THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OF AUSTRALIA

Sunday Telegraph staffed by Liars and Con-artists - proof of fabricated content in Templar email story!

2011-08-08T18:15:00.002+10:00

Update 19:55hrs: This just in - Caroline Marcus has already been the subject of a Media Watch story because of her unacceptable immoral contemptible conduct!

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2283449.htm

Caroline Marcus is a pathological liar and the News editor Warren Gibb is a con-artist! The following pictures are screenshots of the last two emails sent to Marcus on Friday afternoon, the 5th of August 2011, they show clearly that Adjutant Grice did not wish to participate in the Story because the Order did not believe the Emails were from Breveik, they also show Marcus bullying Grice with regards to a fallacy of alluding to Grice's "obligations":

(click to enlarge)

Then Marcus gets nasty, and bullies Grice with the threat of publishing the story without Grice's consent to participate, regardless of the FACT that Grice has stated the Order does not believe the emails can be proved to have originated from Breveik and therefore lack value as a means of accurately informing the Australian people!

(click to enlarge)

Subsequent to ending his last conversation with Marcus, in which Grice re-states his prerogative to abstain from participating in the Story, Adjutant Grice called the News Editor Warren Gibb, (Gibb had emailed the Order prior to Marcus, requesting a contact) - Gibb assured the Adjutant that he would be quoted VERBATIM and that the story would certainly not show the Order in a negative light. Grice also stated to Gibb that the Order did not consider that the emails came from Breveik, and the lives and dignity of the children murdered should be the main concern of the Newspaper.

The claim by Marcus that Grice referred to the Order as a "secret society" is a flagrant fabrication - A LIE! That Grice stated the emails were from Breveik is also a LIE!

How stupid would someone have to be to accept that Grice would tell a sensationalist Hack like Marcus that the Order is a "secret society"?!

The Adjutant recorded the entire conversation and this recording will tabled as evidence in a Court of Law, should The Sunday Telegraph not print a retraction of the lies and fabricated quotes credited to Grice.

There are many issues now facing the Australian people, such as the Carbon Tax debate, Media companies hacking people's mobile phones, the lack of genuine justification for the continuing loss of Australian lives in another undeclared war this time in Afghanistan, ( a country that has never attacked Australia) a war that appears to have no valid reason for our Nation's participation. Coal-seam Gas mining that completely destroys the environment and ruins the livelihoods and lives of our Farmers and their families.

It seems that these issues should be paramount in the pursuit of our Media to present informative Stories to the Australian people - not the sensationalised exploitation of the death of children attending a pro-Palestinian Peace Camp in Norway at the hands of a mentally deranged individual who may or may not have acted alone or as part of an anti-Palestinian state-backed conspiracy.

The disgraceful conduct of the Sunday Telegraph is unfortunately the normal behaviour of the Media rather than the exception.

As result of this insult to the Australian people by the Sunday Telegraph's recent publication, The Order of Knights Templar of Australia will be establishing a program to support those Australian people who feel they have been misrepresented or slandered by this foreign owned Media who appear to be operating without any restraint. If you need a place to tell your story, we will publish your complaint here on the Blog of the KTA.

DEUS VULT!

For those people who have responded to the Article Published 7th August 2011. The Story contains misquotes and fabrications.

2011-08-07T14:48:00.000+10:00

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/norweigan-mass-killer-anders-breiviks-evil-aussie-email/story-e6freuy9-1226109975126

We will be publishing the facts that were not printed in that grubby rag, all the emails and audio recordings of the conversation Adjutant Grice had with Marcus the "journalist" and Webb, the editor. Sometime today or tomorrow.

