Vatican Set to Release Templar Documents

The countdown to the 700^th anniversary of the arrest of the Knights Templar is now in full swing. Yesterday, the Vatican announced that on 25 Oct 07 they would release a limited edition book Processus contra Templarios that would have previously unreleased material from the Chinon Parchment and additional transcripts of the trial of the Templars in France.

The Chinon Parchment was discovered in 2001 by Professor Barbara Frale in the Vatican’s Secret Archives. The parchment gives indications that Pope Clement V absolved the Templars of any heretical acts. In a description of the Chinon Parchment the Vatican’s Secret Achieves Web Site, “The Act of Chinon, which absolves the Templars, but does not discharge them, was the assumption required to carry out the reform, but it remained dead letter. The French monarchy reacted by triggering a true blackmail mechanism, which then urged Clement V to reach the ambiguous compromise ratified during the Council of Vienne in 1312: unable to oppose himself to the will of the King of France, Phillip the Fair, who imposed the elimination of the Templars, the pope removed the order from the reality of that period, without condemning or abolishing it, but isolating it in a sort of “hibernation”, thanks to a clever device of the canon law.”

The big question is why now? There has been speculation in the wind that “something” might happen on the 700^th Anniversary of the Templar’s arrests. In the 4 Jan 2005 edition of the Guardian, Tim Acheson is quoted, "Among my peers, there are people like me who believe that these issues deserve further attention ... There's a new generation coming through that strongly believes it's time to be a bit more open. I'm part of that generation." Besides, he says ominously, "Things are about to happen that will deserve attention." Acheson has been a central figure asserting that modern day Templars still use the tunnel system in Hertford, England.

It seems unlikely that the Anniversary of the arrests and the release of the Vatican Documents are not linked. Could it be that the Vatican is simply trying to cash in on the publicity surrounding the 700^th Anniversary? Do Vatican officials have some knowledge of an event or announcement that will require a response and they are simply trying to “get ahead of the 8-ball”? Your guess is as good as mine.

Whatever happens or doesn’t happen, I’ll be in Paris on the 13^th. Sunrise at the site that Jacque DeMolay was burned at stake seems to be a fitting place for my pilgrimage to begin on the 13^th. I have the distinct feeling that I will stand close to the spot and wonder what events may or may not be taking place around me.

Don’t forget that I will be a guest on the Oopa Loopa Café Blog Talk Radio show live from Paris that night. If something is afoot, then you’ll be some of the first to know.