Trials of the Knights Templar

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reliability of their testimony before this and other inquisitional tribunals remains an open question. What is known is these earlier confessions contradicted later testimony before the 1310 papal commissions in Paris. Another important trial that was held at Poitiers between 28 June and 2 July 1308 where at least 54 Templars testified before the pope and his commission of cardinals. Here too a considerable number of defendants confessed to one or more of the charges. When asked if their statements were freely given many said that, while they had been tortured or threatened, restricted to bread and water and other forms of harsh treatments had been imposed on them, their confessions were not the results of any torture. But in 1310 at least three said they had lied in front of the Pope and now wished to defend the order.

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hundred thousand livres for the dowry of his sister as well as his need of funds to fight the Flemish War, at which time he imposed taxes until his subjects were in revolt. When he debased the coinage, it led to an insurrection in Paris. The Knight Templar defended and gave the king refuge during the incident. But Philip had a history of seizing property and persons when it suited his needs, such as from the Lombards in 1291 and the Jews in 1306. In a meeting between Grand Master Molay and the pope, in either March or April 1307, the discussion revolved around problems in the order. In turn, in a letter to the King, Clement V told Philip that he intended a full investigation of the Templar order

1414:(showing mercy) the Pope, Clement V, announced to Philip IV that Jacques de Molay and the other Templar leaders were absolved and reconciled to the Church; and that any power to judge them again was reserved to the Pope alone. This bull was dated 12 August 1308, eight days before the hearings with these leaders was actually held. Whether this was an internal error in dating or the Pope was certain of the outcome before the hearings is not known and needs to be investigated further. While it remains less than clear as to what exactly happened at Chinon castle between August 17–20, 1308, further investigations may provide new answers. 1121:, to maintain the original purposes of the gifts to aid the Holy Land. It further made a distinction between Templars who remained unrepentant and those not found guilty of any crimes or who had been reconciled to the Church. Philip IV, however, confiscated a huge sum from them in "compensation" for the "costs" of the proceedings against the Templars. Also, in England where inventories were made of Templar lands and assets, the papal order had no immediate effect. There were so many delays and stalling in handing over these lands that even as late as 1338 the Hospitallers had only nominal control of former Templar lands. 1294:, appointed prince-archbishop in 1307, was already hostile towards the Templars, and in 1308 ordered the Templars in his province seized. He had some Templars burned and then attempted to keep their property for himself which led to a war with the Templars. In 1318, the Hospitallers had still not received the Templar property from him and as Clement was dead, they complained to Pope John XXII. Despite the orders of the papal bull issued in 1307, and other than the events in Magdeburgh, the papal orders received little attention in Germany. At times witnesses found the Templars innocent though the Pope was adamant. 1206:

to the "professional witness, accusers and jurors" frequently used by Philip as tools to enforce his will. In December, the Pope put pressure on England and other countries to allow the Inquisitors to use "their" methods, namely torture, and reluctant approval was given by the King of England. The conditions that the Templars were living in were radically changed and, as with continued pressure by the Pope and Inquisition on the King and local prelates, the inevitable result was obtained. The English Templars were sent to the

1397:, who were authorized to judge the Templars in his name. There was another account of the trials at Chinon, namely a second-hand report held in the French Chancery, described in the register of Pierre d'Étampes, which was the only available account up until the discovery of the original parchment (and its authentic copy) in the Vatican archives. A comparison between the two shows the French copy provides a somewhat different account of events at Chinon. The Chinon parchment shows the hearings were held by the Church 721:

Philip IV was determined not to have a pope interfere with his plans again and after a year the conclave was still unable to decide, so an outsider was suggested in the person of Bernard de Goth, Archbishop of Bordeaux. He had been a supporter of Boniface, but Philip arranged a meeting promising to support him as pope if he would agree to certain conditions, including reconciliations between France and the Church and absolution for any of Philip's men who had fought and captured Boniface. Bernard de Goth became Pope