'The Knights of the Temple'

2009-02-26T19:42:00.024+10:00

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OF AUSTRALIA
The Knights Templar of Australia is a modern-day esoteric knighthood. With its beginnings traced back to the historical medieval Order itself -- the subject to which we will now turn. The medieval Knights Templar, best known to us today as the famed warriors of the Crusades, were a devout military religious Order that uniquely combined the roles of knight and monk in a way the Western medieval world had never seen before. Originally they were known as the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, or, more simply, as the Knights Templar. In a famous letter written in the 1130s, In Praise of the New Knighthood, St Bernard of Clairvaux elevated the Templar Order above all other Orders of the day, establishing the image of the Templars as a fierce spiritual militia for Christ. He regarded them as a "new species of knighthood, previously unknown in the secular world..." To him, they were a unique combination of knight and monk; to later historians, they were the first military order, soon imitated by the Knights Hospitaller, by several Spanish orders and, by the end of the 12th century, by the Teutonic Knights. As a holy militia fighting for Christ, the Templars were willing to put aside the usual temptations of ordinary secular life for an arduous, dedicated life of service. Ever since then, the legacy of the Templars has been, first and foremost, the concept of service.
The Templars officially originated in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1118 A.D., when nine knights, mainly French, vowed to protect pilgrims on the dangerous roads leading to Jerusalem. These courageous knights gained the favor of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem who granted them part of his palace for their headquarters, which was located in the southeastern part of the Temple Mount, called "Solomon's Temple". Encouraged by King Baldwin II and Warmund of Picquigny, Patriarch of Jerusalem, they were generally seen as complementary to the Hospitallers (recognized as an Order of the Church by the papacy in 1113, but not militarized until the 1130s), who cared for sick and weary pilgrims in their convent in Jerusalem. The Templars' services were welcomed and greatly appreciated. But it is important to realize that at this early juncture when they were based at the Temple Mount area, the Templars were not yet an official monastic Order---the protagonists were seculars imbued with a desire to fulfill the biblical injunction to love thy neighbour, but they were not yet a monastic Order. During the first nine years of the Order (1119-28), contrary to assumptions often made today, the Templars would not have been wearing their trademark white mantles, as they began wearing them after the church Council of Troyes in 1129 when they were given a religious Rule and a white mantle. The famous red cross on their mantle was added later when Pope Eugenius III (1145-53) allowed them to wear it as a symbol of Christian martyrdom.
With only nine knights at their inception, scholars acknowledge that it seems as though no major efforts were made to recruit any new members until around 1128, when most of the original knights had returned to France and the Council of Troyes began (Jan. 1129) and they became officially recognized by the papacy. By the 1170s, there were about 300 knights based in the Kingdom of Jerusalem itself and more in other areas., and by the 1180s, there were at least 600 knights in Jerusalem alone. After 1129, the Order grew exponentially with many thousands of knights and it then became increasingly powerful.
At the Council of Troyes in Champagne, the status of the Templar Order underwent a dramatic change.Thanks to the significant contribution of Bernard of Clairvaux, the knights were then officially accepted by Matthew of Albano, the papal legate. This recognition was quite extraordinary for the times, as for such a tiny Order of only nine men to get this type of recognition was rather unusual, as many other Orders of the day had to wait much longer to achieve a similar status. At the Council of Troyes, the Templars were given a proper Rule, written in Latin, which ran to 72 clauses. The impetus given by papal approval and the extraordinary publicity generated by the visits of the leaders to France, England and Scotland in the months before the council ensured that the "New Knighthood" would long outlive its founders.
Papal recognition at Troyes was followed by the issue of three key bulls, which established the Temple as a privileged Order under Rome. Omne Datum Optimum (1139) consolidated the Order's growing material base by allowing spoils taken in battle to be retained for the furtherance of the holy war, placing donations directly under papal protection, and granting exemption from payment of tithes. It also strengthened the structure of the Order by making all members answerable to the Master and by adding a new class of Templar priests to the existing organization of knights and sergeants. The Templars could now possess their own oratories, where they could hear divine office and bury their dead. Milites Templi (1144) ordered the clergy to protect the Templars and encouraged the faithful to contribute to their cause, while at the same time allowing the Templars to make their own collections once a year, even in areas under interdict. Milita Dei (1145) consolidated the Order's independence of the local clerical hierarchy by giving the Templars the right to take tithes and burial fees and to bury their dead in their own cemeteries.
As these privileges indicate, during the 1130s, the fledging Order had attracted increasing numbers of major donors, for it proved to be especially popular with that sector of the French aristocracy which held castles and estates and could mobilize vassals, albeit on a modest scale. In fact, the scale of this sudden, unprecented rise was extraordinary, something hardly seen before or since. The rulers of Aragon and Portugal, confronted directly with the problems of warfare on a volatile frontier, realized their military value more quickly than most others. The Templars began to accumulate a substantial landed base in the West, not only in Francia, Provence, Iberia and England, where they were first known, but also in Italy, Germany and Dalmatia and, with the Latin conquests of Cyprus from 1191 and of the Morea from 1204, in those regions as well. By the late 13th century they may have had as many as 870 castles, preceptories and subsidiary houses spread across Latin Christendom. During the 12th and 13th centuries these properties were built into a network of support which provided men, horses, money and supplies for the Templars in the East.
