People dressed as Crusaders

Later this month, the Vatican will publish a document which lay forgotten in the Pope's secret archives for hundreds of years. It is the account of the trial of the Knights Templar during the reign of Pope Clement V at the beginning of the fourteenth century. This report from David Willey:

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The parchment tells in mediaeval Latin how the legendary Crusader Knights - who still fascinate contemporary writers of popular fiction - were tried for heresy by the Inquisition and found not guilty.

The Christian military order - who called themselves the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon - protected Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land from the beginning of the Crusades. But after the recapture of Jerusalem by Muslims and military defeats of Crusader armies two centuries later, the knights fell on hard times. To answer accusations of heresy because of alleged secret initiation ceremonies and other crimes, Pope Clement ordered a trial and it’s the record of these proceedings - which partially rehabilitated the Knights - that are now being published in this expensive luxury edition.

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facsimile
exact copy

the minutes
here, the official summary of a meeting

parchment
thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal and used for writing on

mediaeval
referring to the period in history from around 1100 AD - 1500 AD

were tried for heresy by the Inquisition
were investigated by a Catholic court for views that opposed the religious views of the day

pilgrims visiting the Holy Land
believers making a journey to Jerusalem and other places mentioned in the Bible

fell on hard times
became poor or had many troubles

alleged
reported (without proof)

initiation ceremonies
rituals that new members of a group had to perform

rehabilitated
here, recovered the good reputation of

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