Agenda 2012-2013

source: www.ordo-balliolensis.eu

 EVENTS 2012 

- W.E 17 March. Commemoration Jacques de Molay (Paris- F).
- W.E 13 Avril in Erevan (ARM). Creation G.P OSMTH Armenie.
- 20 till 22 April. Orden St Georg in Bad Aibling (D).
- 27 till 29 April. OSMTH. Belgrade (SCERB).
- 5 May. Lecture on an aspect of the new OSMTH politic. St Ingbert (D).
- W.E 19. May. Investiture Ordo Balliolensis. (Ludwigslust - D)
- 1-3 June in Maastricht (NL). Cordon Bleu du St Esprit.
- In Loukovit (Bulg). Investiture OSMTH Bulgaria, is postponed !
- 8 June, in (Bad Dürkheim - D). Trou Normand.
- W.E 10 June. Investiture OSMTH. (St. Petersbourg - R).
- 16 June, Investiture Order St Stanislas in (Wiesbaden - D).
- 23. June. Commemoration André Louis Saumier d'Albi. Chevaliers de France. (Chateauneuf-du-Pape -F) (Arrival 1).
- W.E 23 June. Investiture OSMTH (15 Years Jubil. Prior of Belgium). (Arrival 2)
- W.E 21 Jul. Soirée Beneficielle King of Tanna. (Pforzheim - D).
- W.E 21 Jul. Investiture Orden Heilige Erloser Aragon. (Altenberg/Odenthal - D).
- First W.E of September. Mundial Convent OSMTH (Venise - I). 
- W.E. 08 Sept. Kapitel Schwertbrüder von Livland, (Pommersfelden - D).
- W.E 22 Sept. Grand Convent Sovereign Order Christ the Savior (Kiev. UKR).
 - 28-30 Sept. Orden Cordon Bleu du St Esprit (Austrian Section), Südtirol (A).
- 3 October Ordre du St Sauveur de Monreal. (Thüringen - D).
- 6th October, Chevaliers du Trou Normand-GB in (Whiteley, Hampshire - UK).
- 6th October, Orden der Schwanenritter, (Schloss Banz am Main - D).
- 13th October, Chevaliers du Trou Normand (Rockenhausen - D).
 - Second WE of October. Investiture OSMTH Germany. (Tholey - D).
- 27 October. Ritter Orden vom Stern. (Bamberg - D).
- W.E 10 November. Investiture OSMTH (St. Andrews
- SCOT). - 13 November. Trou Normand.
- End of November or December, Sovereign Knightly Order of Christ the Savior. (Ukr). 

EVENTS 2013 

- End of March. Commemoration Jacques de Molay (Paris- France).
- 23. March, Schwertritter von Livland (Hasselt - BE)
- 19 -21 April. General Convent (Salzburg - A) Deutscher Ritterorden St. Georg.
- W.E 27 April. Elevation Squire OB. (Orval-B). Pending abbatial authorisation.
- About the penultimate Week End of June. Commemoration André Louis Saumier d'Albi (South of France). Chevaliers de France.
- First WE of September. Mundial Convent OSMTH (Bucharest - Rom).

Knights Templar sites in Belgium and Luxemburg

In his book on the Knights Templar in the Low Countries *) Jan Hosten lists many sites of (former) commanderies, Templar houses and farms, as well as smaller possessions such as lands or rights in Belgium and Luxemburg. The locations mentioned in the book are summarized on this Google Map.


*) source Jan Hosten 2006: De tempeliers - de tempelorde tijdens de kruistochten en in de Lage Landen" (in Dutch, translation title: The Knights Templar - the Order of the Temple during the crusades and in the Low Countries); ISBN-13 978-90-430-1061-0; Publ Pearson Education Benelux, Amsterdam

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Templar Architecture: Practicality and Praise

"Within a very short period of the formation of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, a new style of church architecture began to spread across Western Europe. (...) The Templars did have a distinct advantage however. Being an international organization, it was able to draw on the building practices of the many different nation states that supplied its personnel. The Templars were able to use the very best techniques previously employed by English, French, German and Italian castle builders, supplemented by what they very quickly learned from both adversaries and friends in the Levant.... This ability of the Templars, to look and learn, is often understated in the work or writers who seek to explain the extraordinary feats of the Knights Templar in other ways. (...) 

