mountain grail 26 January 2015 Newsletter of The Priory of The Mountain of the House of the LORD Vol. 13, #1 INSIDE The last Grand Master

ast grand master of the Knights Jacques rose rapidly through the LTemplars, at the time of the sup- ranks of the Oder; a postion he held pression of the is Visitor Gen- Order by King eral and Grand Philippe le Bel Preceptor of ‘the Fair’ IV, of all England. Last Grand Master : 1 France and Pope [Hopkins] It Clement V, was is not known Jacques de if he is among Molay. the survivors of In the min- Acre who man- utes of the aged to escape lawsuit, in the with Thibaud archives of Gaudin to European king- , but doms of that he participates time, suggest in a chapter E go tu alter sum that Jacques de which is held Prior’s message : 2 Molay was born on the island in about 1244 in autumn 1291. Vitry, Haute- He is elected Saône, France, a Master of the paret of Bur- Last Grand Master Order before gundy, always Jacques de Molay April 1292, Chanc. message : 2 vassal to the shortly after the Germanic Empire. death of Thibaud Gaudin. [Hopkins] In 1265, Molay is received in No sooner was he elected that the Order when he was 21 at the city Jacques de Molay attends to the most of Beaune by Humbert de Pairaud, pressing issues, to set up both the visitor of France and England and government and the defences of the by Amaury de la Roche, Master of Priory officers : 12 France. [Hopkins, p.111] (continued on page 5) Prior’s message

ix years ago when I was invited to consider Semper Fidelis (“Always Faithful”) is the motto that Sjoining the Priory of The binds us. To protect our nation is Mountain of the House of the Lord, to guard its principles, becoming I studied as much history of the an- not only elite warriors, but also cient Order as I could access. After noble ones. The motto guides Ma- determining that I was in concert rines to remain faithful to the mis- with the principles of the Knight sion, to each other, to the Corps, Templars, I indicated my desire to and to country – no matter what. affiliate with them and committed As Knight Templars, our spiritual in my heart as a Postulant in The and moral strength is contained in Mountain of the House of the Lord the principles of the Order em- to keep the ideals as much as pos- bodied in the motto, “Not unto us, sible in today’s modern world by O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy supporting and living according to Name give Glory.” the precepts of Christian chivalry Honor is a code of personal – Faith, Courage, Honor, Charity, integrity that guides one to do the and Commitment. right thing when on one is looking. During my C&I, the ceremony It is not only a Templar duty, but of knighthood, I had the great also a distinction. It is found in a privilege of having then Grand Templar’s beliefs, but exhibited Chancellor Major General Robert through actions. Disney bestow the accolade on me, Courage is the guardian of all followed by a blessing from Grand other values when principles are Chaplin Archbishop Herbert Groce, being tested. “Bless this old Marine, for he Commitment is the spirit of needs all the blessings he can get.” determination that must be found These simple, but elegant rituals, in every Templar. Commitment commemorative of the ancient Or- does not take breaks and cannot der, shall remain with me always, be faked. It measures and proves and reinforce the ethics and values one’s desire, dedication, and of the Marine Corps. faithfulness. Becoming a Knight As Marines, we were taught Templar should represent the that Honor, Courage, and Commit- ment are the values that guide us. (continued on page 3)

Mountain Grail is the newsletter of The Priory of the Mountain of the House of the Lord.

editor Sir Garry Bryant : [email protected]