1253:, where they remained for three years. May 1310 found King Henry II restored to his throne and, unlike his brother, he complied with the Pope's demands to bring them to trial. They seemed to have received a fair trial in spite of Henry II's dislike for the order. All seventy-six Templars denied the charges and numerous witnesses testified as to their innocence. The trials ended in acquitting all Templars of all charges. The pope demanded Henry II hold new trials and sent a personal delegate, 854: 1257:, to insure the pope's wishes were carried out. The result of the 1311 trials was not recorded but they were still in prison when the pope decreed the order to disband the order and transfer all their possessions to the Hospitallers. But the Hospitallers received the properties only, the treasure and movable goods were retained by Cypriot authorities to cover the unusually high costs of the trials. The leaders were never released and died in prison. 64: 862:

members of the order, if requested; and finally they wore a small belt which had been consecrated by touching a strange idol, which looked like a human head with a long beard." On August 12, 1308, the charges would be increased stating that the Templars worshipped idols, specifically made of a cat and a head, the latter having three faces. The lists of articles 86 to 127 would add many other charges. None of these "idols" were ever produced.

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met on November 3, 1310, they found the Templars had no defenders and adjourned until December 27. At this time the prisoners insisted that Peter de Bologna and Renaud de Provins again defend them but were told the two priests had appeared before the commission of the Archbishop of Sens and that both de Provins and de Bologna were found guilty and had been imprisoned. Peter de Bologna, however, had managed to escape his confinement.

1130: 692:. Pope Boniface was in many ways the opposite of his predecessor in that he was very capable, determined and even bold, but many held that a pope could not abdicate and that Celestine remained the true pope. Boniface in turn captured the old pope, who had sought nothing more than to retire in peace, imprisoning him until his death in 1296. Boniface VIII continued to impose his control on secular authorities, 377: 33: 1274:, dated January 13, 1308, replying to Philip IV of France, the king expressed himself regarding the arrests of the Templars. He wrote, "although a crime of such evil infamy ought to be reprehensible and damnable in all persons, nevertheless it is known to be more reprehensible among the religious, who ought by the splendour of their life to be mirror for others and an example". 1503:

taken of Templars' movable property: household goods, agricultural implements, food, clothing, books and weapons was found to be much less than expected. In fact, looking at all the evidences they seemed to have lived a simple life devoid of most luxuries. See: Clarence Perkins, "The Wealth of the Knights Templars in England and the Disposition of it after their Dissolution",

597: 1305:, the Templars' leaders testified that since the crosses on the mantle of the Templars did not burn, it was a miracle and a sign of their innocence. Despite mounting pressure, popular opinion stayed with the Templars. Though they were told by the Pope to go back and do their work, the result again was acquittal. 743:

On September 14, 1307, all bailiffs and seneschals in the kingdom of France were sent secret orders from King Philip IV ordering preparations to be made for the arrest and imprisonment of all members of the Order of Templars; the arrests were to be executed a month later. At dawn on October 13, 1307,

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formed in 1320, which saw not only the vast holdings in Portugal ceded to this new order, but also a great number of Templars themselves quietly joined the order. The problems caused by the downfall of the Knights Templar Orders in Valencia and Portugal were solved by the creation of two new orders,

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which did not adhere to English Law. Various confessions, different in many ways, were nonetheless obtained and the Templars were either executed or sent to prison for life. Two Templars, both from England, were examined by the Bishop of St. Andrews in Scotland and ended up with confessions of minor

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Of the various trials held in France, the first, and one of the larger trials, ran from October 19 to November 24, 1307, and was held in Paris. A total of 138 prisoners gave a full testimony and almost all admitted guilt to one or more charges. Since torture was used to elicit these confessions, the

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were brought to England and allowed to question the Templars but in the presence of English prelates and as of November 1309, none of the Templars would confess to the charges. At that time torture was rarely used in England, while the legal system was well-formed and used regular jurors as opposed

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interceded and directed that actual trials take place; however, Philip sought to thwart this effort, and had several Templars burned at the stake as heretics to prevent their participation in the trials. Two days after this change, 54 Templars were burned outside of Paris. When the papal commission

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was set that a defendant could be brought to trial without infamy being established and could be required to testify to any questions asked under oath. If a defendant confessed to a crime he was not advised he was being charged with, he could not later object on that basis; his objections, if any,

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During this time period money loaned to popes, kings and princes was not being repaid. The high costs of maintaining an army in the Holy Land, of castle building and rebuilding, expensive armour, weapons, and warhorses was catching up with the order. By 1307 it seems much of their great wealth had