It is in the realms of domestic and Church architecture that the work of the Templar craftsmen can be seen at its best. The Templars built comparatively few castles, compared to the 9,000 or more Commanderies throughout Europe. Some of these were little more than substantial farms, where necessity and practicality dictated both the buildings themselves and the styles adopted. For example, being in the main farmers, the Templars learned quickly how to build massive barns, a few examples of which still survive. Timber framed, and incredibly beautiful, these buildings were first and foremost ‘functional’, a word that epitomises Templar endeavours at every level. (...)  

The Knights Templar were practical men living in an unforgiving world. They knew about the nuts and bolts of life better than any other organization of their time, and they responded accordingly. That so many of their architectural creations are still to be found (in the case of Churches many still in use) proves the soundness of their techniques and the durability of their craftsmanship."

Quotes form a blog by Alan Butler to be found here. Illustration Ferme des Templiers, St Léger, Belgium, source

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Origin of the Knights Templar according to Addison (1842) - part 3

"The above rule having been confirmed by a Papal bull, Hugues de Payns proceeded to France, and from thence he came to England, and the following account is given of his arrival, in the Saxon chronicle.

"This same year, (A.D. 1128,) Hugh of the Temple came from Jerusalem to the king in Normandy, and the king received him with much honour, and gave him much treasure in gold and silver, and afterwards he sent him into England, and there he was well received by all good men, and all gave him treasure, and in Scotland also, and they sent in all a great sum in gold and silver by him to Jerusalem, and there went with him and after him so great a number as never before since the days of Pope Urban." 

Grants of land, as well as of money, were at the same time made to Hugh de Payens and his brethren, some of which were shortly afterwards confirmed by King Stephen on his accession to the throne, (A.D. 1135.) Among these is a grant of the manor of Bistelesham made to the Templars by Count Robert de Ferrara, and a grant of the church of Langeforde in Bedfordshire made by Simon de Wahull, and Sibylla his wife, and Walter their son.

Hugh de Payens, before his departure, placed a Knight Templar at the head of the order in this country, who was called the Prior of the Temple, and was the procurator and vicegerent of the Master. It was his duty to manage the estates granted to the fraternity, and to transmit the revenues to Jerusalem. He was also delegated with the power of admitting members into the order, subject to the control and direction of the Master, and was to provide means of transport for such newly-admitted brethren to the far east, to enable them to fulfil the duties of their profession. As the houses of the Temple increased in number in England, sub-priors came to be appointed, and the superior of the order in this country was then called the Grand Prior, and afterwards Master of the Temple.

Many illustrious knights of the best families in Europe aspired to the habit and the vows, but however exalted their rank, they were not received within the bosom of the fraternity until they had proved themselves by their conduct worthy of such a fellowship. Thus, when Hugh d’Amboise, who had harassed and oppressed the people of Marmontier by unjust exactions, and had refused to submit to the judicial decision of the Count of Anjou, desired to enter the order, Hugh de Payens refused to admit him to the vows, until he had humbled himself, renounced his pretensions, and given perfect satisfaction to those whom he had injured. * The candidates, moreover, previous to their admission,
were required to make reparation and satisfaction for all damage done by them at any time to churches, and to public or private property.

An astonishing enthusiasm was excited throughout Christendom in behalf of the Templars; princes and nobles, sovereigns and their subjects, vied with each other in heaping gifts and benefits upon them, and scarce a will of importance was made without an article in it in their favour. Many illustrious persons on their deathbeds took the vows, that they might be buried in the habit of the order; and sovereigns, quitting the government of their kingdoms, enrolled themselves amongst the holy fraternity, and bequeathed even their dominions to the Master and the brethren of the Temple.

