Posted on 10/12/2007 11:41:08 AM PDT by xzins
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Knights Templar, the medieval Christian military order accused of heresy and sexual misconduct, will soon be partly rehabilitated when the Vatican publishes trial documents it had closely guarded for 700 years.
A reproduction of the minutes of trials against the Templars, "'Processus Contra Templarios -- Papal Inquiry into the Trial of the Templars'" is a massive work and much more than a book -- with a 5,900 euros (4,125 pounds) price tag.
"This is a milestone because it is the first time that these documents are being released by the Vatican, which gives a stamp of authority to the entire project," said Professor Barbara Frale, a medievalist at the Vatican's Secret Archives.
"Nothing before this offered scholars original documents of the trials of the Templars," she told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of the official presentation of the work on October 25.
The epic comes in a soft leather case that includes a large-format book including scholarly commentary, reproductions of original parchments in Latin, and -- to tantalise Templar buffs -- replicas of the wax seals used by 14th-century inquisitors.
Reuters was given an advance preview of the work, of which only 799 numbered copies have been made.
One parchment measuring about half a metre wide by some two metres long is so detailed that it includes reproductions of stains and imperfections seen on the originals.
Pope Benedict will be given the first set of the work, published by the Vatican Secret Archives in collaboration with Italy's Scrinium cultural foundation, which acted as curator and will have exclusive world distribution rights.
The Templars, whose full name was "Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon", were founded in 1119 by knights sworn to protecting Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land after the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099.
They amassed enormous wealth and helped finance wars of some European monarchs. Legends of their hidden treasures, secret rituals and power have figured over the years in films and bestsellers such as "The Da Vinci Code".
The Knights have also been portrayed as guardians of the legendary Holy Grail, the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper before his crucifixion.
The Vatican expects most copies of the work to be bought up by specialised libraries at top universities and by leading medieval scholars.
BURNED AT THE STAKE
The Templars went into decline after Muslims re-conquered the Holy Land at the end of the 13th century and were accused of heresy by King Philip IV of France, their foremost persecutor. Their alleged offences included denying Christ and secretly worshipping idols.
The most titillating part of the documents is the so-called Chinon Parchment, which contains phrases in which Pope Clement V absolves the Templars of charges of heresy, which had been the backbone of King Philip's attempts to eliminate them.
Templars were burned at the stake for heresy by King Philip's agents after they made confessions that most historians believe were given under duress.
The parchment, also known as the Chinon Chart, was "misplaced" in the Vatican archives until 2001, when Frale stumbled across it.
"The parchment was catalogued incorrectly at some point in history. At first I couldn't believe my eyes. I was incredulous," she said.
"This was the document that a lot of historians were looking for," the 37-year-old scholar said.
Philip was heavily indebted to the Templars, who had helped him finance his wars, and getting rid of them was a convenient way of cancelling his debts, some historians say.
Frale said Pope Clement was convinced that while the Templars had committed some grave sins, they were not heretics.
SPITTING ON THE CROSS
Their initiation ceremony is believed to have included spitting on the cross, but Frale said they justified this as a ritual of obedience in preparation for possible capture by Muslims. They were also said to have practised sodomy.
"Simply put, the pope recognised that they were not heretics but guilty of many other minor crimes -- such as abuses, violence and sinful acts within the order," she said. "But that is not the same as heresy."
Despite his conviction that the Templars were not guilty of heresy, in 1312 Pope Clement ordered the Templars disbanded for what Frale called "the good of the Church" following his repeated clashes with the French king.
Frale depicted the trials against the Templars between 1307 and 1312 as a battle of political wills between Clement and Philip, and said the document means Clement's position has to be reappraised by historians.
"This will allow anyone to see what is actually in documents like these and deflate legends that are in vogue these days," she said.
Rosi Fontana, who has helped the Vatican coordinate the project, said: "The most incredible thing is that 700 years have passed and people are still fascinated by all of this."
"The precise reproduction of the parchments will allow scholars to study them, touch them, admire them as if they were dealing with the real thing," Fontana said.
"But even better, it means the originals will not deteriorate as fast as they would if they were constantly being viewed," she said.
Rotflol!
It absolutely would, my friend.
Maybe in another 700 years they’ll discover the Internet and post the documents.
The ashes of Jacques de Molay will be relieved.
Now, how did that morph into that other organization.
LOL!
Hey, where’s the grand pooobah?! He the official officiant.
I'll wait for the paperback version.
Yikes! Although it's probably that European thing where commas mean points and vice-versa. ;)
Now, that's my kinda Knights Templar party ~ don't spare the ale!!
I’m being held hostage.
Quick, pay the ransom.
What is funny, is that this is all pretty much old news to those who study Medieval times.
There was a cheap little book about the Vatican secret archives that I picked up a few years ago. It was published some time in the 80’s, and it talked about this.
I referred to the trial in a thread only to suggest possible motives for the Knights Templar having a chip on their shoulder against the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. I presumed their innocence of the charges for which they were tried, and that the trial had been unjust. Nonetheless, I was assailed by dozens of Free Masons for slandering them. Now to find out that they were considered guilty of quite heinious things, and the only portions of their offenses they were cleared on were purely the heresy charges which non-Catholics such as Free Masons should take as no vindication at all.
Of course, if they really had anything at all to do with Free Masonry, then they certainly were heretics after all.
Yes. Bella Dodd testified to the Senate Committee in the 1950s and said that the Church was being infiltrated in the 1930s up to present day. The enemies of the Church must eliminate any document against themselves. How Orwellian. Perhaps look for a “Declaration on the Knights Templar” coming soon.
You’re absolutely right.
PING ~~!
>I referred to the trial in a thread only to suggest possible motives for the Knights Templar having a chip on their shoulder against the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
Um, with all the burnings, torturing and confiscations, I think we might have to look for possible motives for the Roman Church for having a chip on their shoulder against the hierarchy of the Knights Templar, no? Last time I checked, the Templars didn’t do all the “Saddam-Husseining” to themselves...Or maybe they did just to make the Pope look bad...
...as for the Masons, we still need to ask them why Joseph Smith was killed.
If this is a real story I think it needs to be left at that. We (Catholics) do not need your belittling comments and no, I am not a conspirator.
Would you mind having the remark about the neener thread deleted please?
What do you mean “if it’s a real story?” It’s carried on a number of outlets.
You probably need to take a nap.
Is that enough proof for you that this is a REAL story and not a farce?
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