Knights Templar 'Heirs' Sue Pope For Billions

[TheLancinator]

Knights Templar 'Heirs' Sue Pope For Billions
NPR


A group of people claiming to be the heirs of the legendary Knights Templar are suing Pope Benedict XVI, seeking more than $150 billion for assets seized by the Catholic Church seven centuries ago.

They also want to restore the order's good name. Founded in 1119, the Knights Templar was a secretive order of Christian warriors who protected pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem during the Crusades. They fell out of favor years later, and members were accused of denying Christ, worshipping the devil and practicing sodomy. Many Templars were tortured and burned at the stake.

In 1307, Pope Clement V accused the order of heresy and officially dissolved it.

Fiona Govan, who wrote about the lawsuit for London's Daily Telegraph, tells host Andrea Seabrook the order is believed to have gone underground and continued to practice, but that there is no firm, historical evidence to support it.

Last fall, the Vatican published secret documents about the trial of the Templars in a book called Processus Contra Templarios, Latin for "Trial Against the Templars." The volume included a parchment apparently showing that, contrary to historic belief, Clement had absolved the order of heresy.

Now, a group called the Association of the Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ has filed suit in a Spanish court, asking for an apology from the pope and recognition that land and property worth about $150 billion today was seized from the Templars.

The Vatican will never reimburse the group, Govan says, because its members cannot prove that they are descendants of the Knights Templar.

She calls the claim "ludicrous" and says Spanish papers have suggested the issue is something for psychiatrists to decide rather than historians.

[beowulf]

theyve got two hopes.................and one of thems called bob!

[Nemowork]

The Templars were warrior MONKS, they were sworn to celibacy so i'm noticing a flaw in this argument

[Vardar]

Originally Posted by Nemowork

The Templars were warrior MONKS, they were sworn to celibacy so i'm noticing a flaw in this argument

I thought the Templars came back as blind killer zombies?

[Nemowork]

Unless they shagged her first and came back to finish her off 10 months later, i'm still seeing a flaw in this argument

[Vardar]

Originally Posted by Nemowork

Unless they shagged her first and came back to finish her off 10 months later, i'm still seeing a flaw in this argument

I figure if they were monks who murdered, stole, pillaged, etc... the vow of celibacy probably wasn't much of a hurdle to overcome.

[Nemowork]

Come to think of it, they got toasted for practicing sodomy so i think heirs might have been out of the question still?

Unless the'd got past practicing and got it right?