Thus, Raymond Berenger, Count of Barcelona and Provence, at a very advanced age, abdicating his throne, and shaking off the ensigns of royal authority, retired to the house of the Templars at Barcelona, and pronounced his vows (A.D. 1130) before brother Hugh de Rigauld, the Prior. His infirmities not allowing him to proceed in person to the chief house of the order at Jerusalem, he sent vast sums of money thither, and immuring himself in a small cell in the Temple at Barcelona, he there remained in the constant exercise of the religious duties of his profession until the day of his death. * At the same period, the Emperor Lothaire bestowed on the order a large portion of his patrimony of Supplinburg; and the year following, (A.D. 1131,) Alphonso the First, king of Navarre and Arragon, also styled Emperor of Spain, one of the greatest warriors of the age, by his will declared the Knights of the Temple his heirs and successors in the crowns of Navarre and Arragon, and a few hours before his death he caused this will to be ratified and signed by most of the barons of both kingdoms. The validity of this document, however, was disputed, and the claims of the Templars were successfully resisted by the nobles of Navarre; but in Arragon they obtained, by way of compromise, lands, and castles, and considerable dependencies, a portion of the customs and duties levied throughout the kingdom, and of the contributions raised from the Moors. *

To increase the enthusiasm in favour of the Templars, and still further to swell their ranks with the best and bravest of the European chivalry, St. Bernard, at the request of Hugh de Payens, took up his powerful pen in their behalf. In a famous discourse "In praise of the New Chivalry," the holy abbot sets forth, in eloquent and enthusiastic terms, the spiritual advantages and blessings enjoyed by the military friars of the Temple over all other warriors. He draws a curious picture of the relative situations and circumstances of the secular soldiery and the soldiery of Christ, and shows how different in the sight of God are the bloodshed and slaughter perpetrated by the one, from that committed by the other.

St. Bernard then congratulates Jerusalem on the advent of the soldiers of Christ, and declares that the holy city will rejoice with a double joy in being rid of all her oppressors, the ungodly, the robbers, the blasphemers, murderers, perjurers, and adulterers; and in receiving her faithful defenders and sweet consolers, under the shadow of whose protection " Mount Zion shall rejoice, and the daughters of Judah sing for joy."

HUGH DE PAYENS, having now laid in Europe the foundations of the great monastic and military institution of the Temple, which was destined shortly to spread its ramifications to the remotest quarters of Christendom, returned to Palestine at the head of a valiant band of newly-elected Templars, drawn principally from England and France.
On their arrival at Jerusalem they were received with great distinction by the king, the clergy, and the barons of the Latin kingdom, a grand council was called together, at which Hugh de Payens assisted, and various warlike measures were undertaken for the extension and protection of the christian territories.

Hugh de Payens died, however, shortly after his return, and was succeeded (A.D. 1136) by the Lord Robert, surnamed the Burgundian, (son-in-law of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury,) who, after the death of his wife, had taken the vows and the habit of the Templars. * He was a valiant and skilful general, but the utmost exertions of himself and his military monks were found insufficient to sustain the tottering empire of the Latin Christians."

source quotes: The History of the Knights Templar, by Charles G. Addison, [1842] ; illustration Bernard de Claivaux, souce Wikipedia.

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Origin of the Knights Templar according to Addison (1842) - part 2

"Their first aim and object had been, as before mentioned, simply to protect the poor pilgrims, on their journey backwards and forwards, from the sea-coast to Jerusalem; * but as the hostile tribes of Mussulmen, which everywhere surrounded the Latin kingdom, were gradually recovering from the stupifying terror into which they had been plunged by the successful and exterminating warfare of the first crusaders, and were assuming an aggressive and threatening attitude, it was determined that the holy warriors of the Temple should, in addition to the protection of pilgrims, make the defence of the christian kingdom of Jerusalem, of the eastern church, and of all the holy places, a part of their particular profession.

