Knights Templar win heresy reprieve after 700 years

VATICAN CITY - 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.
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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 ($8,333) 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 tantalize 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 meter wide by some two meters 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 specialized 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 practiced sodomy.

"Simply put, the pope recognized 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.

The parchment of a replica document in which Pope Clement V absolved the Knights of charges of heresy, is shown in Rome October 9, 2007. A reproduction of the Latin-language minutes of trials against the Knights Templar in 1308, lost until its rediscovery in 2001, is being published by the Vatican Secret Archives at the end October. The documents, a book and parchments, costs 5,900 euros and its 799 numbered copies are destined for top libraries and medieval scholars. Picture taken October 9, 2007 (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)
Reuters Photo: The parchment of a replica document in which Pope Clement V absolved the Knights of...

Vatican Secret Archive,http://asv.vatican.va

Publishing house,http://www.scrinium.org

Note:
In the early part of 1981, it was very dangerous and impossible to research and discuss any issues about the Kinght Templars - (Giovanni Mario Ricci)
We got threathned and almost killed for daring to promote the fact that we the Seychelles, Reunion, Mauritius beside the current Grand L'Orient Masonic Charter and other French Charter, had the right to promote and used certain archaic/fraternal knowledge.
We inturn used it in managing certain aspect of the changes in Poland, COMECON, berlin Wall, German reunification and changes in USSR. The SIROP Program have got element of the Templar archaic/fraternal knowledge.

Had the COMECON not changed, USSR and East Germany - the reappearence of the Knight Templar and Free Mason knowledge and practice, archaic/fraternal practice - they would not have existed there today, they would not have known. The very dangerous development and practice, those for former COMECON who think they know more than our ancestors and the rights they take upon themself. {They deny the very person who helped them bring this about - we have been well educated it is all in the holy scripture and history, the process of denying the legitimate rights to the party who have dpone or contributed to a specific work - except in ur time it is more common.}

The work, aspect of the mechanism we used to promote the CERN project and later the MINI Tel, the WWW also include aspect of the Templar knowldge. Over the years the role of the web to divulge very amny aspect and secrets on the Knight Templar and the Free Mason. ( The Free Mason had been against the project WWW because they were controlling the information)

We have also experience important opposition form the Office of President Mitterand challenging who are we small Seychelles, chased out of France to take up the cause and promote the knowledge of the Knight Templar. We did this is some of the results today.

From 1991 because of the suitcase in Angers - Loire, we promoted - brought about that several books were written on the Free Mason. Equally a number of books and research on the Kinght Templar and some of the films too.

We have equally been encouraging those from Seychelles of French ancestrage to rebuild their archaic/fraternal link and knowledge.(They were our heritage before colonial Britain)The massive rivalary, terrible misdeeds, and incidents over the past 60 years as far back as the 1st world war.

We belive for those who know aspect of the Templar, Druids or Freemason there is no need to give public explanation how we promote these interest/work.

Very important, the vast many who have suddenly rediscover the Knight Templar and cashing in big on it. Who call themself Knight Templars when the world is falling apart - they are there just for the glammor, self importance.

{Most important the reason by the USA and British high parties to torpedo the SIRIO program was because of the link, the ransacking - destruction of our flat/place, 87a victoria road , Kilburn, Brent was partly reason, equally in 1996 when they ransacked the two caravans/mobile at Caple court country Club/Kent home "Princess Diana/Minuette, Place of prayers and the "Emperor" 1 bed mobile home. The very many lawyers involved , the court case at Canterbury and London the reason everything was done to surpress the issues - that we do not get a public hearing.}Part of the reason we have been stranded in Britain since 1991.

Fatima’s giant church is hiding no secrets

A quarter of a million Catholic pilgrims will begin flocking to the shrine at Fátima today to attend the opening of one of the world’s largest churches.

