Yesterday Oct. 13, 2007 was the 700th anniversary of the treachery that started the persecution of the Templar Knights. These raids were conducted all across Europe simultaneously on the morning of October 13th 1307. It was a Friday and Friday the 13th has been known as an unlucky day.
The trials that followed were full of accusations, forced confessions, recantations, burnings at the stake and the beginning of stories of the order continuing underground. Due to the secret nature of the Templar order and the secretive ways of the Vatican legend has grown over the years.
The two latest developments are:
1. The Vatican is releasing the recently discovered Chinon Parchment that contains Pope Clement V's absolution of Jaques De Molay and the Templar Knights.
2. The Vatican has announced the limited printing of Processus contra Templarios which is said to be the complete transcript of the Templar Trials. For some reason the publication is limited to 799 copies and according to some will cost over
$8,000 per copy.
It's interesting that all of this is happening at a time when the Vatican Library will be closed for a 2 year restoration. The documents from the library have been made available in available on mirofilm at
St. Louis University in St. Louis MO. I wonder if SLU will get a copy of Processus Contra Templarios. Not very likely.
Addendum: An
AP story published on 10/12 gives some additional details and answers a couple of questions that I had after reading the other articles. Apparently there will be 800 copies of the 300 page book, but only 799 are available for purchase. The other copy goes to Pope Bendedict XVI.