The two most distinguished members of the fraternity were Hughues de Payns and Geoffrey de St. Aldemar, or St. Omer, two valiant soldiers of the cross, who had fought with great credit and renown at the siege of Jerusalem. Hugues de Payns was chosen by the knights to be the superior of the new religious and military society, by the title of "The Master of the Temple;" and he has, consequently, generally been called the founder of the order.

The name and reputation of the Knights Templars speedily spread throughout Europe, and various illustrious pilgrims from the far west aspired to become members of the holy fraternity. Among these was Falk, Count of Anjou, who joined the society as a married brother, (A.D. 1120,) and annually remitted the order thirty pounds of silver. Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, foreseeing that great advantages would accrue to the Latin kingdom by the increase of the power and numbers of these holy warriors, exerted himself to extend the order throughout all Christendom, so that he might, by means of so politic an institution, keep alive the holy enthusiasm of the west, and draw a constant succour from the bold and warlike races of Europe for the support of his christian throne and kingdom.

St. Bernard, the holy abbot of Clairvaux, had been a great admirer of the Templars. He wrote a letter to the Count of Champagne, on his entering the order, (A.D. 1123,) praising the act as one of eminent merit in the sight of God; and it was determined to enlist the all-powerful influence of this great ecclesiastic in favour of the fraternity. "By a vow of poverty and penance, by closing his eyes against the visible world, by the refusal of all ecclesiastical dignities, the Abbot of Clairvaux became the oracle of Europe, and the founder of one hundred and sixty convents. Princes and pontiffs trembled at the freedom of his apostolical censures: France, England, and Milan, consulted and obeyed his judgment in a schism of the church: the debt was repaid by the gratitude of Innocent the Second; and his successor, Eugenics the Third, was the friend and disciple of the holy St. Bernard." *

To this learned and devout prelate two knights templars were despatched with the following letter:

"Baldwin, by the grace of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, King of Jerusalem, and Prince of Antioch, to the venerable Father Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, health and regard.

"The Brothers of the Temple, whom the Lord hath deigned to raise up, and whom by an especial Providence he preserves for the defence of this kingdom, desiring to obtain from the Holy See the confirmation of their institution, and a rule for their particular guidance, we have determined to send to you the two knights, Andrew and Gondemar, men as much distinguished by their military exploits as by the splendour of their birth, to obtain from the Pope the approbation of their order, and to dispose his holiness to send succour and subsidies against the enemies of the faith, reunited in their design to destroy us, and to invade our christian territories.
"Well knowing the weight of your mediation with God and his vicar upon earth, as well as with the princes and powers of Europe, we have thought fit to confide to yon these two important matters, whose successful issue cannot be otherwise than most agreeable to ourselves. The statutes we ask of you should be so ordered and arranged as to be reconcilable with the tumult of the camp and the profession of arms; they must, in fact, be of such a nature as to obtain favour and popularity with the christian princes.
"Do you then so manage, that we may, through you, have the happiness of seeing this important affair brought to a successful issue, and address for us to heaven the incense of your prayers."
Soon after the above letter had been despatched to St. Bernard, Hugues de Payns himself proceeded to Rome, accompanied by Geoffrey de St. Aldemar, and four other brothers of the order, viz. Brother Payen de Montdidier, Brother Gorall, Brother Geoffrey Bisol, and Brother Archambauld de St. Amand. They were received with great honour and distinction by Pope Honorius, who warmly approved of the objects and designs of the holy fraternity. St. Bernard had, in the mean time, taken the affair greatly to heart; he negotiated with the Pope, the legate, and the bishops of France, and obtained the convocation of a great ecclesiastical council at Troyes, (A.D. 1128 which Hugues de Payns and his brethren were invited to attend. 

This council consisted of several archbishops, bishops, and abbots, among which last was St. Bernard himself. The rules to which the Templars had subjected themselves were there described by the master, and to the holy Abbot of Clairvaux was confided the task of revising and correcting these rules, and of framing a code of statutes fit and proper for the governance of the great religious and military fraternity of the Temple.

