Pope called on to apologise for fatal

700-year-old decree

The secretive and once-persecuted Knights Templar order is moving to right history’s wrongs, writes Paul Kelbie

Seven hundred years after they were denounced as heretics and condemned to torture and death, the Knights Templar are calling for a public apology.

The secretive organization which traces its roots back to the Christian crusaders of medieval times, has written to Pope John Paul II requesting the Vatican officially atone for the persecution of their Order.

A little more than two years away from the 700th Anniversary of the day that “The Poor Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon” ceased to exist – officially at least – the secretive order that still has thousands of members thinks it’s time for reconcialition with the Catholic Church.

At a time when interest in the Templars is at an all-time high-following the phenomenal success of the best-selling book The Da Vinci Code – an English-based sept, or division, has made a formal request to the Vatican.

Signed by the “Council of Chaplains, for on and on behalf of the acting Grand Master” of the sept, the letter – written in English, Latin, Polish and Italian – asks for “an apology from the Vatican for the persecution of our brothers of the Knights Templar and the torture and murder of our leadership, under Pope Clement V during the 14th century AD”. The letter goes on to say: “We shall witness the 700th anniversary of the persecution of our Order on October 13, 2007. it would be just and fitting for the Vatican to acknowledge our grievances in advance of this day of mourning.”

Although there has been no public response from the Vatican, the order claims to have had an official acknowledgement of its request and is waiting a formal answer. The Hertfordshire-based group, one of thousands of Templar lodges around the world, says it is hopeful of success.

“There have been some unofficial responses over the telephone and we have received certain indications from officials within the church that leaves us hopeful that an apology might be forthcoming,” said a member of the order.

“There has never been a public apology and negotiations have been under way for some time to try to get some sort of acknowledgement. According to the Vatican’s own records, Pope Clement never really supported the position of the king of France and he knew that what happened to the Templars was wrong.”

The Knights Templar was formed in 1118 at the end of the First Crusade as a monastic military order to protect Christian pilgrims en route to the Holy Land.

Despite living pious lives of monks, they built up vast riches as a result of the enormous estates and farms they owned in Europe and from the booty they pillaged while fighting alongside King Richard I and other Crusades in the battles for the Holy Land.

Within two centuries, the order, which enjoyed the backing of the Holy See and a collective of European monarchies, had become rich and powerful enough to defy all but the papal authority.

Credited with issuing the First European currency and inventing the modern banking system – to get around church laws which forbade the lending of money for interest – it quickly became a global financial power house.

It was the Templars who invented the principles of the modern cheque book and credit card when they allowed pilgrims to deposit funds at a Templar preceptory in their home country and then draw goods and services from other Templar houses along their route.

However, by 1307, their power was such that they fell foul of King Philip IV of France, who desperately needed funds to support his war against England’s Edward I.

With the blessing of Pope Clement V, Philip moved against the Templars on Friday, October 13, of that year – a date that is said to have given rise to superstition of Friday 13 being bad luck – and had them all arrested for heresy.

More than 2,000 Templars were tortured and forced to confess to crimes of homosexuality and sodomy, spitting and trampling on the cross, and worshipping of the Baphomet – a satanic deity of evil.

As a result, Philip was able to seize their money and assets, and by 1314, when the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques DeMolay, was burned at the stake the “Poor Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon” had ceased to officially exist.

Some of the Templars fled to Scotland, where they were reputed to have helped Robert the Bruce defeat the English at Bannockburn, and under his protection many of their rituals survived.

Today, many groups from Freemasons to the Cult of the Solar Temple, claim the Templars as ancestors and the modern order still includes numerous influential and wealthy members.

Now, with the 700th anniversary of their persecution looming, sources claim the letter is the latest move in an ongoing campaign to establish improved relations with the Catholic Church and win acknowledgement for the suffering inflicted on them.

“Pope Clement privately forgave the Templars and apologized fro the persecutions, but the letter never got out,” said a member of the order.

“A couple of years ago, a document was discovered in the Vatican library which showed quite clearly that the pope didn’t want to persecute the Templars and had found them not guilty of the charges concocted against them; but he was forced into it by Philip of France.”

Although the letter from the Hertfordshire sept appears to have been sent independently, other members of the order say they agree with its sentiments.

“I think any members of the Knights Templar would support this because undoubtedly they were betrayed and stabbed in their back. Their order was destroyed because of money and greed, not because of anything they had done,” said John Ritchie, Grand Herald and spokesman for the Knights Templar in Scotland.

The Independent, 2004 issue- a Hong Kong based newspaper