2 (continued from page 2) tunities for beneficial action. A strong culture for beneficial change flourishes only with a well-defined highest level of commitment. As Postulants we set of acceptable values and social norms that can each took an oath before receiving the Accolade of be perceived by the membership. The member- Knighthood to “undertake to serve this Order to the ship of Knights and Dames must become actively best of our ability.” Without and passionately engaged a commitment, some may in the functions designed to say there are but words, a achieve their goals, hav- slogan, or a phrase. To those ing a sense of confidence that value Honor, Courage, and empowerment (a buy and Commitment, these in). Culture is one of the characteristics help form most important motivators basic character and strength for long-term, sustainable for future roles as Knights success in any effort. I am and Dames. They teach us of the opinion that culture to be proud and unyielding is the environment in which in best efforts failure, but any strategy must contend humble in success; to have a – a nurturing environment clean heart; to have compas- is critical to success for the sion for those who fall; to Priory. As a Marine, one of have the meekness of true the few, the proud, we were strength; and an indomitable a closely connected commu- purpose to fulfill the Templar nity that resulted from early Oath. indoctrination (boot camp) There are undoubtedly of every Marine and an many reasons why Postu- understanding of the vision, lants chose to join the Priory mission, values, and goals of The Mountain of the of the Corps. It was under- House of the Lord – the stood by every Marine that title of Knight or Dame, the we were privileged to be a historical ceremonies, association with friends, so- member of an elite group that was capable of over- cial functions, or to serve humanitarian causes. No coming any adversity. It was this culture that Ma- reason for joining is right or wrong. However, what rines relied on in combat and made us unparalleled we do as Knights and Dames, once we have taken in pride and performance. To achieve “the common the Templar Oath, is of consequence to the Order good,” it is incumbent upon each Knight and Dame and ourselves. to diligently pursue common goals. My motivation As a result of these varied reasons, it seems we for joining the Templars was to reinforce my sense may not have yet achieved a “shared culture” for of culture and be inspired to continue my efforts to the Priory. I need to explain what I mean and how, overcome personal challenges and assist others in in my opinion, the “culture” of The Mountain of need. I am reminded of a quote by St. Francis of the House of the Lord can be organized for posi- Assisi, “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do tive social change in the world. To me culture is what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing a balanced blend of psychology, attitudes, unified actions, and beliefs that combined, create oppor- (continued on page 4)

3 (continued from page 3) Chancellor’s message the impossible.” What the Priory chooses to support is less impor- dmund Burke, an 18th century Irish statesman tant than having a defined set of goals and purposes Eand philosopher, once famously wrote that that have been agreed upon by its members and “When bad men combine, the good must associ- around which we can develop a culture to achieve ate, else they will fall, one by one.” We live in a the ideal of chivalry that we each took upon our- world full of several contemptible individuals and selves as we knelt to receive our accolade. The groups that are trying to tear at the fabric of society journey to this end may be long or short, but it must and the principles that Knights and Dames stand begin at the point we now find ourselves. In the end, for, namely principles of justice, virtue, family and the Priory and its membership will be known by the freedom. I believe that the majority of people in impact of good they have on others. For me, failure the world are loving and inherently good; however, to support my knightly oath taken at the time of my all too often, the voice of the masses is silent and investment is unacceptable. We must all suffer from gives way to the loud cries of those with evil mo- one of two pains; the pain of discipline or the pain tives. of regret. The difference is discipline weights upon When good people do stand up against evil, us but little, while regret weighs greatly. they are often criticized as being “close-minded” I challenge each Knight and Dame of the Priory or otherwise dismissed as being “unenlightened” to conduct a personal assessment to determine that or “discriminatory”. We can not be apathetic which you can realistically commit. Then I chal- and sit back on our haunches while evil abounds. lenge each of us to do what we can; to live and act When children think of Knights they imagine Good versus Evil - a knight in shining armor according to those realistic personal commitments. defending the weak by defeating injustice and evil. The Priory needs the support of all its members by This requires action. attending meetings whenever possible, make sug- I encourage us all to stand up for righteous gestions for projects to serve humanity, and prac- principles and to assist the weak and poor in spirit. tice friendship with the Dames and Knights of The Let us reach out and lift up the downtrodden. Let Mountain of the House of the Lord. us administer to the poor and sick, just like Jesus In closing, I will share a thought from a Knight I Christ did during his lifetime. As Christians, this admire: “Honor: with it, nothing else matters. With- is what being a Knight or Dame is all about. To out it; nothing else matters.” (Admiral Jim Carey, quote Edmund Burke again, “All that is necessary US Navy, ret.). A thought to ponder, “Ego sum alius for the triumph of evil is that good men do noth- vos” or I am another you. ing.” Let us be proactive in doing good. As this new year lays before us, let us reach out and do nnDnn, small things to bring about much good. A smile or simple act of service can go a long way. Chev. Tom Sawyer, KCTJ I look forward to working with you all this PriorVIII year in doing much good together. It is a pleasure and honor to stand by you and your families in active service towards each other and our fellow men.

