Vatican Denys Reforming of the Knights Templars

This was posted from the ZENIT News Agency on 23 May 06. I'm trying to sift through German web sites to come up with the original text of the letter in question. Below is the text found at here

ZENIT News Agency, The World Seen from Rome

Knights Templar Letter a Fraud, Says Holy See

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See says that a letter -- allegedly written by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano -- recognizing a new order of Knights Templar, is false.

The false document, which has circulated in Germany in recent months, asserts that the Vatican has recognized the new "Templerorden." The Holy See has received numerous inquiries about the document.

The Holy See responded with a note published Sunday in the Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano stating that "this letter is false."

"As is known, the old Order of Templars was suppressed by Pope Clement V (1305-1314) and was never reinstated by any of his successors," explained the Holy See.

The Vatican note confirmed that "the Holy See, in addition to its own equestrian orders, recognizes and oversees only the Sovereign Military Order of Malta -- the Sovereign Hospitaller Military Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta -- and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem." ZE06052302

What's really intriguing to me is that back in 2002, the Italian Magazine Hera

(you'll have to do a Babel Fish translation on this site if you can't read Italian) reported that Dr. Barbara Frale unearthed The Chinon Document. This document, found in the Vatican Secret Archives, gives the impression that Pope Clement exonerated the Templars.

"(...) and since they have humbly begged forgiveness from the Church for those misdeeds, pleading absolution, we decree that they are absolved by the Church, that they are restored to communion and that they may receive the holy sacraments." Chinon Document as quoted in Templars: The Flame of Innocence; Adriano Forgione; Hera Magazine 2002.

I'd hate to break any copyright laws by republishing their article on this blog. However, the nice folks at Hera sent me an English translation in 2002. If you're interested in a copy, drop me a line and I'll get you a copy.

This seems to be at odds with the Vatican's statement above regarding the Templars. It's also odd that the Vatican would make a statement like this. They usually keep quite about things they dismiss out of hand. Possibly with the Da Vinci Code publicity, the Holy See decided to squash this rumour out right.

Again I've run up against the language barrier. Frale published The Knights Templar in 2004, in Italian. The blurb for her dissertation leads one to believe that she addresses the Chinon Document in her text. Once again an interesting trail goes cold, and the questions grow.