Costing €80 million (£54 million) and financed by an estimated five million annual visitors, the new Church of the Holy Trinity can accommodate nearly 9,000 worshippers. Access to its cavernous 12,000sq m (130,000sq ft) interior will be through 13 bronze doors, symbolising the number present at the Last Supper.

n contrast, the average congregation size in British churches is 100 and the average seated capacity in a parish church is 500. St Paul’s Cathedral can seat a congregation of up to 2,500

Pope Benedict XVI will send a live televised message to the gathered faithful on Sunday, the 90th anniversary of the last time that the Virgin of Fátima was reported to have appeared before three Portuguese shepherd children, delivering a series of apocalyptic visions of the future. The National Republican Guard, the country’s paramilitary police, will have 300 officers and 150 paramedics on hand.
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Five million people a year travel to Fátima, 110 km (70 miles) north of Lisbon, and the numbers are rising as “faith tourism” becomes big business.

Local church officials had long complained that the existing basilica was far too small. Pilgrims should not be disappointed with its successor. It comes equipped with five chapels, nearly 50 confessional booths and a café for worshippers to “rest and reflect”. The oval building has no internal columns to avoid obstructing live television broadcasts. Computers will keep lighting levels constant and solar panels will provide energy.

The church includes a 500sq m mural of New Jerusalem made of thousands of handmade Portuguese tiles. The walls will bear passages from the Bible in 23 languages.

“I thank God I have not had to worry about money,” said Monsignor Luciano Guerra, the rector of the sanctuary. Even holy projects can be bedevilled by delays and cost overruns: the church was originally to cost €40 million and open its doors on May 13.

Alexandros Tombazis, the Greek Orthodox architect responsible for design, has described his new church as humble. He said that he made it relatively low-slung to avoid overshadowing the Basilica of Fátima.

The cult of Fátima began after three children claimed that the Virgin Mary appeared before them on May 13, 1917. In a series of visions over the following six months, the Virgin of Fátima allegedly revealed to them the “Three Secrets of Fátima”.

The first two were made public but the third was jealously guarded by the Catholic Church for decades, giving rise to fervent speculation and conspiracy theories. Because the “third secret” remained undisclosed, it was assumed that it described the end of the world. However, Pope John Paul II said that it referred instead to a “bishop in white” falling in a hail of bullets, which he took to be a prediction of the 1981 attempt on his own life. He attributed his narrow escape from death to the intervention of the Virgin Mary, and donated the bullet extracted from his abdomen to the Fátima shrine.

In 2000 he beatified two of the young shepherds, Francisco Marto and his sister Jacinta, who died in childhood. Their cousin Lúcia, who became a nun at Coimbra, died two years ago. At Fátima John Paul also revealed the long-awaited third secret of Fátima, which Sister Lúcia had confided to the Vatican. The first two “secrets”, which were published, referred to the world wars of the 20th century and the reconversion of communist Russia to Christianity.

In April Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State (Vatican Prime Minister) who will officiate at the inauguration ceremony this weekend, denied that the Vatican had withheld a fourth secret.

In a book recounting his conversations with Sister Lúcia he quoted her as telling him: “Everything has been published. No secret remains.”


Church of the Holy Trinity

8,600 worshippers

3.2 tonnes weight of bronze doors

125m (410ft) diameter

18m (60ft) high

13 entrances

500m² (5,382 sq ft) presbytery, the biggest in the world

Source: La Stampa

Great and good

— The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, is the world’s largest church. Its area is 30,000sq m(323,000sq ft)

— The dome of St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, reaches 119m (390ft)

— The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil, is the biggest church in the Americas. It has a volume of 1.2 million cu m (42 million cu ft)

— Münster Cathedral, Germany, is the world’s tallest church, at 162m

Stage set to create Seychelles’ Stock Exchange

OUR NATION ECONOMIC HISTORY IN THE MAKING:

A new Bill that makes it possible to create a Securities Market or Stock Exchange in the country has received the unanimous approval of the National Assembly.

The Securities Bill, 2007, which was approved by the Assembly on Tuesday, will replace the Securities Industry Act, 1995, which is considered outdated as many changes have occurred since it was enacted.

OFFICIAL COMMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT CAMP AND SNP:

The Leader of Government Business, Hon. Marie-Louise Potter, said the Bill is good for the country’s economic development as it will allow investors to make transactions without risks and also allow the country to enjoy the benefits which these developments will bring.

For his part, Hon. Bernard Georges from the Opposition, even though he welcomed the Bill and described it as necessary, said he believes that an independent body other than the Central Bank of Seychelles would have been better placed to act as the regulatory authority.

