(ZENIT News / Rome, 08.10.2024).- Once again the Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ Association, whose members call themselves the current Templars, has filed a conciliation lawsuit against Pope Francis, thus adding its third legal action in less than two years. This group, which identifies itself as heirs of the legendary Order of Knights Templar, seeks the formal rehabilitation of the Order, suspended in 1312 by Pope Clement V, and exacts compensation for the damages suffered.
The Shadow of a Historical Suspension
The basis of their lawsuit lies in the affirmation that the suspension of the Order of the Temple in the Council of Vienne was “illegitimate.” They uphold that the dissolution was not the result of a judicial process with conclusive evidence, but of an Apostolic Order influenced by the ambitions of King Philip IV of France, known as Philip the Fair. According to the plaintiffs, this Monarch manipulated the events in his favor, exerting pressure on Clement V to eliminate the Templars, largely because of the enormous debts he had with them.
The dramatic end of the Templars is well known: their Grand Master Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake in 1314, and thousands of Knights were executed or forced to flee. The representatives of the Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ argue that this constituted “an infamous process” and that thousands of surviving Templars were unjustly persecuted. Now, centuries later, they call for justice and the restoration of their legacy.
Claims for Compensation and Privileges
In addition to the rehabilitation of their Order, the modern Templars have presented an extensive list of demands to Pope Francis. Among them, they request economic compensation for the seizure of the Order’s assets, which in the majority were handed over to the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, better known today as the Order of Malta.
However, the don’t stop there. The Templars request recognition of their priesthood under the Rite of Melchizedek, and the right to build Oratories and Chapels in their name. They also demand that the income from the collection in parishes on Saint Bernard’s Day be allocated to them, and that the Vatican hand over to them the archives related to the Order. Moreover, on their list of demands is the devolution of the emblematic Church of the True Cross in Segovia, an historic building associated with the Medieval Templars.
One of the most controversial points is the request that Templars who were tortured and executed be considered martyrs by the Church. Surprising likewise is their demand that the Order be able to form its own armed corps and have the faculty to intervene in religious conflicts as mediators. With this request, they seem to evoke the ancient military missions of the Templars, which originally were born as a Religious and Military Order to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land.
An Independent Order
Not only do the modern Templars want to be rehabilitated, but they also want to operate with considerable autonomy. In their lawsuit they request that, once the Order is rehabilitated, it remain directly under the authority of the Pope, without depending on the Roman Curia or the clergy, functioning under the model of a Personal Prelature. Moreover, they request that a Papal Decree be issued that brings together all the Agreements reached and that it be disseminated in all parishes and convents worldwide. They also call for a private audience with Pope Francis to discuss their demands and advance in a process of conciliation that, up to now, has found little echo in the Vatican.
A Prolonged Legal Battle
It’s not the first time that the Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ confronts the Vatican in the courts. Since 2005, they have filed several conciliation lawsuits and demands for ordinary trials in quest of their rehabilitation, without getting favorable results. The most recent took place in October 2023 and January 2024 and, despite their persistence, the Vatican has kept silent about their claims.
As the Association continues to fight for what it considers historical justice, the world observes with curiosity how an Oder dissolved more than seven centuries ago, continues being the object of polemics and controversies in the 21st century. Although the possibility that the Vatican might attend to their demands is uncertain, the modern Templars seem determined not to cease in their endeavor to recover the recognition of one of history’s most legendary Orders.