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Several significant changes in legal procedures had been made by 1230 that affected later trials, especially those of the Templars. No longer did a witness need fear reprisals if his accusations were proved untrue. Instead, a new system relying on the testimony of witnesses, judicial latitudes and

735:(Latin: on/concerning the state of the Templars) in mid-October later that year. About a week before his planned formal investigation Clement V received a surprising message that members of the order had been arrested, imprisoned and charged with heresy by an inquisition the pope had not convened. 1265:

The records in Germany of Templars, not nearly as numerous in Germany as in France, drew little attention in German annals and chronicles. Proving how little was actually known in Germany regarding the demise of the Templars, one annalist recorded the Templars were destroyed, with the approval of

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Philip IV of France, like his predecessors, employed Templars in his royal treasury in Paris to oversee a variety of financial functions of the French kingdom. There was little to indicate he had less than full trust in their integrity. In 1299, the Order loaned Philip the substantial sum of five

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where the pope was in residence. They captured Boniface and held him prisoner for three days. After four days, however, the residents of Anagni rose up and expelled the invaders and took Boniface to Rome in triumph. But the ordeal had been too much for the 86‑year‑old pope and he died days later.

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The records of inventories taken of Templar properties in England in 1309 and 1309 show the yearly receipts from all Templar lands in the British Isles amounted to less than £5,000. The number of Templars themselves was found to be approximately 144, only 20 of whom were knights. The inventories

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defending the Order of the Templars and encouraged them to do the same. Edward then wrote again to the Pope on December 10 in which he states: "he is unable to credit the horrible charges against the Knights Templar who everywhere bear a good name in England". He also requests more proof of the

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and moved their headquarters there leaving Cyprus to the Templars. This made Cyprus of particular importance to the pope since it was now the Templar base of operations. In May 1308 a letter from the pope was brought to Cyprus by Prior Hayden which ordered the arrest of all the Templars on the

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The initial charge against the Templars was heresy; more specifically, "when professing, the brothers were required to deny Christ, to spit on the Cross, and to place three 'obscene kisses' on the lower spine, the navel and the mouth; they were obliged to indulge in carnal relations with other

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Pope Clement V absolved 72 of the Knights Templar in July 1308 at Poitiers after hearing their confessions. However, King Philip still withheld access to the leaders of the Order and it was not until August 1308 that a papal commission finally was allowed to hear from them and also grant them

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and Portugal and their vast holdings were critical to the continued security of these kingdoms. Ceding the Templar holdings to the Hospitallers posed a threat of foreign control of significant portions of both countries. Both kings sought to circumvent these outcomes and in Aragon King James

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Eventually King Philip's Inquisitors succeeded in making Jacques de Molay confess to the charges. On March 18, 1314, de Molay and de Charney recanted their confessions, stating they were innocent of the charges, and they were only guilty of betraying their Order by confessing under duress to

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to arrest the Templars. Edward finally issued orders to his officers to arrest all Templars in England, Ireland and Scotland, and to confiscate and inventory all their properties. But despite the Pope's order, Edward went about the handling of the Templars in a very different way than

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died in 1179, William called him "a wicked man, haughty and arrogant, in whose nostrils dwelt the spirit of a fury, one who neither feared God nor revered man" and that he was "mourned by no one". When the Templars took up banking and lending, the criticism only increased. Both

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the French king. Other discrepancies between the two lead to the conclusion that the French document was an indirect copy based on verbal accounts and not from having access to the original parchment. There is one unresolved question as to the chronology, however. In the bull

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While the Templars had started off well and were at times considered the model of Christian knighthood, it was not long before resentment of their privileges, of their being "rich as kings", and criticism of some of their actions in war began to surface. For example, at the

1372:. The document had been previously overlooked by Vatican researchers for some time due to its damaged condition and being misfiled among other unrelated documents. The importance of the Chinon parchment is that it is an authentic copy under the seal of three of the 2824: 913:, for which the punishment was death. This effectively silenced the other Templars. Philip continued to pressure and threaten the Pope to officially disband the Order, and things came to a dramatic end in 1314 with the public execution by burning of leader 2815: 844:

was over, these special powers were never revoked but simply forgotten. Philip's royal lawyers concentrated their charges on this one vulnerable exception, that of heresy, to an otherwise untouchable order, one which answered only to the Pope.

