There have been a number of big-budget Hollywood films depicting a “fictional” secret society in charge of running the planet, the most notable of these organizations the shadowy “Illuminati.”

But one former Canadian defense minister has not only publicly confirmed the existence of the organization, he says its members form a secretive cabal of world leaders who comprise a global shadow government that pulls all the strings.

As reported by the UK’s Express, Paul Hellyer is believed to be the highest-ranking former political leader to discuss the existence of Illuminati, which — if the stories are true — could put his life at risk (if he is seen as credible, that is).

“You’ve got a secret cabal that’s actually running the world and they’ve managed to keep this technology under wraps until they can cash in the trillions of oil assets that they’ve got,” Hellyer said in an interview. “And it’s not going to change until hundreds of thousands of people band together and say, ‘Look, you’ve got to come clean, tell us what is going on, and change your priorities to save the world for future generations instead of blowing it on wars.’” (Related: Here’s proof that the Democrats are HELPING Russia undermine our political system and national security just to “get Trump.”)

The organization “Illuminati” is actually a combination of fact and fiction. The word is the plural of illuminatus, which is Latin and which stands for “enlightened.” The name is actually given to several groups — some real, some not real.

Historically, the name most often refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, a secret society from the Enlightenment Era formed on May 1, 1776. The goals of the group were modest by today’s standards but important for the day: Oppose superstition, obscurantism, the influence of religion over public life, and abuses of government power.

Today, there is an official Illuminati organization, which (of course) you can access online.

“The Illuminati is an elite organization of world leaders, business authorities, innovators, artists, and other influential members of this planet,” the site says. “Our coalition unites influencers of all political, religious, and geographical backgrounds to further the prosperity of the human species as a whole.”

That doesn’t sound at all like the organization described by Hellyer, does it? Then again, it wouldn’t surprise many of us if the organization purposely misrepresented itself in public; after all, it couldn’t come right out and say, “We’ve stolen all the oil and we’re using the money to start war after war after war.”

“The Illuminati is not a church, religion, political group, or charity organization, but an elite collective of global influencers who work to further the interests of the human species as a whole,” the site further states. “Our decisions are independent of all human divisions, including religious and political differences.”

There’s a page where you can “Join the Illuminati,” but there’s no membership list on the site (obviously). However, along the lines of what Hellyer said, the organization’s website explains the wealth factor:

There are no poor kings or queens or presidents. Even pontiffs are richer than most on this planet. The absence of a need for money removes many of its threats: someone with wealth is costlier to bribe than someone without, and this financial clarity is needed to effectively manage your planet. 

Whether you believe Hellyer or not — he has also said, according to The Express, that he believes there are several species of intelligent aliens from other worlds living on earth, and their presence is kept secret by world leaders — there are a number of global elitist organizations that meet in secret to discuss how best to divvy up the world. That includes the Bilderbergers, a group of elites from the U.S. and Europe who meet annually in secret to “foster dialogue.”

They have a website too.

J.D. Heyes is editor of The National Sentinel and a senior writer for Natural News and News Target.

Sources include:

Express.co.uk

NaturalNews.com