I have been interested in the history of the Knights Templar for many years, and that is why I read with astonishment certain news in the media.<\/p>\n
These are demands that a civil association started 16 years ago<\/big><\/p>\n For some years now, some Spanish media have been periodically reporting on alleged lawsuits filed by \"the Templars\" against the Pope<\/strong>, first against Benedict XVI and now against Francis. Today, that old story is being repeated.<\/a><\/p>\n As veteran readers of the blog will remember, in 2008 I published an article on this issue<\/a>, pointing out that the author of these demands is an association called \"Orden Soberana del Temple de Cristo\" (OSTC, Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ)<\/strong>, which has nothing to do with the historic Order of the Temple nor is it its legitimate successor. According to the registry of associations of the Ministry of the Interior of Spain, said entity is a civil association registered in Castrillo de los Polvazares, in Astorga (Le\u00f3n), on February 27, 1992<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A civil association that links the Temple with Freemasonry<\/big><\/p>\n It should be noted that this entity is not the only one that calls itself \"Temple\" or \"Templar.\" In the registry of associations of the Ministry of the Interior of Spain, 146 entities appear when searching for the word \"Temple.\"<\/strong> Several of them have names that seem to evoke the ancient Order of the Temple, but without any ecclesiastical recognition. These entities have the same legitimacy to say they are representatives of the historic Order of the Temple that I have to sign contracts in the name of Hannibal Barca or Julius Caesar.<\/strong> That is to say, none.<\/p>\n Anyone reading the OSTC website will notice that it is not a Catholic association<\/strong>. In fact, the Catholic Church is often referred to, in a derogatory way, as \"iglesia romana\" (Roman Church)<\/a>. In case there were any doubts about the way this entity thinks, on its website there is a PDF that claims the Templar origin of Freemasonry<\/a>, stating that \"official Freemasonry was born in London in 1717, there is no doubt, particularly for the Temple, that it existed before, since it was the father and the initiator since the Middle Ages.\"<\/em> These types of statements explain the OSTC's frequent criticism of the Catholic Church.<\/strong><\/p>\n Another Templar entity warned that there could be a sect behind these demands<\/big><\/p>\n Today, in Spain the most representative Templar entity that is faithful to the Catholic Church is the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (OSMTJ)<\/a>. As I pointed out 16 years ago, in 2008 the OSMTJ criticized the OSTC for the \"usurpation and misuse of the name of the Order of the Temple.\"<\/em><\/a> Furthermore, the OSTMJ added that the OSTC is \"a fringe group that many associate with the infamous Order of the Solar Temple sect\"<\/em><\/strong>, an esoteric group that sought to unify Christian churches with Islam.<\/p>\n An association that calls for uniting Christianity with Islam<\/big><\/p>\n Coincidentally, in 2003 the OSTC website published a text proposing the union of Christianity and Islam<\/a>. The text was a compendium of nonsense, such as proposing \"bringing together the solar polarity and the lunar polarity, the Cross and the Crescent,<\/strong> symbols that complement each other\"<\/em>, stating that \"Christians and Muslims are invited to unite<\/strong> in order to act together.\"<\/em><\/p>\n This is what some media outlets would have found if, instead of publishing headlines claiming that \"the Templars are suing the Pope\"<\/strong>, as can be read in some media today, they had bothered to do a little research. In fact, the lawsuit filed by the OSTC in 2008 was not even admitted for processing<\/a>, as has surely happened with all the other lawsuits that this association has filed against the Church. Please, stop giving sensational headlines to an association that has nothing to do with the historic Order of the Temple.<\/strong><\/p>\n ---<\/p>\n