of Taxil's concocted narrative continue to be referenced today. Works such as The Curse of Baphomet by Chick Publications and Randy Noblitt's book on satanic ritual abuse, Cult and Ritual Abuse, still draw upon Taxil's fictitious assertions. Even making an appearance in the 1943 film noir "The Seventh Victim."

Ten months prior to his death in 1907, Taxil candidly revealed his true motivations behind the hoax to the American National Magazine.

He acknowledged the unfair targeting of both Masonic orders and the Catholic Church by sensationalist attacks. Taxil, originally a French Free-thinker, confessed that his initial aim in fabricating stories about Catholics and then Masons was merely for entertainment.

However, he found that his exaggerated tales were taken seriously by the public, leading him to exploit the situation for financial gain. Reflecting on his twelve-year deception, Taxil admitted to progressively pushing the boundaries of absurdity in his narratives.

He described the efforts to concoct outlandish stories, amused by the gullibility of their audience.

#freemasonry #catholic #freemasons #catholicchurch #taxilhoax #leotaxil

We get these questions often: What does the mysterious secret society of Freemasons actually do? Does this episode expose freemasonry and masonry? What about The New Order and The Illuminati? Is there a whole Secret world of Freemasons?

We'll let the listeners answer that for themselves.

⚠️ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Old Fashion Masonic Podcast, any Grand Lodge or Shrine Center, and we encourage viewers to conduct their research and form their conclusions based on reliable sources and personal beliefs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxil_hoax