Knights Of The French Church - The Templars

We are the Champions My Friend

For almost two centuries, the Templars were the big men on campus. Buying land, farms, vineyards. Building churches and other fortifications.And, crossing against the light(and more) with impunity. Thanks to Pope Innocent(will we ever have a Pope guilty?) who in 1139 exempted the Templars from all local laws. And Taxes. They crossed backyards and borders without so much as an excuse me. Only when /if the Pope said jump were the Templars obliged to reply How high?


So, back in the day, being a Templar was the best gig in town. A combination of rock star, sports hero, and trusted network news anchor.

And it lasted for almost two centuries.

Rain on the Parade

But, as you know all too well dear reader, the good things in life, eventually run into the law. Murphys law. And thats what happened to the Knights Templar.

History ,as the man said, is written by the winners. And the T-team was seriously dropping the ball. Not only had they lost Jerusalem, conclusively and finally to that Godless Saladin, but by 1187 they had no base anywhere in the Holy land. So, what next?

The usual. Squabbling. Dissention in the ranks. How to stage a comeback? Opposition from the competition, drooling to replace them. But all that was small potatoes compared to what history had in store for the poor fellow soldiers of Christ.

A Froggie in the Works

History, in this case, being King Phillip the fourth . Heavily in debt to the Templars, his debt relief plan (obviously inspired by Pope Innocents Carcassone Cathares solution.) was to round up as many T-teamers as possible. Imprison. Torture. Force confessions.(Think Gitmo). Needless to say, it worked like a charm. Major scandal in Paris.(And what better place to have one?)Even after the revelations that the confessionswere phony.

My wayor the Highway

Ah, but sleazy King Phil wasnt finished yet. His rant to Pope Clement the 5th was that the only way to,put this all behind uswas to disband the Templars. (Thus handily wiping out his debt) Pope Clement, to his credit, was not down with this plan. However, when never-play-fair-when-ya-can-play-dirty Phil suggested that the alternative was to have his army pay a visit to the Pope-ville, Clement , in 1312, disbanded the Templars.


Quiet lives/Eternal Lives

The lucky ones, were pensioned off. Living quiet lives, one imagines, polishing their swords, reliving glorious campaigns, and growing Saucisson. In other countries, such as Portugal, the Templars simply changed their name to The Order of Christ.

The unlucky ones, as you will have guessed by now, went the way of the Salem witches, Joan of Arc, and, yes, the Cathares.

As he was working up a sweat, his hands tied into a prayer position as he faced Nortre Dame, the Templars last Commander Jacques Demolay shouted out that King Phil and Pope Clement would soon be standing before God. Cant confirm their destination. But a year later, both were no longer on this planet.