The development of a role as bankers arose out of these circumstances, for they were well placed to offer credit and change specie through their holdings in both east and west. It was a short step to move into more general finance, unconnected to crusading activity by the 1290s their house in Paris could offer a deposit bank with a cash desk open on a daily basis and specialist accountancy services of great value to contemporary secular administrations. Thus, the Templars became the bankers to nobles, kings, and Popes as well as to pilgrims on their way to and from Jerusalem and other holy sites. Our familiar "traveller's check" today is a modern-day example of using a 'letter of credit' –just as the Templars did in the 12th century, in medieval times. The Templar structure was cemented by effective communications including its own Mediterranean shipping. They had many galleys and like the Hospitallers, took part in naval warfare at times, too. They even had their own Admiral by 1301.
Together with the Hospitallers, the Knights Templar became the permanent defenders of the Latin settlements of the East, increasingly entrusted with key castles and fiefs. By the 1180s, there were approximately 600 knights in Jerusalem, Tripoli and Antioch, and perhaps three times that number of sergeants. No major battle took place without their participation. In the 13th century, the Order was the only institution capable of building great castles like Athlit (Pilgrims' Castle) (1217-21) on the coast to the south of Haifa and Safed (early 1240s) dominating the Galilean Hills. Such military and financial power, together with the extensive papal privileges, gave them immense influence in the Latin East and, at times, led to conflict with other institutions.
The Latin Rule of 1129, which had been influenced by a monastic establishment with little experience of practical crusading, soon proved inadequate for such an expanding organization. New sections, written in French, were added, first in the 1160s, when 202 clauses definted the hierarchy of the Order and laid down its military functions and then, within the next twenty years, a futher 107 clauses on the discipline of the convent and 158 clauses on the holding of chapters and the penance system. Between 1257 and 1267, 113 clauses set out case histories which could be used as precedents in the administration of penances'. The existence of a version of the Rule in Catalan, dating from after 1268, shows that efforts were made to ensure that its contents were widely understood within the Order. Although the Order never underwent a thorough internal reform, these developments indicate that the Templars were not oblivious to the need to maintain standards.
The Templar Order's administration was structured hierarchically. The Grand Master was based at the Order's headquarters in the Holy Land, along with the other major officers, each of whom had their own staff. The Seneschal was the Grand Master's deputy; in ceremonies he carried the famed beauseant, the Templars' black-and-white banner. Like the Grand Master, the Seneschal had his own staff and horses. The Marshal was the chief military officer, responsible for the individual commanders and the horses, arms, equipment and anything else involving military operations. He also had authority in obtaining and ordering supplies, which was critically important at the time of the Crusades. The Commander of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was the treasurer of the Order and was in charge of the strong room. He shared power with the Grand Master in a way that prevented either from having too much control over funds. The Draper issued clothes and bed linen and could distribute gifts made to the order. He was not only keeper of the famed white mantles but also ensured that every brother was dressed appropriately. These four, along with the Grand Master, were the major officers of the Order, although there seems to have been some local variation where needed. Under these main officers were other Templar commanders with specific regional responsibilities, such as the commanders of the cities of Jerusalem. Daily administration of the Order's regional houses was governed by various officials called bailies, and the officer in charge was called the baili. So, the Templar Order consisted of members in a variety of positions performing many different functions. It even hired some assistants from outside the Order, and, contrary to popular belief, only a minority of members were actually full-fledged Knights.
The loss of Acre in 1291 and the Mamluk conquest of Palestine and Syria have often been seen as a turning-point in Templar history, for the Order was apparently left without a specific role in a society still profoundly imbued with the idea of its own organic unity. Indeed, the failure of the military orders to prevent the advance of Islam had attracted criticism since at least the 1230s with the loss of the Christian hold on the mainland, opponents were provided with a specific focus for their attacks. The more constructive of these critics advocated a union of the Temple and the Hospital as the first step in a thorough reassessment of their activities, although the Orders themselves showed little enthusiasm for such schemes. There was, however, no suggestion that either order be abolished. In fact, the Templars continued to pursue the holy war with some vigor from their based in Cyprus for they did not see the events of 1291 as inevitably presaging the decine of crusading. The attack on them by Philippe IV, King of France, in October 1307, ostensibly on the grounds of "vehement suspicion" of heresy and blasphemy, therefore owes more to the potent combination of a king afflicted by a morbid religiosity on the one hand and an administration in severe financial trouble on the other, than it does to any failings of the Templars. In fact, the Templars (unlike the Hospitallers) had never previously been accused of heresy. In the end, neither the limited intervention by Pope Clement V nor an energetic defense by some Templars, could save the Order, which was suppressed by the papal bull Vox in excelso in 1312. Its goods and properties were then transferred over to the Hospitallers. Although the Order itself was suppressed, many of the knights fled and went underground, or joined other Orders. Their extraordinary legacy and memory still live on today, nearly nine centuries later.