nnDnn, E go tu alter sum Jared Clayton, GOTJ

4 (continued from page 1) Mameluks at the Homs in December 1299. In 1300, he continues to reinforce the small island of Cyprus and the Kingdom of Little Arme- island of Ruad opposite Tortose to make it a base nia, the last Christian kingdom in the east. of advanced operations together with the Mongols. In the spring of But they too, 1293, he under- preoccupied takes a long trip with their own to Europe, where tribal wars, will he settles various never be able to issues in the realm combine with of the Order, and the Christians in particular seeks against the help from the Mameluks. Western princes In Septem- and the Church ber 1302, the to protect the last Templars of Christian States. Ruad are mas- During this trip, King Philip IV sacred by the he forges close Egyptian Mam- ties with several monarchs, among them Edward I of eluks. Jacques de Molay then gives up this strategy England, Jacques II of Aragon and the Pope Boni- of the Mongolian alliance which proves to be a total face VIII. failure. He re- In 1305, turns to Cy- the new prus in the Pope Clem- fall of 1296 ent V, seeks to settle is- the opin- sues that had ion of the arisen with Masters of the King the religious Henri II. Orders in In 1298, preparation he organ- for a new ises a raid in crusade and Cilicia after the unifi- the fall of cation of Roche-Guil- the Orders laume, the which de last fortified Molay ob- town of the jected to. Intergeation of Templars and their Grand Master Jacques de Molay. kingdom. This idea Unfortu- of unifica nately, the Christian force were unable to benefit from the victory of Ghâzân, Khan of Persia, over the (continued on page 5)

5 (continued from page 5) suspicion. On 24 August, Pope Clement V informs Jacques tion of the Orders was not a new idea. At the Coun- de Molay of a board of inquiry. the French king cil of Lyons in 1274 this proposal was made and seeks to precipitate events and remove them from quickly rejected for such an Order would become to the pope’s control. On 14 September, with the help powerful. [Hopkins, p. of Nogaret, he orders 111.] in utter secrecy all his On 6 June 1306, bailiffs and seneschals Clement V officially to arrest all Templars convenes them in of the Kingdom and , but because of the confiscation of all the pope’s ill health, he their goods, but the or- only meets Jacques de der is not to be opened Molay in May 1307. until the date specified. As he had told the pope The sister-in-law before, Jacques de Mo- of the King of France lay categorically rejects has funeral services on the prospect of uniting 12 October, where the the Orders. Grand Master is one of This stance will the pall bearers. [Hop- have serious repercus- kins, p. 111] sions for the future This wide-ranging Order of the Temple. At operation begins on 13 first, the King of France October 1307, at dawn, takes umbrage to this the letter of orders decision, because it having been opened. interferes not only All Templars of the with his ambitions but kingdom of France are also wth the negotia- arrested. In some pre- tions between Clement ceptories, Templars are V and Philippe IV to The Grand Pior called for the death of King Philip IV & massacred by treach- condemn the memory Pope Clement V within the year which came to pass. ery, because the royal of Boniface VIII, and men-at-arms are afraid also in organizing new . to face these fierce warriors in direct combat. On his trip west, Jacques de Molay finds that Jacques de Molay is arrested in the headquarters libellous rumours were spread about the Templars. of the Order, in , along with 60 Templars of the Philippe IV and his advisers immediately take ad- inner circle, and 24 knights. [Hopkins, p. 114.] vantage of this weakness, and set a plan to destroy Something strange occured during the first inter- this uncompromising Order. rogation of de Molay on 24 October. Instead of On 24 June, Jacques de Molay is in Paris to meet denying the charges, he confesses to certain facts, with the King of France and discuss the charges thus giving credence to royal propaganda against the against the Order. He returns to Poitiers, reassured Order. by his interview with Philippe IV, but requests of the pope on investigation to clear the Order of any (continued on page 7)