"THE RULE OF THE POOR FELLOW-SOLDIERS OF JESUS CHRIST AND OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON," arranged by St. Bernard, and sanctioned by the Holy Fathers of the Council of Troyes, for the government and regulation of the monastic and military society of the Temple, is principally of a religious character, and of an austere and gloomy cast. It is divided into seventy-two heads or chapters, and is preceded by a short prologue, addressed "to all who disdain to follow after their own wills, and desire with purity of mind to fight for the most high and true king," exhorting
them to put on the armour of obedience, and to associate themselves together with piety and humility for the defence of the holy catholic church; and to employ a pure diligence, and a steady perseverance in the exercise of their sacred profession, so that they might share in the happy destiny reserved for the holy warriors who had given up their lives for Christ."

source quotes: The History of the Knights Templar, by Charles G. Addison, [1842]; illustration Hugues de Payns, source

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Origin of the Knights Templar according to Addison (1842) - part 1

source
In 1842 Charles G. Addisson published his The History of the Knights Templar. A rather romantic work that does not any more live up to modern standards of history writing. Nevertheless it is an interesting work to read.Therefor three pasrts wsill be published here consecutively.

"The extraordinary and romantic institution of the Knights Templars, those military friars who so strangely blended the character of the monk with that of the soldier, took its origin in the following manner: On the miraculous discovery of the Holy sepulchre by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, about 298 years after the death of Christ, and the consequent erection, by command of the first christian emperor, of the magnificent church of the Resurrection, or, as it is now called, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, over the sacred monument, the tide of pilgrimage set in towards Jerusalem, and went on increasing in strength as Christianity gradually spread throughout Europe.

On the surrender of the Holy City to the victorious Arabians, (A.D. 637) the privileges and the security of the christian population were provided for in the following guarantee, given under the hand and seal of the Caliph Omar to Sophronius the Patriarch.

"From OMAR EBNO ’L ALCHITAB to the inhabitants of ÆLIA. They shall be protected and secured both in their lives and fortunes, and their churches shall neither be pulled down nor made use of by any but themselves."

Under the government of the Arabians, the pilgrimages continued steadily to increase; the old and the young, women and children, flocked in crowds to Jerusalem, and in the year 1064 the Holy Sepulchre was visited by an enthusiastic band of seven thousand pilgrims, headed by the Archbishop of Mentz and the Bishops of Utrecht, Bamberg, and Ratisbon.

The year following, however, Jerusalem was conquered by the wild Turcomans. Three thousand of the citizens were indiscriminately massacred, and the hereditary command over the Holy City and territory was confided to the Emir Ortok, the chief of a savage pastoral tribe. Under the iron yoke of these fierce Northern strangers, the Christians were fearfully oppressed; they were driven from their churches; divine worship was ridiculed and interrupted"

"The melancholy intelligence of the profanation of the holy places, and of the oppression and cruelty of the Turcomans, aroused the religious chivalry of Christendom; "a nerve was touched of exquisite feeling, and the sensation vibrated to the heart of Europe.
Then arose the wild enthusiasm of the crusades; men of all ranks, and even monks and priests, animated by the exhortations of the pope and the preachings of Peter the Hermit, flew to arms, and enthusiastically undertook "the pious and glorious enterprize" of rescuing the holy sepulchre of Christ from the foul abominations of the heathen.

When intelligence of the capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders (A.D. 1099) had been conveyed to Europe, the zeal of pilgrimage blazed forth with increased fierceness... The infidels had indeed been driven out of Jerusalem, but not out of Palestine. The lofty mountains bordering the sea-coast were infested by bold and warlike bands of fugitive Mussulmen. ...

