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N0KFQ > TODAY 13.01.13 17:09l 53 Lines 2572 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Jan 13
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Sent: 130113/1501Z 34371@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQK1.4.53
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Jan 13, 1128:
Pope recognizes Knights Templar
On this day in 1128, Pope Honorius II grants a papal sanction to the
military order known as the Knights Templar, declaring it to be an
army of God.
Led by the Frenchman Hughes de Payens, the Knights Templar
organization was founded in 1118. Its self-imposed mission was to
protect Christian pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land during the
Crusades, the series of military expeditions aimed at defeating
Muslims in Palestine. The Templars took their name from the location
of their headquarters, at Jerusalem's Temple Mount. For a while, the
Templars had only nine members, mostly due to their rigid rules. In
addition to having noble birth, the knights were required to take
strict vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. In 1127, new
promotional efforts convinced many more noblemen to join the order,
gradually increasing its size and influence.
While the individual knights were not allowed to own property, there
was no such restriction on the organization as a whole, and over the
years many rich Christians gave gifts of land and other valuables to
support the Knights Templar. By the time the Crusades ended
unsuccessfully in the early 14th century, the order had grown
extremely wealthy, provoking the jealousy of both religious and
secular powers. In 1307, King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V
combined to take down the Knights Templar, arresting the grand master,
Jacques de Molay, on charges of heresy, sacrilege and Satanism. Under
torture, Molay and other leading Templars confessed and were
eventually burned at the stake. Clement dissolved the Templars in
1312, assigning their property and monetary assets to a rival order,
the Knights Hospitalers. In fact, though, Philip and his English
counterpart, King Edward II, claimed most of the wealth after banning
the organization from their respective countries.
The modern-day Catholic Church has admitted that the persecution of
the Knights Templar was unjustified and claimed that Pope Clement was
pressured by secular rulers to dissolve the order. Over the centuries,
myths and legends about the Templars have grown, including the belief
that they may have discovered holy relics at Temple Mount, including
the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant or parts of the cross from
Christ's crucifixion. The imagined secrets of the Templars have
inspired various books and movies, including the blockbuster novel and
film The Da Vinci Code.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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