6 (continued from page 6) Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charney Pre- ceptor of France) hotly contest this verdict, under- In December 1307, Clement V sends cardinals standing that they had been played since the begin- in Paris to question the Master of the Order. In front ning by a pope who did not want to hear them. They of those, This puts Philippe IV and Clement V at both revoke all admissions made and proclaim the loggerheads, and is only resolved in August 1308, Order innocent of any charge carried against it. through a compromise sealed by the papal bull “Fa- Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charney are ciens Misericordiam.” In this bull, the pope reserves immediately charged of recanting, and are delivered the right to judge the dignitaries of the Order. by the Cardinals to the secular law. A pyre is build Transferred to with several other dignitar- the very same day on an island (Île des javiaux) of ies of the Order, like Geoffroy de Charney, Hugues the , at the foot of Notre-Dame Cathedral. On de Pairaud and Geoffroy de Gonneville, Jacques de 18 March 1314, (or 14 March according to some Molay is now interrogated by royal agents. During historians) Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Char- this interrogation, he will renew his admissions ney are burned at the stake. [Hopkins, p.119] made in October 1307. Over more than a year, the pontifical commission is set up and begins audiences. Jacques de Molay SOURCES will be able to make depositions there only twice to- wards the end of November 1309. On this occasion, 1. www.templiers.org/jacquesmolay-eng.php. he changes his defence strategy, stays silence and re- lies solely on the judgement from the pope, trusting 2. Marylin Hopkins, The Enigma of the Knights the contents of the bull “”. Templar. (New York: Ivy Press Ltd., 2008.) In 1310, several tens of Templars seek to testify before the pontifical commission in favour of the Order and thus cast in doubt the entire indictment. This protest movement is utterly broken by the sentencing to be burnt at the stake of 54 Templars, judged to have recanted by Philippe de Marigny on 10 May 1310. Moreover, the leaders of this protest movement disappear without traces from the jails of Philippe IV. On 22 March 1312, Clement V announces the official abolition of the Order of the Temple at the Council of Vienna. In spite of his strong will and insistent demands toward his jailers, Jacques de Molay lingers in prison without audience from the pope. The latter nevertheless agrees to send three cardinals to Paris in December 1313 to decide on the fate of the digni- taries. Arriving in Paris in March 1314, the three cardi- nals dispense an irrevocable verdict, to condemn the dignitaries of the Order to life imprisonment.

7 Priory Officers

Official Priory list of officers

PRIOR: Chev. Tom Sawyer, KCTJ

CHANCELLOR: Chev. Jared Clayton, GOTJ

INSPECTOR: Chev. Charles Christiansen, KTJ

TREASURER: Chev. Richard Taylor, KTJ

SECRETARY: Sir Garry Bryant, GOTJ, KCSOM, GCMZ

REGISTRAR: Dr. Sir Steve Pehrson, GCTJ, GCMZ

AUMONIER:

ADVOCAT:

CHIEF OF PROTOCOL: Sir Ronald Ivie, GCTJ, GCSOM, GCMZ

ARMORER: Sir Ronald Ivie, GCTJ, GCSOM, GCMZ

KNIGHT PROTECTOR: Capt. Chev. George Washington Jessop, III, GOTJ

MARSHALL:

DAME CRUCIFER: Chvse. Jean Howard, DTJ

SWORD BEARER: Sir Garry Bryant, GOTJ, KCSOM, GCMZ

CHAPLAIN: Chvse. Keith Mathews, KCTJ Former Priors:

I: Dr. Sir Steve Pehrson, II: Sir Ron Ivie, III: Dr. Chev. Kevan Crawford, IV: Chev. Dan Stuart, V: Dr. Sir Don Wood, VI: Chev. Kim Wixon, VII: Chvse. Stephanie Argotia

8