WE HAVE WRITTEN SOME 100 OF ARTICLES ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THE WORLD OF THE NEED FOR SEYCHELLES TO HAVE A STOCK MARKET. WHEN WE PUT THAT PORTAL IN PLACE ASPECT OF THE CONCEPT WAS TO ENCOURAGE A STOCK MARKET IN SEYCHELLES.

NOW THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE BILL THIS IS ALL THE GOVERNMENT COULD SAY AND THE OPPOSITION, SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE MADE AN ELECTION ISSUES, THEY DID NOT ( LIKE WE BELIVE SOONER OF LATER SEYCHELLES WILL OPT FOR A TWO TIER GOVERNMENT WITH A LOWER HOUSE AN UPPER HOUSE.)

LIKE THE RESEARCH WE DID FOR INDIAN OCEAN INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT PROMOTION CENTRE WE DID IN 1979 BY UNIDO/WORLD BANK - WHAT LED TO THE FORMING OF THE COI THE RECENT IMPORTANT DECISION TWO DAYS AGON ON ST ANNE. VIS A VIS THE AFRICAN UNION - THEY ARE NOT HAPPY THEY WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT IT, THE NATIONS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN MUST IN TURN EXPLAIN TO AU - WHY THEY ARE GOING THAT ROAD.

NOW TO SOME CONGRATULATION:

NOT TO PRESIDENT JA MICHEL - TO MY OLD FRIEND, HIS YOUNGEST SON WIFE IS EXPECTING A BABY THIS OCTOBER , "WE HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, OUR CONVERSATION ON THAT OLD LOG IN THE FOREST AND THAT BOTTLE OF RED WINE - FINALLY WE HAVE MADE IT". THANK YOU FOR BELIVING IN US.

TO YOU PRESIDENT JA MICHEL , WE THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE, THE BLOOD SHED, ACCEPT THE APPRECIATION OF OUR EU COMMUNITY, FOR THE LEADERS OF THE OPPOSITION - HIS DREAM MR GERRARD HOUREAU AND HIS BROTHER.

THOSE WHO HAVE DISCUSSED THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE LIKE MAURITIUS - IT WILL REQUIRE MORE ENERGY, MORE SOPHISTICATION AND HARDER WORK - EITHER THAT OR WE OUGHT NOT HAVE BEEN BORN.

TO THOSE WHO LIVED IN EXILE , THE FAMILY WITH THE SHOP NEAR BLACKFRAIS BRIDGE LONDON -(THE EMBROSIANA BANK INCIDENT AND THE COURT CASE THIS YEAR) THEY WORKED BARCALYS BEFORE THE COUP D'ETAT, THE INVESTMENT WAS WORTH IT EVEN IF THE WORNG PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT.

TO THE SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT AND SPPF , WE THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE SEEN REASON, THANK YOU THAT WE GOT LAUGHED AT IN 2000 AND 2004 ALL THOSE WHO SAID WE WERE DREAMING( THE MEGA EARTH QUAKE ANDME), THE MANY INSULTS FROM YOU AND MY FAMILY WHO SUPPORT THE PARTY AND THE GOVERNMENT.

TO MY VERY DEAR FRIEND MR MARC DIDON EVEN IF YOU ARE BEYOND THE RAINBOW - THIS IS FOR YOU, IT IS A VERY BIG ONE. OUR LAST TALK WAS NOT FOR NOTHING.

Like the SIROP/Alliance/DP/SNP/MPR /CDU exile program we followed events. When we put that portal together we knew it was a matter of times before a Seychelles Stock market was put in place. My many threads.

The discussion last year - that Indian company who provide expertise to concept the necessary software and stock market technology for AU gave me optimism.

We have been watching the work of the Central bank in Seychelles, the issues they brought forward closely.

With the of Eden Development and the Dubai government - SPECIALLY THE HEAD OF DUBAI STATE ENCOURAGEMENT, Pinnacle Holding coming to Seychelles, it was in their interest to support and lobby for this to come about soon.

We refer to our Mauritius friends, not to forget it was our Seychelles EU community who "catapulted Mauritius Stock market" the very many issues we have been involved since.

Now that we will have one your support like we have supported yours and that of African Union all the Officials we have lobbied. The Pan African and Indian Stock market project.

