Tuesday, August 19, 2008 | Reason : In the News | print version

Knights Templar 'Heirs' Sue Pope For Billions

by NPR

Thanks to Ai Deng for the link.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93613600

Knights Templar 'Heirs' Sue Pope For Billions

An image of Pope Clement V apparently absolving the Knights Templar of heresy charges 700 years ago, from the book Processus Contra Templarios. The book is a compilation of documents found in the Vatican's secret archives in 2001. AP

All Things Considered, August 17, 2008 � A group of people claiming to be the heirs of the legendary Knights Templar are suing Pope Benedict XVI, seeking more than $150 billion for assets seized by the Catholic Church seven centuries ago.

They also want to restore the order's good name. Founded in 1119, the Knights Templar was a secretive order of Christian warriors who protected pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem during the Crusades. They fell out of favor years later, and members were accused of denying Christ, worshipping the devil and practicing sodomy. Many Templars were tortured and burned at the stake.

In 1307, Pope Clement V accused the order of heresy and officially dissolved it.

Fiona Govan, who wrote about the lawsuit for London's Daily Telegraph, tells host Andrea Seabrook the order is believed to have gone underground and continued to practice, but that there is no firm, historical evidence to support it.

Last fall, the Vatican published secret documents about the trial of the Templars in a book called Processus Contra Templarios, Latin for "Trial Against the Templars." The volume included a parchment apparently showing that, contrary to historic belief, Clement had absolved the order of heresy.

Now, a group called the Association of the Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ has filed suit in a Spanish court, asking for an apology from the pope and recognition that land and property worth about $150 billion today was seized from the Templars.

The Vatican will never reimburse the group, Govan says, because its members cannot prove that they are descendants of the Knights Templar.

She calls the claim "ludicrous" and says Spanish papers have suggested the issue is something for psychiatrists to decide rather than historians.

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1. Comment #233347 by ty90 on August 19, 2008 at 7:17 pm

I could be a knight.... hell we all could.
All I want is a golden goblet.
And the Pope's hat.

Other Comments by ty90

2. Comment #233352 by Diacanu on August 19, 2008 at 7:33 pm

Hey, I'll root for followers of the Great Pumpkin if they find a way to bleed the resources of the fuckin' catholics.

Other Comments by Diacanu

3. Comment #233360 by Neuro on August 19, 2008 at 7:47 pm

The title of this article is very misleading. They just want 'recognition'.

Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ has filed suit in a Spanish court, asking for an apology from the pope and recognition that land and property worth about $150 billion today was seized from the Templars.

Other Comments by Neuro

4. Comment #233376 by Ex~ on August 19, 2008 at 8:25 pm

This is such a sensationalist misleading headline.

They want an apology from the Church, and a recognition of the Church's crimes.

And I'm all behind them. If the Church wants to claim themselves as a single line from Christ, then they better fucking apologize for their barbaric sickening crimes, and recognize them.

Of course, I'd rather have some serious fucking recognition of their deep seated and continued antisemitism.

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5. Comment #233380 by Brian English on August 19, 2008 at 8:27 pm

Diacanu:

Hey, I'll root for followers of the Great Pumpkin if they find a way to bleed the resources of the fuckin' catholics.

I'm not sure how your copulating for the followers of the Great Pumpkin if the find a way to bleed the resources of the copulating catholics will sort anything out. But, whatever floats your boat. ;)

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6. Comment #233386 by Roland_F on August 19, 2008 at 8:49 pm

Compensation of 150 Billion US$ -- I feel I am a templar, I have faith I am one, I hear voices I am one -- is this enough ? Usually for the Catholic doctrine it's sufficient to just have faith/feelings so the 150 Billion $ should be all mine now.

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7. Comment #233388 by Atheist_from_Hell on August 19, 2008 at 8:53 pm

Oh, yeah, I just remembered something. I'm a decendent of a Knight Templar. Where's my $150 billion?

Other Comments by Atheist_from_Hell

8. Comment #233389 by utelme on August 19, 2008 at 8:57 pm

$150 billion, eh? I'm sure that somewhere in my history is an ancestor of the templars..hmmm, thinks hard.