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was elected their master and the Patriarch Warmund charged them with the duty of keeping the roads safe from thieves and others who were routinely robbing and killing pilgrims en route to Jerusalem, which they did for nine years until the

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of their accusers and all the information and evidence gathered in the case. They also requested a ban on witnesses conversing with one another, and that all proceedings should be kept secret until they were sent to the Pope. In May 1310,

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who collected a list of charges against the Templars. Other witnesses were said to have been made up of expelled Templar members, previously removed for their misdeeds. Under the orders of the French king, they were arrested and severely

1270:, for their collusion with the Saracens and for the reason they intended to establish a new empire for themselves. The writers were not even aware of the actual charges leveled by Philip IV of France. But in a letter by the German king, 1240:

with the help of the Templars. Amalric was slow to implement the arrests giving the Templar knights ample time to prepare their defenses. But in June the Templars surrendered, their properties and treasure seized, and they were held at

700:, who both protested against his authority, but Philip IV of France proved his most formidable opponent. Philip attempted to tax the church, which Boniface refused, beginning a long series of struggles between the two. Finally in 1303 667:

in 1302, was yet another failure that left them vulnerable to their critics. As the obvious surprise and shock of their arrests in 1307 indicate, nobody thought the Order was flawed to the point it needed disbanding.

784:, a Templar, referred to in various documents as "the visitor of France", who was the collector of all of the royal revenues of France owing to the Order, were both arrested, as were many other Templars in France. 744:

the soldiers of King Philip IV then captured all Templars found in France. Clement V, initially incensed at this flagrant disregard for his authority, nonetheless relented, and on November 22, 1307, issued a

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proved too old and too ineffective to rule the Church and upon realizing this himself, he abdicated. This caused a tremendous protest throughout the western Church and had a divisive effect on the next pope,

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became wealthy and powerful. They received massive donations of money, manors, churches, even villages and the revenues thereof, from kings and European nobles interested in helping with the fight for the

1198:. Edward requested help from both Clement V and Philip IV in order to have Gaveston returned to England. In turn it was perhaps more than coincidental he hardened his attitude towards the Templars. 1321:

both proclaimed they found no fault of heresy, blasphemy or immorality in the Templars in their respective realms. This was not surprising since the Templars had become key to the success of the

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After the infamous trials of the Templars in France and the subsequent orders of Pope Clement V to dissolve the order, most countries complied, ceding Templar lands to the Hospitallers. Kings

828:, Philip's grandfather, gave the kings of France the duty to eliminate heresy in his kingdom. Additionally, from 1230 on, the inquisitors in northern Italy had been given special powers by 683:

were common fixtures in the Emperors' bitter struggle with the Church. One of the last thirteenth century popes was Peter Morrone, an old man selected to be pope as a compromise, who as

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accusations and noted that the financial and other dealings between the English monarchy and the Templars had always been straightforward and honest, and that they had fought alongside

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the difference being the Order of Montesa was given Templar and Hospitaller lands while the Order of Christ was simply a transition of the Templars and their holdings in Portugal.

1480:, a person's bad reputation for something, was required to be established before that person could be brought to trial to determine if the accusations were true. But after 1270 a 320: 638:, which some blamed on the Templars, they were left with almost no discernible military purpose in the Holy Land. Other critics also questioned their morals. The chronicler 895:, Philippe de Marigny, took over the trial of the Templars from the original commission. De Marigny conducted the proceedings against the Templars until his death in 1316. 1194:. Many Templars were allowed an easy confinement, received allowances and remained in relative comfort. In 1308 the situation changed with the exile of Edward's favorite, 1452:

in southern France. These court officials were tasked with, among other duties, protecting the court while in session and executing legal processes. See: Malcolm Barber,

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and that royal lawyers were not present, while the French document gives a different impression, that the official proceedings were held under the auspices of the Pope

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had to come at the beginning of his trial. While it was no longer a requirement to advise the defendant of charges against him, a judge could specify the charges

