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When the Templars Were Excommunicated by Sir George L. Marshall, Jr.

s incredible as it may seem, for of the Templars in 1193. a short time in the late 12th Cen- Unlike his predecessors, Erail was known Atury, the Templar and for wanting peace between the Chris- their Grand Master were excommuni- tians and the Moslems, though some cated. The very idea that these Knights disagreed and thought that this showed of Christ should or could be excom- treason and collusion with the enemy. municated seems incredible, but it did His pacifist attitude caused friction- be happen, and it shows that some people, tween the Templars and the Hospitallers in particular the clergy in Outremer, who at this time were the more militant had by then mixed feelings if not down- party. It also set him at odds with right hostility toward the Templars. This Innocent III and the more militant of the article will present the three main char- Catholic clergy who desired perpetual acters and the circumstances involved war against the infidel. Unfortunately, in that excom- no contemporary portrait of Erail exists, munication. but his coat of arms is shown to the left. Gilbert Another player in this drama was Erail (or Erill Pope Innocent III, pictured or Horal) was at right. When he became born at Aragon Pope in 1198, he was just in about thirty-seven years old. Well 1152 and had versed in Roman and canon joined the or- law and a firm adherent of der in his teens. , he was He served as also imbued with the crusading spirit Grand Preceptor of the Temple in Jeru- against the Saracens. Upon his accession salem in 1183-84, and in 1185 he was to the papal throne, he confirmed the created Master of the Temple in Spain privileges of the Templars. They were and Provence and thus had seen action exempt from the payment of taxes, tolls, in the as well as in the Holy and and ecclesiastical imposts. Land. Then in 1190, he was made Dep- The latter quickly brought them into col- uty Master of the Temple in the West. lision with the clergy. Considering the Each country had its own Master, and Templars as his private army, he saw ex- the Masters reported to the Grand Mas- actly how he could use them as a tool in ter. Following the death of Grand Master his planned Fourth . In the first de Sable, he became the twelfth seven years of his papacy, he again con- knight templar 7 firmed eight times the bull Omne Datum Bishop of sent notice to Grand Optimum (1139) of Innocent II. In this Master Erail that he wanted the money remarkable document, the Templar Rule returned to him. Either by a convenient was officially approved and papal pro- lapse of memory or because of a mis- tection given. Additionally, it promised placement or loss of records during the all spoils from Muslim conquest to the wars with , the Templars refused order, and made the order exempt from to pay. The Bishop of Tiberias then com- tithes and taxes. plained to Pope Innocent III who chose The final person involved in the spec- the Bishops of Sidon and Gibelet as tacle was the “Bishop of Sidon.” In my mediators, and Erail sent two trusted research I could not find a biography knights as his representatives. Eventu- for him in any sources or references. ally the patriarch settled the matter, but However, there is one noted Melkite the Bishop of Sidon was not satisfied Bishop of Sidon who wrote around with the terms of the settlement, and 1200 an apology (defense) of Christian- summarily demanded that the money ity intended for a Muslim audience, and be returned within three days to the dio- that is Paul of . The people who cese of Tiberias or he would excommuni- followed the lead of the Byzantine em- cate every Knight Templar. Although un- peror and accepted the decrees of the perturbed by the bishop’s illegal threat, held in 451 were the Templars did make good on the debt called “Melkites” or “King’s Men.” The and returned the money, but for what- great strain between the Melkite Church ever reason, the bishop carried out his and Rome happened because of the ac- threat anyway and publicly excommuni- tions of some of the Crusaders, but the cated all Knights Templar. Melkites never broke off relations with Erail and the Knights were both Rome and the Pope. The question is: did amazed and completely incredulous the crusaders and the Templars accept upon hearing the news. He speedily the ecclesiastical authority of a Melkite sent envoys to Rome with the message bishop, or was there a separate Roman that if the Templars were excommuni- Catholic bishop of Sidon? I believe the cated, then they were no longer bound latter to be true, but these questions re- by their vows and would disband, leave main unanswered. the , and return to their homes At any event, the excommunication and do as they wished. Upon hearing of came about because of the Templars’ the action by the bishop, Innocent III reputation for handling money for other was furious, particularly because a mi- people and their reputation for pride nor cleric in an inconsequential diocese and arrogance. Because of their skill at would be so bold as to usurp a privilege safeguarding monies, a Bishop of Tibe- and power reserved to the pope alone. rias lodged the sum of 1300 gold be- Innocent took swift measures support- zants from his diocese with the Templars ing the Knights and removed the Bishop for safekeeping. (At the current rate of of Sidon from his bishopric, accusing about $1200 for an ounce of gold, this him of ignorance and malice. He also sum in today’s money would be rough- ordered the Patriarch, the Archbishop ly $240,000.) In 1199 the succeeding of Tyre, and the Bishop of Acre to an-

8 february 2015 nul the excommunication immediately, December 21, 1200, and he was eventu- which was done. In addition, the pope ally succeeded by Philip de Plessiez. sent a warning to clerics everywhere that the same action would be taken against any man who had the temerity Right Eminent Sir Knight Marshall, KYGCH(3), to interfere with a holy order respon- KCT, 33°, is a Past Grand Commander of the Grand of Knights Templar of sible to the Pope alone. Alabama. He is a member of the Editorial Swift action by the Pope in the mat- Review Board of maga- ter confirmed the Templars’ powers and zine and has published several articles in privileges, but it also enlarged the wid- that magazine as well as in the Royal Arch ening gap between them and the clergy Mason magazine. He can be reached at in the . Gilbert died on [email protected]. SOURCES USED

• Napier, Gordon, The A to Z of the Knights Templar: A Guide to Their History and Legacy, The History Press, Gloucestershire, England, 2008. • Malcolm Barber, The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple, Cambridge University Press, NY, 1994. • Robinson, John, Dungeon, Fire and Sword, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 1991. • Freemasons Magazine and Masonic Mirror, May 23, 1866. • http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10157b.htm • Ebied, Rifaat and Thomas David (Editors), Muslim-Christian Polemic During the : The Letter from the People of and Ibn Abi Talib al- Dimashqi’s Response, Koninklijke Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, 2005. • Thomas, David, “Idealism and Intransigence: A Christian-Muslim Encoun- ter in Early Mamluk Times”, online at http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/MSR_ XIII-2_2009-Thomas_pp85-103.pdf . • Howarth, Stephen, The Knights Templar, Dorset Press, New York, 1991. • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Horal • http://www.templiers.net/maitres/index.php?page=gilbert-erail • Newman, Sharan, The Real History behind the Templars, Berkley Books, NY, 2007

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