The War of the Magicians: Part 1

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In the summer of 1869, Boullan found himself again behind prison walls – this time in Rome. An ecclesiastical trial opened before the Holy Office, due to a conflict of jurisdiction between Versailles – where Boullan had his congregation authorized – and Paris, where he resided since his release from prison. In the monastic cell which had been assigned to him while awaiting his trial, he wrote down a confession in a secret document, now known as The Pink Book. Boullan was absolved by the Holy Office and returned to Paris, but he caught the attention of the Archdiocese again by the heretical views he developed in his journal, including a theory of “mystical substitution, whereby the souls of reparation” had the mission to sin so that others would not. This concept of course opened the door to all sorts of debauchery. Moreover, and under the guise of exorcism, he taught people who were tormented by diabolical obsessions some methods of auto-suggestion and self-hypnosis to cure them, by having sex – in mind – with the saints and even with Jesus Christ. He also showed them what postures and occult methods they should adopt to enable supernatural entities – and particularly his own astral body – to visit and possess them.

When Father Boullan tried to heal an epileptic patient by using the relic of the Seamless Rob of Christ (also known as the Holy Tunic) that was preserved at Argenteuil, Cardinal Guibert prohibited his practice of exorcism. Boullan went immediately to the Vatican to protest against the disciplinary actions that were taken against him, but this time he was expelled. The Vatican had horror of the priest who dared to claim he received a mission from heaven to fight hell by a desecration of the host.

As a result of these adventures, Boullan left the Church. He came to Lyon to join the famous prophet and mystic Eugène Vintras, whom he had met in Brussels. Vintras said he was sent to earth to prepare “the Third Reign, the Age of the Paraclete and the Glorious Coming of Christ”. When Vintras in 1875 died, Boullan announced that he had been chosen to succeed him and to consult his archives and doctrines, which were very close to his own learnings – but he was not recognized by the majority of the followers of Vintras. However, as Vintras, Boullan had the gift to perform incredible miracles. He proclaimed he was a reincarnation of John the Baptist and since Vintras had the mark of a dove on his forehead, Boullan had a cabbalistic pentagram tattooed at the corner of his left eye. Using precious stones, he healed children and several women, including a Parisian lady who was most famous in the world of the fine arts, by the imposition of the consecrated host in the ovaries.