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In 1894, Léo Taxil published a fraudulent quote, supposedly found in a letter from the leader of the Southern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Masonry, Albert Pike, implying that Freemasons of the 30th Degree of the Scottish rite or higher worshipped "Lucifer."Taxil was an atheist who had been accused earlier of libel on account of a book he had written called The Secret Loves of Pius IX. On April 20, 1884, Pope Leo XIII published an encyclical that divided the human race into "two diverse and adverse classes, the kingdom of God on earth --- namely, the true church of Jesus Christ --- and the realm of Satan," whose headquarters were said to be in the Freemason's lodges. After this encyclical, Taxil underwent a public, feigned conversion to Roman Catholicism, and announced his intention of repairing the damage he had done to the true faith.
The first book produced by Taxil after his conversion was a four-volume history of Freemasonry, which contained fictitious eyewitness verifications of their participation in SatanismSatanism is a religious or philosophical movement centered around Satan or another entity identified with Satan, or centered around the forces of nature, particularly human nature, represented by Satan as an archetype. Unlike many religions and philosophi. With a collaborator who published as "Dr. Karl Hacks," Taxil wrote another book called the Devil in the Nineteenth Century, which introduced a new character "Diana Vaughan," a supposed descendant of the RosicrucianThe Rosicrucians are a legendary and secretive order dating from the 15th or 17th century, generally associated with the symbol of the Rose Cross, which is also used in certain rituals of the Freemasons. Several modern societies have been formed for the s alchemistJoseph Wright of Derby, 1771) Alchemy is an early protoscientific practice combining elements of chemistry, physics, astrology, art, semiotics, metallurgy, medicine, mysticism, and religion. Two intertwined goals sought by many alchemists were the philoso Thomas VaughanThomas Vaughan has been the name of several prominent individuals. They include: Thomas Vaughan (c. 1410 1483) was a soldier and diplomat, an adherent of Jasper Tudor and King Henry VI of England. Despite this, he was a Yorkist by inclination, as were so. The book contained many implausible tales about her encounters with incarnate demonSatan In folklore, mythology, and in many religions, a demon is a supernatural entity, generally (but not in all traditions) an evil or malicious spirit. The Greek word daemon ω, appears in the works of Plato and many other ancient authors, withouts, one of whom was supposed to have written prophecies on her back with its tail, and another played the pianoPiano is a common abbreviation for pianoforte a large musical instrument with a keyboard (see keyboard instrument). Its sound is produced by strings stretched on a rigid frame. These vibrate when struck by felt-covered hammers, which are activated by the in the shape of a crocodileCrocodylus Osteolaemus Tomistoma A crocodile can be any of the 14 species of large, water-loving reptiles in the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae . The term is also used more loosely to include all members of.
She was involved in Satanic freemasonry, but was redeemed when one day she professed admiration for Joan of ArcJoan of Arc ( January 6, 1412 May 30, 1431) (also Jeanne d'Arc Jehanne la Pucelle in French, and Maid of Orleans is a national heroine of France and saint of the Catholic Church. During the Hundred Years' War she led the French against the English and was, at whose name the demons were put to flight. As Diana Vaughan, Taxil published a book called Eucharistic Novena, a collection of prayers which were praised by the Pope.
On April 19, 1897, Taxil called a press conference at which he announced he would introduce Diana Vaughan to the press. He announced that he had forged the letter, and that all of his other revelations about the Freemasons were fictitious. He thanked the clergy for their assistance in giving publicity to his wild claims. The hoax material is still used to slander Freemasons to this day. Chick Publications publishes such a tract called The Curse of Baphomet.
