Knights Templar
Many legends are associated with the Knights Templar - the order of Crusader warrior priests who defended the pilgrimage routes to Jerusalem in the middle ages. The Knights Templar took vows of personal poverty, but the order itself became immensely rich. They were prominent in Christian finance; non-combatant members of the order, who made up as much as 90% of their members, managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom. They developed innovative financial techniques that were an early form of banking, building a network of nearly 1,000 commanderies and fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land. Examples of Templar churches, with their distinctive round structure, are still to be found - one of the best preserved of these is in London's Inns of Court. The church was badly damaged during the second world war and has since been extensively restored:
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Temple Church, London
The Templars' wealth and power together with Rumours about their secret initiation ceremony created distrust, and King Philip IV of France, being deeply in debt to the order, used this distrust to take advantage of the situation. Philip pressured Pope Clement V to have the order's members in France arrested. The purge began in the early hours of Friday 13th October 1307 and many Templars were captured and tortured into giving false confessions. Some, including their Grand Master Jacques de Molay, were burned at the stake. Under further pressure, Pope Clement formally disbanded the order in 1312.
There is evidence that some of the persecuted Templars sought sanctuary in Scotland, where the order survived in secret. An enduring myth, almost universally discredited, is that the tide of the battle of Bannockburn in 1307 was turned when a contingent of Templars joined the battle in support of the Scots.
There is evidence that some of the persecuted Templars sought sanctuary in Scotland, where the order survived in secret. An enduring myth, almost universally discredited, is that the tide of the battle of Bannockburn in 1307 was turned when a contingent of Templars joined the battle in support of the Scots.
The Masonic order of Knights Templar works three degrees. The first is the degree of Knight Templar and commemorates the actions of a band of knights who were admitted into the precincts of the Temple at Jerusalem in 1118 by Baldwin II King of Jerusalem, and this forms the link to the Royal Arch. The lessons of the degree are how penance and meditation play a role in preparation for Christian knighthood.
The second degree is that of Knight of St Paul or Mediterranean Pass. The degree as now worked is shortened from its original form and is confined to scriptural readings from the Acts of the Apostles.
The third degree is that of Knight of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta. It recounts the history of the Knights of Malta and their struggles against the 'Infidel'. It traces their progress from the time they left Jerusalem until they reached their final home in Malta. The ritual has an obvious esoteric meaning, being one of mystical resurrection.
The second degree is that of Knight of St Paul or Mediterranean Pass. The degree as now worked is shortened from its original form and is confined to scriptural readings from the Acts of the Apostles.
The third degree is that of Knight of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta. It recounts the history of the Knights of Malta and their struggles against the 'Infidel'. It traces their progress from the time they left Jerusalem until they reached their final home in Malta. The ritual has an obvious esoteric meaning, being one of mystical resurrection.
Candidates for the order must profess the Christian Faith and be both Master Masons and Companions of the Royal Arch.
