[MR] BBC: Templars in Portugal

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Today the BBC is offering a brief video about the Church of Santa Maria do
Olival in Tomar, Portugal. This church became the headquarters of the
reconstituted Knights Templar, after they were disbanded throughout the
rest of Europe. The video shows the lovely Gothic church, as well as
fortifications and secret tunnels created by the Templars. The narration is
in Portugese, but English subtitles are provided:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/reel/video/p08m2b9k/was-this-tiny-church-the-vatican-of-the-templars-
.

As most of you know, the Knights Templar were disbanded in 1312. In 1307
the French King Philip IV was heavily indebted to the Templars who had
financed his wars against England. He had most of the French Templars
arrested and tortured, extracting confessions of heresy and other crimes
from them. Many Templars in his custody were eventually burned at the
stake, including the Grand Master Jacques de Molay. In 1312 the Avignon
Pope Clement V issued orders for Templars throughout Europe to be arrested,
and the order's assets seized. Later that year he issued a bull that
officially dissolved the order.

A brief summary of the persecution is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#Arrests,_charges_and_dissolution

In many places in Europe the bull was largely ignored, at least as far as
the Knights themselves were concerned. Most were pensioned off, returned to
secular life, or joined other Christian military orders. In Portugal, under
the protection of King Dinis I the Templars reconstituted themselves as the
Knights of Christ in 1318. Dinis needed the Knights to complete
his Reconquesta from the Moors. The Templars had founded the city of Tomar,
and the Church of  Santa Maria do Olival became the Knights of Christ
headquarters.

The Knights of Christ remains in business today, though now secularized:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Christ_(Portugal) .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