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9. Comment #233390 by Grantaire of JC on August 19, 2008 at 8:58 pm

The Sovereign Order wants an apology and the Church wants world peace and love from the perspective of their god, they can both continue to dream. (Go Great Pumpkin!)

Other Comments by Grantaire of JC

10. Comment #233393 by utelme on August 19, 2008 at 9:00 pm

Hey, Roland F and Atheist_from_Hell. It's mine, all mine.

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11. Comment #233399 by aporeticus on August 19, 2008 at 9:28 pm

I'll bet I'm descended from all sorts of people wronged by the Church at some time or other.

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12. Comment #233403 by MPhil on August 19, 2008 at 9:44 pm

Oh please, come on guys - you can't be serious.

These people, perhaps far removed descendant of Knights Templar, want restitution for something that was done to people with whom they share probably less than 1/100000th of their genome? And THEY want recognition and an apology by the Church? For the Templars? A band of fanatical mass-murderers for Christ?

You might wanna rethink this one :)

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13. Comment #233404 by cam9976 on August 19, 2008 at 9:52 pm

Although it's true that the supposed Templar heirs probably aren't heirs I really wouldn't mind seeing the church loosing $150 billion.

Other Comments by cam9976

14. Comment #233409 by Brian English on August 19, 2008 at 10:05 pm

MPhil, there you go again introducing reasoned argument and logic.

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15. Comment #233411 by Diacanu on August 19, 2008 at 10:17 pm

Mphil-

Hey, you Germans invented schadenfreude, why you gotta come along and piss on mine?
:(

Other Comments by Diacanu

16. Comment #233419 by mordacious1 on August 19, 2008 at 10:38 pm

If the church paid off all the people they've ripped off over the centuries, the sum would be inestimatable.

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17. Comment #233430 by logical on August 19, 2008 at 11:18 pm

Yes, mordacious1, and that is exactly why it should be done - because the vaticanlobby is done if only a few of such claims succeed!

Other Comments by logical

18. Comment #233463 by LaBombe on August 20, 2008 at 12:57 am

First the pedophilia among the clergy, now this! Law is the ultimate opponent of faith, not atheism!

Seriously though, this may be a massive problem for the church. If they lose, they may lose other cases like it- we all know there must be plenty of cases, the Inquisition saw to that- and all the ill-gotten billions in the Pope's bank go down the drain!

Other Comments by LaBombe

19. Comment #233466 by pwuk on August 20, 2008 at 1:05 am

Hmm, I wonder if some solid DNA evidence would make them change their tune.

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20. Comment #233469 by Logicel on August 20, 2008 at 1:09 am

Diacanu writes: Hey, I'll root for followers of the Great Pumpkin if they find a way to bleed the resources of the fuckin' catholics.
_______

Just as long an adequate clothing allowance remains for the pope to be able to afford his umbrelinos. The world would be a sad place without those charming little black umbrellas symbolic of his temporal authority. The guy sporting his stupid umbrelinos just cracks me up, I don't want to be denied such pleasure.

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21. Comment #233572 by Raiko on August 20, 2008 at 3:58 am

If the church paid off all the people they've ripped off over the centuries, the sum would be inestimatable.

Exactly what I wanted to say. :D

Other Comments by Raiko

22. Comment #233610 by notsobad on August 20, 2008 at 5:20 am

The court should rule that both parties are deluded.

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23. Comment #233616 by Vaal on August 20, 2008 at 5:35 am

I'm a knights templar, and so's my wife! :)

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24. Comment #233636 by Border Collie on August 20, 2008 at 6:24 am

Laughing my ass off!
Even Dan Brown couldn't top this!

Other Comments by Border Collie

25. Comment #233749 by davem on August 20, 2008 at 11:26 am

Maybe the descendants of the Knights could be hauled into court, and made to apologise to the muslims for the murders by the Knights? No, thought not.

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26. Comment #233763 by dloubet on August 20, 2008 at 11:44 am

Oh, so NOW they appeal to evidence!

How about if their followers say they'll never contribute to the church because the church can't prove there's a god?

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27. Comment #237787 by latsot on August 27, 2008 at 7:01 am

On what basis did the original knights own the land anyway? By telling other people to fuck off because their swords were bigger.

Now if ANYONE has a right to complain...

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