Knights Templar Turin Shroud

Shroud of Turin News: A Vatican historian says she's uncovered documents indicating that between 1204 and 1353 the Shroud of Turin was kept hidden by the Knights Templar, who worshipped it as a holy relic. Apparently they required their members to "venerate the image by kissing its feet three times." (Some of their other rituals may have involved spitting on the cross, stripping naked and kissing their superior on the buttocks, navel, and lips, and submitting to sodomy.) The Vatican is still remaining mum about whether they think it's the genuine shroud in which Christ was buried, or a forgery. [Times Online]

History Religion

Posted on Mon Apr 06, 2009


Comments

Prior to this document, the oldest reference the Vatican had about the Shroud was from a bishop who claimed he knew the artist that painted it. I'd doubt if the Vatican will make an official pronouncement one way or the other. They have clear evidence that that Shroud is a hoax but it brings in a lot of suckers.
Posted by Mark  on  Mon Apr 06, 2009  at  05:33 PM
The Knights Templar did not actually force initiates to be sodomized or spit on the cross or any of the various charges such as these brought forth against them by Philip the Fair. Philip was deeply in debt to the Templars, as they were the primary European bankers at during the 13th and 14th centuries. Rather than pay back the moneys owed them Philip had charges trumped up against them, in this case using the standard accusations of disrespecting sacred relics and general homosexuality and blasphemy. Pope Clement V was more or less forced to sign off on the charges because he was indebted to Philip not only for his papal selection but also for the land the curiae was located in in Avginon. Although no one knows what the Knights DID do during their sacred rituals, to assume that they were guilty of the blasphemy charges brought against them is tantamount to believing that the Jews were poisoning wells and eating Christian babies.
Posted by Lee  on  Mon Apr 06, 2009  at  06:04 PM
After reading this thread, I feel an uncontrolable urge to bathe. I'm sure I'll overcome it. Why break a world record?
Posted by Hairy Houdini  on  Tue Apr 07, 2009  at  09:15 AM
Adding to Lee's accurate and erudite summing up of the situation, Pope Clement agreed to help organise the arrest of the KTs ( It took place in one single day across the whole of the European spread of the order - Good planning for a time without radio! ) for another reason - at the time, Phillip the Sap was laying siege to his palace.

Just about everyone accused of going against the church's wishes/teachings/orders in that period had " . . . And sodomy" tacked on the end of the charge list anyway, since it helped take any chance of people being sympathetic away and the Holy Fathers thought that if you disobeyed them then you could do literally *any* crime; Probably it's on Joan Of Arc's rap sheet too. 😊

You can still see the plaque where the arguably weak-willed but at the end honourable leader was burned to death on the island on Notre Dame in Paris.
Posted by D F Stuckey  on  Tue Apr 21, 2009  at  06:22 PM
Now they are having a go at MY country? Damn curry-munchers . . .

Still, I know a few people in this country whose written English skills are as bad as this Mumbai bandit states, so maybe it's a genuine critique . . .
Posted by D F Stuckey  on  Thu Nov 12, 2009  at  11:17 AM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.