To alleviate the dangers and distresses to which these pious enthusiasts were exposed, to guard the honour of the saintly virgins and matrons, and to protect the gray hairs of the venerable palmer, nine noble knights formed a holy brotherhood in arms, and entered into a solemn compact to aid one another in clearing the highways of infidels, and of robbers, and in protecting the pilgrims through the passes and defiles of the mountains to the Holy City. Warmed with the religious and military fervour of the day, and animated by the sacredness of the cause to which they had devoted their swords, they called themselves the Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ. They renounced the world and its pleasures, and in the holy church of the Resurrection, in the presence of the patriarch of Jerusalem, they embraced vows of perpetual chastity, obedience, and poverty, after the manner of monks. * Uniting in themselves the two most popular qualities of the age, devotion and valour, and exercising them in the most popular of all enterprises, the protection of the pilgrims and of the road to the holy sepulchre, they speedily acquired a vast reputation and a splendid renown."

source quotes: The History of the Knights Templar, by Charles G. Addison, [1842] ; Illustration source.

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The Modern Rule of Life for Members of the Templar Order (OSMTH)

The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (OSMTH) is a Christian ecumenical organization founded in 1804 by the physician Fabré-Palaprat with the support of Napoleon, and officially recognized in 1853 by Napoleon III. The Order operates on the basis of the traditions of the medieval Knights Templar.

 The Order devised The Modern Rule of Life (Regula Moderna) for Members of the Order, which was approved by the Grand Magistral Chapter on 2 October 2015 in Cologne, Germany, for use in the International Ceremonies and Services of OSMTH. The following text quotes the complete Modern Rule which can also be downloaded in pdf format here.

Chapter 1: On the Temple and its Service
Remember that you are a Templar, an inheritor of the “Poor Knights of the Temple”, so called because the first quarters of our worthy Order were in the precinct of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.
Think on the word, “Temple”, and its meaning continually. As divine scripture says : “One thing I have desired of the Lord which I will require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple.” (Psalm 27; verse 4)

Chapter 2: On Faith and Meditation
Within our Order you will meet brothers and sisters of all nationalities and denominations. Recognize with joy, “that we are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building being bonded together grows into a holy Temple to the Lord.” (St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: chapter 2; verses 19 – 21)
In your search for God, pursue your spiritual education. Set aside time each day for prayer and meditation.

Chapter 3: On Discipline
The principles of life set out by St Bernard of Clairvaux in the original Rule, which are to care for body, mind and soul, are still good in our day.
With all thankfulness for God’s good gifts, resist temptation and be master of your body. Work with joy, but do not believe that material success is, in itself, the goal of this earthly life.

Chapter 4: On Chivalrous Combat
May the white cloak remind you that we fight against intolerance, hypocrisy and ignorance; and may the red cross remind you that sacrifices must be made; for “we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against potentates and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in the cosmos.” (St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: chapter 6; verse 12)
Stand up for the weak and all who need your help. In order that you may live a truly chivalrous life, undertake good deeds without expectation of reward; and you shall be an example to all as a pillar of the Temple.

Chapter 5: On Fellowship
Remember that you stand beside your Brothers and Sisters at all times, as they strive under the same banner as you. Obey your superiors, honoring Christ in them. We have only one Master: “Christ” – but we are all brothers and sisters. It is your responsibility to assist and to serve your sisters and brothers, for God will also ask you one day: “Where is your brother?”; “Where is your sister?”
Avail yourself of the worldwide fellowship of the Order to correspond with your brothers and sisters overseas and visit them whenever you have the opportunity.

source text and illustration osmth.org

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Processus Contra Templarios published October 2007

"The Vatican Secret Archives preserves the surviving acts of the papal inquiry on the Knights Templar Order, conducted in Poitiers in 1308. These were published in a  bilingual (Italian-Englishg) version. The worldwide premiere was held at the Vatican on October 25, 2007, attended by high Vatican officers, members of the diplomatic body from the Holy Site, academics from Vatican universities, as well as outstanding representatives from the military, politics, professional associations and institutions. 

Years of research and organization, conducted by the Vatican Secret Archive on its source material, have made possible the publication of Processus Contra Templarios, the exclusive and previously unavailable hearing of the original acts of the ancient trial against the Templar Knights.

