The Trial of the Templars
Origins of the Templars
The Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple (more commonly known as the Templars) were founded by Crusader Hugh de Payans during the First Crusade. After the success of the First Crusade and the creation of the Crusader States de Payans and nine of his knights remained in the Holy Land to defend pilgrims in this still violent and treacherous land.
De Payans and his knights stationed themselves in the Al Aqsa Mosque on the southeastern side of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and believed by de Payans and his knights to be the site of the original Temple of Solomon, from which they take their name.
The Templars became almost instantly popular both among religious authorities and among lay folk. They were seen as the pinnacle of Crusaders, warriors who had given their all for Christ in the fight against the Muslims who defiled the Holy Land.
One of the most important battles the Templars fought was the Battle of Montgisard in 177. Eighty of the Knights Templar came to the assistance of Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and were instrumental in the defeat of the hated Saladin’s forces who would later go on to fight against Richard the Lionhearted. Victories such as these only added to the popularity of the Templars.
At the height of their power there were over 400 knights in Jerusalem, as well as more of their Order spread across Europe, primarily in France. Despite naming themselves the Order of Poor Knights of the Temple, the Templars soon became fantastically rich. Their newfound wealth and power soon began to make them many enemies.
Philip the Fair
King Philip IV of France came to power in 1285. A member of the relatively long-lived Capetian Dynasty, Philip IV (nicknamed the Fair for his light complexion) sought as one of his primary goals the strengthening of the monarchy at any cost.
In 1302 Philip went to the Templars, arguably the wealthiest organization in France, even wealthier than the King. Philip declared he had the right to tax all religious institutions in France and went to the Templars for money. The Templars refused.
Outraged Philip went to Pope Boniface VIII to request that the Templars be excommunicated for refusing to pay him. Boniface rejected Philip, claiming that the Church had authority over all earthly dominions. Instead of excommunicating the Templars he excommunicated Philip the Fair.
This was part of a conflict that had been growing for years between the Pope and France over the powers of the Pope versus those of the secular state. Philip IV, furious at the excommunication sent an agent to kidnap Boniface. Boniface was later rescued but died within a month. His successor, Benedict XI, lifted the excommunication but refused to assist in the matter of the Templars. He died within 8 months of taking office. Many suspected Philip of having him poisoned.
The new Pope was Clement V, a puppet of Philip’s. A Frenchman, Clement worked to strengthen the French’s power in the Church. He would later in his career even move the seat of the Papacy from Italy to Avignon. With a puppet on the Papal throne Philip the Fair saw the time to make his move against the Templars.
The Trial of the Templars
In secret Philip ordered that all of the Templars in France be arrested on the same day: October 13th, 1307. These orders were carried out flawlessly and all were brought under arrest across the country.
The pretext under which these arrests were made was not their refusal to pay money to Philip IV but heresy. The Knights Templar, although a popular and well-known under were also very secretive, especially in their rites of initiation. It was claimed that under this veil of secrecy the order was actually involved in a number of heretical activities.
Among the many crimes the Templars were accused of were sodomy, spitting upon the cross, denying Christ and worshipping idols. Once arrested the Templars were tortured until they confessed to these outrageous crimes.
Most believe that these trumped up charges had little if any bearing in reality, however over the centuries many conspiracy theorists have had varying interpretations on the incident. Some believe that the Templars did engage in these mystical and heretical endeavors, having been exposed to ancient pagan secrets in the Holy Land. Others believe the Order confessed not through torture but in an attempt to cover up their real endeavors, all of them fantastic in nature and continuing on to the present day in secret.
For his effort Philip the Fair took over the treasury of the Templars in France as well as all of their holdings. The Pope, however, was not entirely pleased that he had taken this matter into his own hands. Not wanting to go directly against Philip the Pope called his own commission into the matter of the Templars to learn the truth of falsity of their crimes.
The Papal commission was unable to find any substantial evidence that the Order was indeed involved in heretical acts or beliefs as a group. Wanting to the end the issue once and for all the Pope dissolved the Order but issued no official condemnation.
The Grand Master of the Order, however, had already confessed his sins but would be allowed to repent and ask forgiveness. Instead of repenting the Grand Master proclaimed his innocence and declared his confessions false. He was arrested and burned at the stake as a relapsed heretic.
To this day the trial of the Templars remains a passionate subject for historians unable to ultimately discern the truth of the matter. Were they an innocent Order done in by the greed of the French King Philip IV? Were they in fact a heretical organization whose secretive rites sought to undermine the entire church? Is the truth something even more fantastic? Scholars and conspiracy theorists alike continue to debate the subject, but the real truth is something we will most likely never learn.
