SCOTTISH KNIGHT TEMPLARS
SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM
IFA - OCMTH
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THE TEMPLARS YESTERDAY AND TODAY
The Templars were establsihed in 1118 by a French knight called Hugh de Paynes. They were formed originally in Jerusalem to gurd pilgrims in the Holy Land who were being attacked en route to Jerusalem by bandits. The Order began with just nine knights who called themselves "Poor soldiers of Christ" but they soon began to grow in number and influence. THey were supported by Bernard of Clairvaux and the Order was recognised by the Vatican.
Knights Templar were always a bit of an enigma. They were not fully accepted by secular knights because they were members of a religious Order. They were not fully accepted by other religious Orders because they were warriors. So they were always on the margins of society and always had something of a mystique about them. They were,however, devout,disciplined and highly trained knights and soon gained a reputation as efficient warriors feared by their opponents and respected by all. They were regarded by the merchants of the day to be as safe and trustworthy and so they were entrusted with the merchant's gold to pay for foreign goods and so the Templars became the first international bankers. When the Crusades began they were given land and property to help them fund their missions and eventually became rich and powerful. They were answerable to no king or prince but came under the protection of the Pope himself.
All went well with the Tmplars during the time of the crusades but after the fall of Acre quetions began to be asked about them. They attracted the unwelcome attention of the King of France in the 14th Century who was jealous of their wealth and power. Fakse charges of heresy were brought against them and they were arrested in france and across Europe en masse and murdered as heretics.
Not all the Tempars were arrested, however, and althought their land was seized their vast wealth was never found and their huge fleet of ships simply disappeared. many of the Templars fled to Portugal and Scotland where they have remained ever since. As Templars we have a great debt of honoured owed to both Portugal and Scotland for the protection those sovereign lands have given to the knights of the Temple and for maintaining the spirit of the Order of Knights Templar down the Centuries.
The modern day knights of the Soveriegn Military order of the Temple of Jerusalem are honoured to be the successors of the noble and ancient Order of the Knights Templar.
We are now an ecumenical order and are the SKT - SMOTJ IFA - OCMTH and are part of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem which incorporates our Order and the former OSMTH Regency. The Magisterial Council of the SMOTJ includes the Prince Regent Luis Rosiera (Grand Master) of Portugal, four Lt Generals (The Princes) and the Chef Mondial of the Autonomous Grand Priories. Each member of the Magisterial Council as per the 1705 Statutes has equal privileges and immunities as the Prince Regent and holds position in their own right for life. The Administration and running of the Order is undertaken by the 1Sr Lt General James McGrath and the Chef mondial Graham Russell in the Grand Priory of Scotland. We are also members of the I.F.A. and the OCMTH.
We have no conection with Freemasonry. They have their own templar grade. Neither do we have any conection with the occult. We remain firmly Christian.
WHAT THE ORDER DOES TODAY
The Order is faithful to the country in which it is based. In Wales we honour the Country as a soverien nation and we obey all national laws and are at all times faithful citizens. These days we are concerned to help those who suffer persecution for their faith. We are also concerned to support those who are poor and oppressed and those who are sick. The money we raise from our knights goes to help charities who support those in need in different parts of the world.
We also seek to help people in their Christian spiritual journey including those who feel they have no spiritual home for various reasons. We do not want to set ourselves up as an alternative church but offer ourselves as a Community of faith and offer an online spiritual home to those who feel they need this.
We accept men and women into our ranks and are happy to talk to anyone who thinks they may be interested in joining us. We believe that as Christians we are pilgrim people on a journey of faith and we are happy to give any online support we can to people who are on their spiritual journey. We realise that such a journey can have many pitfalls and many dead ends and we realise too that it is better to travel such a journey with others than alone. We give to all our knights the support they feel they need as they carry on their daily lives and in their working lives. We do not tell knights what they should do but help our knights along their chosen path. This support sometimes comes in the form of prayer or a listening ear. At other times it involves more practical support for a time but in any event we are there for one another.
Our knights live in various parts of South Wales and we come together for informal meetings in Cardiff monthly. We meet for our formal meetings on St David's Day or as close to this Day as possible and at other times during the year for important Templar saints days.
If you wish to contact us for further information please do so at [email protected] and we can start a conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.
Priory of St David of Wales
