 The Vatican's recent decision to release documents
on the persecution of the Knights Templar in the 14th Century has
piqued interest in the mysterious order. But what are the latter-day
Templars up to?
This is a story. In the Middle Ages there was a
secretive organisation called the Knights Templar. They were disbanded
with many killed on the orders of the Pope because they knew the secret
that Jesus had had a child with Mary Magdalene. Despite the killing of
the order's members, societies carry on its legacy of hidden knowledge
today.
There's a problem with this version of events, part-inspired by Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown and other earlier authors.
It's cobblers.
There are lots of organisations today that bear the
Templar name, but for the most part they are in the business of
charitable works inspired by the original order. Secret documents about
Mary Magdalene are not the order of the day.
The original Templars were founded in the 12th Century
to guard pilgrims on their way along the dangerous roads that led to
Jerusalem. Its members were effectively armed monk-like knights who
were granted certain legal privileges and whose status was backed by
the church. They were reputed to be the possessors of great wealth and
power.
But the latter-day Templars are rather like a version of
the Rotary Club, with a vague religious tinge, author and broadcaster
on religious history Martin Palmer says.
"It's a sort of version of the Rotarians with long
cloaks and swords." The overall effect is "clubby with a slight
mystical element"
Full article
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