A unique project in the world, this work comes in a limited run of 799 copies, under the supervision of the Papal Archive officials, and includes the faithful replicas of the original parchments kept at the Secret Archive along with a new and exclusive critical edition on the minutes of the inquiry.
A thorough analysis of the original parchments, performed through the technique known as “Wood lamp”, which allows the recovery of parts of text unattainable to previous publishers, has made possible for the supervisors to amend older editions, so as to afford a more accurate and genuine reading of the documents.

The filing of pre-existing sources has indeed allowed to recover misinterpreted text sections as well as standardize  designations for both people and locations. Therefore, the Vatican Secret Archive gives academics and interested subjects access to a precious and scientifically reliable tool of research into the historical facts related to the Templar Order.

Further to the record and transcription of papers and parchment documents, a section focuses on the review of the Templar history and on the trial against them.

This publication is mostly valued with regard to its documents and critical texts, which help throw light onto the events which led the pontiff to acquit the Templar Order from the accusation of heresy.
Clements V suspended the Templar Order, without disbanding it, and he eventually admitted the high Templar dignitaries and the entire Templar Order back into the Roman Church community. "

source text and illustration: www.scrinium.org

"There are Templar graffiti in the dungeon at Warwick Castle in England and at Chinon Castle in France. But by far the strangest and most intriguing examples are to be found at the guardhouse at Domme, in south-western France.

Knights Templar in The Netherlands - a new map

On his website http://www.tempelieren.nl (in Dutch) Dr Ben Brus embarks on a painstaking journey to identify sites of former settlements of the Knights Templar in The Netherlands. The first version of the website was published in 2003, the 13th edition in January 2012.

At present the website of Dr Brus identifies 120 possible sites where, until destruction of the order in 1317, Knights Templar may have lived and worked, mainly in agricultural enterprises. Such sites were identified on the basis of a combination of research on geographic toponyms, archaeological field data and old documents kept in archives. Dr Brus concludes that in about one third of these sites, former presence of Knights Templar is certain or at least probable. On about 20 locations, presence is improbable. About half of the sites listed still has to be investigated.

The certain and probable sites identified by Dr Brus are presented on the map published here. The locations sometimes exact (a still existing builing or site) but more often an approximation based on the geographic description available. The text at each location indicated (in Dutch) is a quote from the website of Dr Brus.

Obviously this map must be seen as a product of the work of Dr Brus, whereas the publisher did nothing more that putting Dr Brus' data on a Google Map. So this map is only a humble contribution to the important work of Dr Brus, which is acknowledged gratefully.

Source: Sporen van de Tempelieren in Nederland - http://www.tempelieren.nl - © Ben Brus 2003-2012




Source: Sporen van de Tempelieren in Nederland - http://www.tempelieren.nl - © Ben Brus 2003-2012

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UK Knights Templar branch recruiting members

"For more than 700 years they have been the subject of myth and legend after an angry Pope ordered their destruction and drove them underground.
Now the Knights Templars are back in the open and have launched a recruitment drive.
Last night an extraordinary public meeting took place to show potential recruits what the Order is about and what can be expected of them. Membership is open to men and women.
Russ Kellett, who is starting a new legion of Templars, said: “The idea is to attract fresh blood into what is an excellent organisation whose aims are to live a pious life and help in a charitable way people who may need our help.
“People believe that the Templars were destroyed between 1307 and 1312 but most of the knights involved simply disappeared and carried on with their work.”
He is reluctant to reveal too much about The Order of the Knights Templars but says many knights in other branches have carried on a family tradition stretching back generations. His legion isn’t the only one to be created in the past two years. He said: “We are still very popular and people are very interested in what we do. The Order does good work in many ways but doesn’t boast about it.”  "

quote and illustration from an article by Steve Lumley published February 19, 2012 on www.express.co.uk

"Knights Templar meet in Australia" - quote

"The flags of the Crusaders flew at Parklands Resort on the weekend as Mudgee hosted The Great Priory of the Order of Knights Templar in NSW & ACT.

The Grand Masters of Queensland and Victoria, the Assistant Grand Priory Royal Arch of NSW and the Provincial Great Marshall of Somerset, UK, were among members who gathered for the Order’s Malta Festival.