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had declined and most of the popes of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries found themselves either fleeing Rome or not allowed to enter at all. Also at this time

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Julien Théry-Astruc, "The Flight of the Master of Lombardy (13 February 1308) and Clément V's Strategy in the Templar Affair : A Slap in the Pope's Face",

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In 1307, the Templar Order in the British Isles was thought to be rich in possessions but few in members. At the time of the arrest of the Templars in France,

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was often critical of the order and in one instance accused them of ransoming Nasr-al-Din, the sultan's son, for six thousand gold florins. When Grand Master

106: 2807: 1136:, London. As the chapel of the New Temple in London, it was the location for Templar initiation ceremonies. In modern times it is the parish church of the 315: 405: 1301:

near Luxembourg, an inquest with seventeen witnesses, including three Templars, was heard. Though their property was seized, they were acquitted. At

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absolution. The evidence of these hearings has been based on indirect evidence until the discovery of the Chinon parchment in September 2001 by

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Remaining defenders were told that Peter of Bologna and Renaud de Provins had returned to their confessions and that Peter of Bologna had fled.

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to interview Jacques de Molay and Hugues de Pairaud. At that time they recanted their confessions and told the other Templars to do the same.

1195: 357: 708:, sodomy, heresy and blasphemy against Pope Boniface. In turn Boniface announced that he intended to place the kingdom of France under 892: 350: 332: 1533:

Note the original parchment and its paper copy are shown to be in complete agreement as it is a true copy. See Frale, Chinon chart,

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offenses, while in Ireland, fourteen Templars subjected to three trials netted likewise minor confessions that amounted to nothing.

1386: 1283: 1344:. In Portugal, the result of long negotiations with the pope by King Denis resulted in the formation of another new order, the 553: 508: 465: 2666:

José Valente, "The New Frontier: The Role of the Knights Templar in the Establishment of Portugal as an Independent Kingdom",

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José Valente, "The New Frontier: The Role of the Knights Templar in the Establishment of Portugal as an Independent Kingdom",

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Julien Théry, "Philip the Fair, the Trial of the 'Perfidious Templars' and the Pontificalization of the French Monarchy", in

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sometimes praised them while at other times was severely critical of the Templars. The loss of the last foothold in Syria,

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to give his account of the matter. Upon reading the report Edward was still unconvinced and on October 30 sent letters to

468:, were given the task of protecting pilgrims on the roads to Jerusalem, which they did for nine years until elevated to a 398: 327: 247: 1802:

Knights Templar Encyclopedia: The Essential Guide to the People, Places, Events, and Symbols of the Order of the Temple

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Clarence Perkins, "The Wealth of the Knights Templars in England and the Disposition of it after their Dissolution",

1517: 2121:, Vol. 30, Issue 2 (2004), pp. 115–16 & 116 n. 34: stating an example of the original decree survives in Paris, 1373: 1345: 1291: 450: 262: 630:

to abandon the effort. There was other criticism of their actions as well. Following the disastrous battle at the

2869: 2316: 1377: 635: 529: 473: 205: 2864: 2849: 2844: 1489:(as a favor). See: Henry Ansgar Kelly, "Inquisition and the Prosecution of Heresy: Misconceptions and Abuses", 619: 533: 469: 391: 290: 136: 47: 1278: 516: 461: 446:. The events in France led to a series of trials in other locations, not all of which had the same outcome. 111: 63: 2390:

The itinerary of King Richard I : with studies on certain matters of interest connected with his reign

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of the Christian faith to arrest all Templars and confiscate their lands in the name of the Pope and the

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Eventually, their rules of secrecy, their power, privileges and their wealth, made them vulnerable to

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Sean L. Field, "Torture and Confession in the Templar Interrogations at Caen, 28-29 October 1307",

1394: 1341: 1271: 1191: 1165: 1118: 918: 841: 833: 697: 693: 623: 605: 520: 484: 2001:

Barbara Frale, "The Chinon chart: Papal absolution to the last Templar, Master Jacques de Molay",

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Barbara Frale, "The Chinon chart: Papal absolution to the last Templar, Master Jacques de Molay",

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Barbara Frale, "The Chinon chart: Papal absolution to the last Templar, Master Jacques de Molay",

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