Legal Research

Knights Templar Exonerated

By pbingham

A press conference is planned for today in Vatican City to introduce the newly published Processus Contra Templarios, an exclusive facsimile edition of the Chinon Parchment, dated August 17-20, 1308. "Misfiled" in the  Vatican Secret Archives for over 700 years (a cataloging error?!), the document was first brought to light by scholar Barbara Frale in 2004.  It is an account in Latin of the early 14th century trial and investigations into the alleged heresy and blasphemous misconduct of the Knights Templar.  After the suppression of the Templars by papal edict,  the burning at the stake of many Knights, and centuries of  infamy, the Chinon document  proves that the Templars and Grand Master Jacques de Molay were secretly absolved of heresy by Pope Clement V in 1308.   Read an article on the forthcoming publication here, and a translation of the Chinon Parchment here.

Posted by Patricia Bingham-Harper

Full post as published by FSU College of Law Library Blog on October 25, 2007 (boomark / email).