Addition To The History Of The Knights Templar of Australia

Here you will find a brief synopsis of the history of the original Order of the Knights Templar, which lasted just short of 200 years, from 1119 until 1314 when the last Grand Master was executed. For anyone interested in a detailed examination, we would recommend:
'The History of the Knights Templar' by Charles G. Addison and 'The New Knighthood' by Malcolm Barber.
There has been much speculation as to whether the Order continued "underground" in the ensuing years, with various theories and speculations for example, that they had chapters in Scotland, America (before Columbus), helped to form what is now known as Switzerland and were responsible for the birth of Freemasonry, to name but a few. However there is no concrete evidence that the Order did manage to survive in the form which it enjoyed at the height of its influence.
Our Order does not claim to be a direct descendant in the strict sense but it is registered in Jerusalem where the original was legitimised and, so far as we are aware, is the only Order so registered and which is also empowered to grant hereditary Knighthoods. It is the intention of this Order to modernise and refine the codes of conduct of the original Templars, so as to be of relevance in the modern world. The militarism is not the focus of our remit; rather we prefer to concentrate on the philanthropic and esoteric aspects on a worldwide basis, however, the Order is a military one. Servicemen and women are encouraged to apply for Postulancy/Associate membership. (Period of study, training and charitable service prior to formal investiture as a Temple Knight.)
"Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini Tuo da gloriam..."

"Not to us, Lord, not to us, all Glory to you.."

The Knights Templar were also known as 'The Knights of the Temple', there were 48 known houses in England by 1216, and it is estimated that by 1260 the Order boasted over 20,000 membership. If every eldest son or daughter of all those ancestors that migrated to Australia were to continue to become members, there would be 130 thousand Knights and Dames here today in Australia. The Knights Templars had a good relationship with Knights Hospitallers (brothers in arms), and Gilbertine monasteries, which appeared to survive all persecution until the 16th century, with 26 Monasteries still in existence at the Dissolution (1538) during the reign of Henry VIII. Were the Gilbertines the 'Keepers of the Knights Templar Faith' during the years of persecution? Where has the 'knowledge' disappeared to? We are continually studying the archives and amassing a wealth of information. We have the knowledge, we have the artifacts, we have the Right and the Will. To be a Templar in these trouble times is one of the most exciting endeavours a modern thinking person can engage in. "All that good men need do, so that evil might prosper - is Nothing".
Do something support your community and Nation, "Do The Right Thing". Apply today.
Introduction To Membership Of The Order
The Ancient and Noble Order of the Knights Templar consists of an invited Membership, based on recommendation or application. Members are solvent men and women of the highest moral fibre, typically successful in their own chosen field of endeavour. The Order has no religious or Masonic affiliation.
Successful candidates, invited after scrutiny and interview are bestowed, following a period of Associateship, with hereditary ennoblement and other privileges according to the tiered structure of the Order:
Knight/Dame Chevalier
Knight/Dame Commander
Knight/Dame Seneschal
Knight/Grand Commander
Knight/Grand Magister (responsible for the spiritual practices of the Order)
The Chancellor
After successful completion of their period as an Associate/Postulant, all Members will be invited to participate in an official ceremony of Investiture where the Mantle and other Regalia of the Order will be granted and issued. If you wish to pursue your interest in the Order further, please refer to the Contact Us section of this website.

