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.
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