Templars between heaven and hell
Templars,
to be clear and avoid misunderstandings, it is necessary to know that the Templars followed their own beliefs, even though in the eyes of the outside world they worked for the Roman Church. It is not hard to imagine how difficult their work must have been, on one side their own beliefs and on the other an all-powerful church that tolerated no breach of its established dogmas and doctrines. But one thing was certain: the Templars were more Christian than the Pope; they were so united with God that the Pope could have been jealous of them—and eventually was! If there were ever true Christians walking this earth, it was the Templars. Yet, it was partly their primal Christianity that led to their downfall, as will become clear later. To understand their connection with God, it is necessary for us to grasp their knowledge, which is not always simple or acceptable for many. There still exists, even today, an implanted idea that Christianity has only one representation on earth: the Catholic Church and all its offshoots.
Why?
Because all these power institutions are based on the same principles and claim to serve God. They also assert, at all costs, that only they can grant access to God, making them indispensable in that respect. The religion devised by humans has been imposed as truth, as the only truth, through the centuries; those who did not accept this imposition were punished, banished, or simply killed to set an example to other doubters of that truth. The punishment was merely a means of maintaining control within the religion through a reign of terror. Neither God nor Christ ever asked for this to be done in their name—never! The Templars and their forebears knew this and were not inclined to accept it. It is often claimed that the Templars were formidable opponents on the battlefield or in conflict, which is true, but they needed a reason to fight, and it had better be a good one. They were not murderers who sowed death and destruction left and right; they were not Crusaders, and they distanced themselves from that. In this respect, too, it can be seen that they led a distinct lifestyle; they often outright refused to plunder in the name of God, and they knew very well that waging war on blind faith in a religion and belief was downright dangerous. The Templars were often used to do the dirty work and then saw their reputation tarnished when they were blamed afterwards. This is one of the reasons why they were so against merging with other military Orders. Another reason was that they pursued their own course in matters of faith. The Templars preferred to operate alone and as far away from Rome as possible.
Why was there such a schism?
To answer that, we must go back much deeper into history than what is recorded in history books. Shedding light on this will reveal that the recorded history presents a distorted view, adapted to fit seamlessly into the broader narrative of the Crusades. The Templars existed before their establishment in 1119, and the task of protecting pilgrims attributed to them in the books is an illusion; that task had already been assigned to the Knights Hospitaller. This does not mean they did not intervene when they saw pilgrims in need—they certainly did—but it was not their primary task.
So, what were they doing there?
If they were not there to protect pilgrims, what was their mission in the Levant? A first answer can be found in the following: Hugh de Payens and his companions arrived shortly after the capture of Jerusalem, spoke to the King of Jerusalem, and were given accommodation in part of the city known as the site of Solomon's Temple. Ask yourself, did the King of Jerusalem grant this of his own accord during their talks, or was he informed by the letters that Hugh de Payens brought with him, instructing that they be settled there? This raises the question: what was in those letters? In other words, what was Hugh de Payens and his entourage doing there? The story that they were going to protect pilgrims seems very thin when you realise they were only nine men, and there were thousands of kilometres to guard. This, while other earlier-established military orders were present in large numbers. In the first nine years of Hugh and his group's stay, little is known about their activities in the history books—so what were they doing? What is not recorded in history is a very different story, more on that later. But for now, it is about the difference the Templars had with the prevailing form of religion and belief at the time.
First, a clarification:
According to the Roman Church, God brought his incarnate son into the world to act as the redeemer, in accordance with Roman doctrine, to take away the sins of the world. Anyone who did not submit to this dogma was labelled a heretic. An imposed division of heaven and hell was also established: sinners who did not repent went to hell, and those who lived in the fear of God and followed the Church's prescriptions went to heaven. The Roman Church was the strict mediator in all these religious matters; ordinary people had no say in it. That is a brief summary of Roman doctrine. However, there is another movement within Christianity, one that much better represents the true path of Christ and makes God more comprehensible and workable. This movement originates from the early Christian period just after Christ (33 AD) and the establishment of the Roman state religion by Emperor Constantine of Rome (325 AD), which became the Catholic Church. This movement, however, was condemned by the Roman Church, yet the knowledge has survived and has always been kept alive, often underground. Despite the persecutions of the Roman Church. To make a very clear point, the Templars were recognised by the Roman Church because it was unavoidable at that time, but they followed the path of the knowledge and teachings of Christ, not that of the Roman Church! According to prevailing dogmas, they were heretics, but they knew how to keep the Roman Church in check and avoid being troubled by them—how? Hugh de Payens and his companions did not go to the Pope empty-handed in 1128; they brought evidence proving that the Roman Church should not have existed in essence! They had knowledge, or proof of knowledge, that was also known to the Pope, demonstrating this. It is therefore no wonder that they received their rule without much opposition from the Roman Church. What, then, did Hugh de Payens and his companions know? They knew why Christ had lived and what had happened after his death. They knew that the Church was built on the decisions of power-hungry individuals. They knew that the Roman faith was not correct and that the name of Christ was being used to maintain worldly power! They gained support from Bernard of Clairvaux, who belonged to the Cistercian Order and was favourable to them; it was a plan set in motion much earlier. Even the name the Order would bear was known beforehand. The main goal of the Order of the Temple was to establish their own land, if possible, as close as possible to the city of Jerusalem, to introduce a lifestyle entirely according to the teachings of Jesus Christ, based and executed in the spirit of full compassion, where dark forces would have no play. The military arm of the Templars would ensure protection and seal the borders of the area hermetically against any intruder, of flesh and blood and/or spiritual impurity. That was the Templars' objective, but betrayal and worldly desires, which were alien to the Templars, ultimately led to their downfall. However, the physical Order disappeared, but the ideology remained, and it is now, more than ever, being given a new opportunity. Given that the Roman Church wants nothing more to do with them says a lot. For all those beginning their training, a certain level of sobriety will be needed to grasp all of this—logical if you have just come out of the world. However, the difference between the ordinary person and a Templar lies in how one lives, and it is mostly felt and experienced within yourself, not for the outside world. Just as in the original times, the Templars were visible everywhere, but they lived not publicly but for each other in a very special way. This sometimes led to speculation, which always proved unfounded. Once you have succeeded as a Templar, you view the world in a very different way, but the path is not a straight road; it is a winding path with many obstacles, steeply uphill and narrow, but oh so rewarding for those who succeed.