The Seal and symbol of two Knights on one horse

2009-02-25T20:39:00.002+10:00

The Master of the Knights Templar Overview: The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , popularly known as the Knights Templar. The Templar's great seal was double-sided and showed the picture of The Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the Rock is a famous Islamic shrine in Jerusalem.... (some opinions are that the picture represents a circular dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Overview: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church ...) on one side and the Order's symbol of two knights on one horse on the other side. There was also a smaller, single-sided seal, which showed the Dome of the Rock (or the circular dome of the Holy Sepulchre). Every Grand Master seal shares distinctive characteristics. In order to avoid misuse, special measures were taken regarding the seals. They were kept in a locked compartment which required three keys to open. The Grand Master himself kept one of these keys, and two of his high officials held the others. The forgery of the seals was a very difficult process because each seal was unique and hand made.
Background: The officials of religious orders had their own Seal (device). Summary: A seal is an impression printed on, embossed upon, or affixed to a document in order to authenticate it, in lieu of or to validate documents approved by the order. The seal was the equivalent of a modern day Signature. A signature is a handwritten depiction of someone's name that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity. Furthermore, in a time when the majority of people were illiterate, the seal was an acknowledgment of a document's authenticity. A seal was a declaration that the person or group whose seal was affixed validated the content of the document, even if they couldn't sign their names. The Templars, like any other individual or group, we needed a seal whose imagery expressed something positive and fundamental about our organization.

The Temple Knights of Jerusalem

2009-02-25T20:33:00.006+10:00

Al Aqsa Mosque, situated on Jerusalem's Temple Mount is the first headquarters of the Knights Templar. For the Crusaders it was also famous as the Temple of Solomon. They called it that, because it was built on the top of the original Temple's ruins. Because of the Temple's location, the Knights decided to take the name of Templar.
The First Crusade in 1099 was followed by many European pilgrims, who wanted to visit the so called Holy Places. The City of Jerusalem was well secured, but the rest of the Outremer wasn't. And there were many Bandits during that time. So, unfortunately the pilgrims were routinely and ruthlessly slaughtered by them, while attempting to reach the Holy Land, passing through the Jaffa coastline. Sometimes there were hundreds killed .
The reason for creating the monastic order was the protection of the pilgrims. The proposal was given around 1119, by two of the veterans(relatives), who survived after the First Crusade. They were French Knights, and their names were Hugues de Payens and Godfrey de Saint-Omer. During this time, the King of Jerusalem was Baldwin II. Their proposal was accepted. The defined space for a headquarters, chosen by the King was in the AL Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.
Because the Temple of Solomon was believed to have been on these ruins, the Temple Mount had a great mystique. Therefore, the order took its name of Templar Knights, or Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.
At the beginning, the order consisted of only nine knights. They didn't have enough financial recourse, and to survive were compelled to rely on donations. Two knights riding on one horse with the purpose to emphasis the poverty of the Order, was their first emblem.
However the impoverishment of the Order didn't last too long. Bernard of Clairvaux was a very powerful advocate and very important Church figure, and also a nephew of the knights, who founded the Order. So, with his support, the Knights Templar of Jerusalem was officially endorsed by the Church. Since then, the Order received undivided support in each attitude.