The Vatican's recent decision to release documents on the persecution of the Knights Templar in the 14th Century has piqued interest in the mysterious order. But what are the latter-day Templars up to?This is a story. In the Middle Ages there was a secretive organisation called the Knights Templar. They were disbanded with many killed on the orders of the Pope because they knew the secret that Jesus had had a child with Mary Magdalene. Despite the killing of the order's members, societies carry on its legacy of hidden knowledge today.There's a problem with this version of events, inspired by Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown.It's cobblers. There are lots of organisations today that bear the Templar name, but for the most part they are in the business of charitable works inspired by the original order.
Secret documents about Mary Magdalene are not the order of the day.
The original
Templars were founded in the 12th Century to guard pilgrims on their
way along the dangerous roads that led to Jerusalem. Its members were
effectively armed monk-like knights who were granted certain legal
privileges and whose status was backed by the church.
But the latter-day Templars
are rather like a version of the Rotary Club, with a vague religious
tinge, author and broadcaster on religious history Martin Palmer says.
"It's a sort of version of
the Rotarians with long cloaks and swords." The overall effectis
"clubby with a slight mystical element".
The major non-Masonic,
non-Catholic Templar organisation is the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi
Hierosolymitani. Tracing its ancestry back to 1804, the group stresses
that "it reclaims the spirit of, but does not assert any direct descent
from the ancient Order". Full members are Christians, but
non-Christians are welcomed as "friends and supporters".
Chivalric side
Its branch in England and
Wales, the Grand Priory of Knights Templar, has about 140 members.
Geoff Beck has the rather non-12th Century title of Webmaster of the
Grand Priory and explains that it is far from a secret cult.
"We have taken the
chivalric side of it. It is a good standard to live up to. We get one
or two cranks trying to joinparticul......
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Defining witchcraft
US town escapes 666 phone prefix
'Witches' face fine in Tajikistan
Campaigners bid to clear the 'witch'
Judge rules in favour of Harry Potter
Warlock allowed to break curfew on full moon
