Verifying the Continuation of the French Ordre du Temple and the OSMTJ (original) (raw)

Notes on Templar personnel and government at the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries

Journal of Medieval History, 2009

The Hospital of St John is thought to have been in various respects in a rather more healthy condition than the order of the Temple in the late thirteenth century, and comparisons and contrasts between the two orders have recently been made, often to the detriment of the Templars. This view is examined with reference to recruiting, the role of sergeants, ignorance among brothers, provincial administration, central government, and roles after the collapse of the crusader states. The argument is advanced that the Temple was not in a noticeably worse state than the Hospital and that on many issues the similarities between the two orders are more marked than the differences.

Origins of Masonic Templarism in the French Ordre du Temple

Templar Succession: Establishing Continuity 1307-Present

For the past century and a half, Masonic Templarism has been nearly synonymous with the name Knights Templar. If one has a notion of a modern Templar, it is probable that it is a Masonic one. The official stance of the Masonic Templars today is that there is no historical connection between the medieval Order and modern Freemasonry, 1 but was created by "Thomas Dunckerley, [who] wanted to promote a concept of chivalry and Christianity within a masonic framework." 2 Nevertheless, there is a strong undercurrent of rumor, legend, and pseudo-history that has existed for centuries that asserts a real, historical connection to the original Order. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the historical origins of Masonic Templarism based on verifiable datapoints, limited speculation, and from a perspective uncolored by Masonic favor.

The Changing Face of the Templars: Current Trends in Historiography

History Compass, 2010

Although French, German and British scholars of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did much to lay the foundations of scholarly study of the Knights Templars, until the 1970s there were few good general histories of the Templars. Over the last three decades, there has been enormous growth in scholarly research and publication on the history of the Templars, although the mushrooming myths about the order make it difficult for non-experts to distinguish between good and bad history. The Templars were a religious order, protected by the pope. They were also a military order, which fought against Islam in defence of Christian pilgrims and Christian territory and played a key role in the crusades. Their leading members were knights, but most of their members were not warriors, and included priests and women, who served God through prayer rather than by fighting. As well as castles and estates in the Middle East, they had property throughout Europe; they served kings and popes as diplomats and advisors. Far from being secretive-as the mythmakers claim-they opened their churches to local people and lodged travellers in their houses. They were pious men who shared the same faith as the Christians they protected. Historians disagree over where the initiative for the order came from-was it the idea of the first Templars themselves, or did Churchmen suggest it to them? The significance of the Templars' operations in the 'crusader kingdoms' in Palestine and Syria has been much discussed. Historians also disagree over the causes of the trial of the Templars (1307-1312), and how far the Templars were innocent victims of a struggle for supremacy between the papacy and the monarchy of France.

The beginnings of the Order of Saint John in Jerusalem, or: Muristan revisited

Medievalista online, 2021

The order of Saint John was founded during the 12th century south of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in an area known today as Muristan. The heart of the order's residence was the once famous hospital, which was the origin of numerous pilgrim hostels and hospitals throughout Europe. Given its historical significance, it is surprising how little is known about this building complex. Through pilgrims' reports and statutes of the order, the functioning of the hospital is relatively well known. But as a result of later changes and destruction only a few remnants of the medieval building stock have survived and are largely unexplored until today. In an interdisciplinary research project the development of the Muristan from antiquity to modern times is being investigated. Archival records are being re-evaluated, preserved and accessible architectural remains are documented and analysed by methods of building archaeology. This article presents some results of the proj...

The legitimacy of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem

freiherrvonquast.wordpress.com, 2017

The original order of the Knights Templar was founded by Hugh de Payens, a French nobleman from the Champagne region, along with eight of his companions, in Jerusalem around 1119. The Knights Templar, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, became an important charity throughout Christendom, thus growing rapidly and becoming a very powerful Christian institution. The knights were prominent in international finance and were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades. In 1307, Philip IV of France arrested the Knights Templar on charges of blasphemy, idolatry, and sodomy. The investigation and trial into the alleged misdeeds of the Knights Templar took place in Rome between 1307 and 1312. On 18 March 1314, the Grandmaster and other knights of the Order were burned alive by order of King Philip. In September 2001, Barbara Frale, an Italian paleographer, found a copy of a document, known as the ‘Chinon Parchment in the Vatican Secret Archives. The document explicitly confirms that in 1308, Pope Clement V absolved Jacques de Molay and other leaders of the Order including Geoffroi de Charney and Hugues de Pairaud (Barbara Frale 2004, “The Chinon chart – Papal absolution to the last Templar, Master Jacques de Molay”, Journal of Medieval History 30 (2): 109–134). Another Chinon parchment, dated 20 August 1308 and addressed to Philip IV of France, stated that absolution had been granted to all those Templars that had confessed to heresy “and restored them to the Sacraments and to the unity of the Church” (Pierre Dupuy, Histoire de l’Ordre Militaire des Templiers Foppens, Brusselles 1751; Étienne Baluze, Vitae Paparum Avenionensis, 3 Volumes, Paris 1693. Nonetheless, the Pope suspended the order.