The Masonic order’s regalia and ceremonies are based on those of the Knights Templar, who are best remembered for their military role in the Crusades, but also established a monastic order dedicated to protecting pilgrims.
The Knights Templars also founded an early form of banking, under which pilgrims deposited their valuables with the Order before leaving, and in return received a letter of credit to the value of their deposit, which could be redeemed when they arrived in the Holy Land.
The Order has preceptories in Broken Hill, Wagga, Albury, Moruyah, Tamworth, Grafton, Ballina and smaller centres including Geurie, which hosted the weekend’s event in Mudgee.
Preceptories have a charitable as well as fraternal role, giving to causes such as schools.
In addition to a business order on Monday, the Great Priory installed a member into the Degree of a Knight of Malta and invested its officers for the next 12 months.
Following the Malta ceremony banquet on Saturday night, members attended a church service on Sunday which was open to members of the public."

quote and photo from this source: www.mudgeeguardian.com.au

Project Beaucéant publishes map on Knights Templar

On www.templiers.org a map is published with the old settlements of the Knights Templar and other religious military orders in Western Europe and the Near East. This map and website (mainly in French) provide interesting information on the issue. Regrettably, the site does nog contain much information on north west Europe, the focal point of this blog.

Therefor, interested readers are referred to the pages on this blog on different sub-areas within north-western Europe. These pages contain a slowly growing amount of information. Anyone who could add such information or sources thereof is invited to contribute to this site. Please mail any information, preferrably links, to: templarsnow@gmail.com

Rule of the Knights of the Round Table

Charge Given to the Knights of the Round Table by King Arthur

God make you a good man and fail not of beauty. The Round Table was founded in patience, humility, and meekness.Thou art never to do outrageousity, nor murder, and always to flee treason, by no means to be cruel, and always to do ladies, damosels, and gentle women succour. Also, to take no battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law nor for no world's goods.

Thou shouldst be for all ladies and fight for their quarrels, and ever be courteous and never refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy, for a knight that is courteous and kind and gentle has favor in every place. Thou shouldst never hold a lady or gentle woman against her will.

Thou must keep thy word to all and not be feeble of good believeth and faith. Right must be defended against might and distress must be protected. Thou must know good from evil and the vain glory of the world, because great pride and bobauce maketh great sorrow. Should anyone require ye of any quest so that it is not to thy shame, thou shouldst fulfil the desire.

Ever it is a worshipful knights deed to help another worshipful knight when he seeth him a great danger, for ever a worshipful man should loath to see a worshipful man shamed, for it is only he that is of no worship and who faireth with cowardice that shall never show gentelness or no manner of goodness where he seeth a man in any danger, but always a good man will do another man as he would have done to himself.

It should never be said that a small brother has injured or slain another brother. Thou shouldst not fail in these things: charity, abstinence and truth. No knight shall win worship but if he be of worship himself and of good living and that loveth God and dreadeth God then else he geteth no worship here be ever so hardly.

An envious knight shall never win worship for and envious man wants to win worship he shall be dishonoured twice therefore without any, and for this cause all men of worship hate an envious man and will show him no favour.

Do not, nor slay not, anything that will in any way dishonour the fair name of Christian knighthood for only by stainless and honourable lives and not by prowess and courage shall the final goal be reached. Therefore be a good knight and so I pray to God so ye may be, and if ye be of prowess and of worthiness then ye shall be a Knight of the Table Round.

source: www.kingarthursknights.com

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Modern Templar murals at Slijpe, Belgium

Slijpe is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders and part of the municipality of Middelkerke. It has an interesting Templar link, both historically and recent.

OSMTH-MCO meeting Flanders, 2009

Magistraal Kapittel te Bilzen (Limburg) op 25 april 2009 te Bilzen - Chapitre Magistral 25 Avril 2009 a Bilzen
"Orde Supremus militaris Templi Hierosolymitani militiae Christi Oecumenis Belgicae"