Top Christian newspaper acknowledges Templar's case for apology

*** This week the top international Catholic newspaper, The Tablet,
covers the news about the Templar seeking an apology from the Vatican.
The article in The Tablet, a popular weekly journal on sale in
churches of all denominations throughout the world, is an impartial
and accurate report. This is in contrast to the Catholic Herald, which
blatantly tries to take sides. The Catholic Herald, a small 16-page
publication circulated in the UK and Eire is known for such biased
reporting - for instance knocking the Jesuits at every opportunity.
***


Secretive Knights

THE ANCIENT Order of the Knights Templar likes to obscure itself in a
shroud of mystery. The Tablet was approached, initially anonymously,
about a letter sent to John Paul II. The knights are seeking an
apology for the way they were persecuted by the Church 700 years ago.
But the source was unwilling to give details of the society today or
the work it does.

"Even in today's more tolerant climate the Order may not be understood
by everybody," our informant said, adding that the Knights Templar is
a substantial underground organisation. Apparently some younger
members believe it is now time to stop hiding and step into the
daylight. "After centuries of silence, secrecy has become a difficult
habit to break, but all will be revealed in due course," we are
promised.

The Knights Templar was one of the principal crusading orders, founded
in 1118 in Jerusalem where it became a powerful and wealthy military
force. Nearly two centuries later Pope Clement V colluded in a scheme
with Philip the Fair of FraI.1ce to wipe out the Order and seize its
legendary fortune. Members were accused of heresy, idolatry and sexual
perversion, and many were tortured and murdered. The Pope disbanded
the Order by papal bull at the Council, of Vienna and many leaders,
including the Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, were burned at the stake
in Paris in 1314.

The Order wants an apology from the present Pope in time for the
seventh centenary of the persecution, due to be marked by a ceremony
in 2007. "It would be just and fitting for the Vatican to acknowledge
our grievance before this date," said the letter sent to the Vatican
on behalf of the unnamed Grand Master.

- The Tablet, 4 December 2004,


SOURCE

The Insider, "Top Christian newspaper acknowledges Templar case for
apology", 7 December 2004.
[ http://www.theinsider.org/mailing/article.asp?id=0732 ]
 

FURTHER READING

The Times (30 March 2002) - Vatican file shows pope pardoned massacred
Knights
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-252124,00.html

The Times (29 November 2004) - The last crusade of the Templars, page
13.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1379629,00.html

The Independent (29 November 2004) - Knights Templar seek papal
apology for 700 years of persecution.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=587769