Now to our British friends thank you for all the time, discussions, the many meetings to seek your advice, all the leading bank we have met with in Britain and talk about this project.

The current officials of the London market and Exchange our in put in the Market over the past 25 years.

This goes to our French, German Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Belgium, Austrian, Irish and Scandinavia friends.

The South African for all their time and effort to support us, all the killing and the blood.

The USA/Canadian officials reaction - we trust they are happy for us. My/our involvement in the USA Market and Canadian Market the past 25 years, the future.

To our Russian friends - thank you.

To the Chinese - the visit of the Chinese President last years our emails and your promise unspoken, thank you.

Australia, our Seychelles community and the very large Mauritius community who assisted us with our EU community portal thank you. A little progress and a little bit more faith building in each other.

We just hope and trust that the government will not make the misjudgment to get some gick to write a book on how JA Michel started a Stock Market - history ought to be written as as they happened and researched. Give due credit to those that deserve.

NOW THAT THIS IS COMING, THE GOVERNMENT IN SEYCHELLES WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT WAY TO TREATING US - WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO MAKE INPUTE , INFLUANCE THE SEYCHELLES STOCK MARKET POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE. IF THEY KNOW WHAT THAT IS AND MEANS.

To the members and friend of the many Seychelles forum, for a very long time we have been wise to very many things - those that refused to give us the opportunity. Remember the grape vine - where it originate and the process, science of planting grape vine.

To our Community in EU, Britain - please remember the European High speed train project, the Kings Cross station London this months, our community in Islington, the Volunteers and the very many who have contributed and never received a thank you.

Lastly to all my learned friends in Seychelles you judge we were being a nuisance and pestering you and wasting your time - we will not boast this not our nature. There is a lesson here - the need to have faith - to pray, to believe and to be persistent. THIS IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BELIVED IN US AND SUPPORTED US - SPECIALLY TO MR GUY MOREL , THOSE HE HAS LEFT BEHIND CONGRATULATION.

We do trust the Government have planned an adequate place to house/start the Stock market

There is the need to celebrate: Those of you in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland Austria have fun.

We have a situation – the Seychelles community forum is block, some nasty person are invading the Commonwealth section of the forum with sex, drugs and other spams. We cannot post and use the forum.

Finally to Tuula all the swearing and late Sir James Goldsmith daughter, many know whom we are talking about – the importance to have a dream and work at it. To the daughter of our "good friend on the log and the bottle of red wine in the forest" - thank you for your apple cider as a school girl - trust you bring your childern on the same dream.
http://www.nation.sc/index.php?art=10389

Note: How can we forget the Project Seychelles International Classical Festival. Finally the great announcement, aspect of the reason to promote this project in Seychelles to bring about A Seychelles Stock Market for those who are not versed in the archaic/fraternal issues.

Overlooked Issues:
We have been reminded of President FA Rene, first Initiative to start/research a Stock Market with the help of experts from OAU then. ( About the same time as Mauritius started its Stock Market) Rs500,000. spent. We also underline the effort by Mr Giovanni Mario Ricci and Associates, Sir James Mancham and Associates, Mr Noshi Wadia of the Temooljhi group, they gave up/rather fed up. The reason President FA Rene spent so much money to refurbish the Victoria Market - the pride of Seychelles - the vast many issues International, regional East and West at the time, to give momentum to this project. The very many EU, Australian, Asian, Russian, Canadian, African Union personalities who have lobby president FA Rene that a Stock market need to be establish in Seychelles.

We have noted the thread of the last forum member., the lack of financial knowledge by the nation. {We gave you the Internet for this very reason - teach your family what is going on the many market all over the world - how they work, you are not ristricted. Just like the many gambling and Casinos online} Likewise appropriate body , institution to put in place benevolant or otherwise to monitor the negative effects, help and educate those who do not understand and want to verture in this field. The Government have a duty to do this.

Listing Issue:
The next big challange will be to decide/set up criterias for company to list. By now there must have been several unofficial exercise and discussions.

Brokers Liscencing:
We have noted the very many registered financial service company in Seychelles which can become official Brokers. The Public and nation must watch our for favoritism. The Opposition will have to be on their guards.

Board of Directors/governor:
Again the public will have to be on their guard that those involved are not all sponsored by the Government or the Party. It will not do good or give credibility.