Welcome!
More than two thousands years are passed on since the Christianity coming and almost nine hundred since the institution of the Order of the Temple. It is not such a proper approach. However, never as nowadays the idea of the temple is alive and attracts converts, provokes interest and curiosity, stirs up either positive or negative reactions. The millennium of the conquest of Jerusalem is far, but this holy city has still been theatre of too many interests and prayers, contrasts and claims. For it blood has been still shed. It is such a sad fate that wants Jerusalem, the city of the people of the Book, of the faithful of the three monotheist religions, to be cause of war instead of peace, hate instead of prayer, battlefield instead of meeting place.
Actually, in comparison to this deep interest, the scene offered by the templar world today is neither thought-provoking nor historically reliable. At present, Templar Knights are scattered about many small rivers: some are liked to service clubs -as Lions or Rotary-; other are more keen on the past, researching and interpreting, often fancifully, the old Templar world as it is wished to have been; other are committed to merchandize the name, rituals and symbols, taking advantage of the simple-mindedness of those fans of pompous titles or evoking medieval masquerade, and other dedicate themselves to absolutely gratuitous esoteric practise.
We do not think to be better or different than the other orders internet is swarming with, but we believe that there are some settled starting points to mark out another and more serious way to outline a significant “Templarity” (not Templarism) for contemporary manhood in the spirit of the ancient brothers, looking for the quality of our diligence and the concreteness of our initiatives. In a few words, our declaration of Templar faith is our program. The people of net can judge if we really are or will be different.
Our Order does not claim a direct Templar lineage. Claiming Templar legitimacy approximately one thousand years after the creation of the order should be not demonstrable and quite puerile. Today, after the decision of Clement V, nobody could historically provide evidence of a continuous succession of Masters or the legal continuity of the Order. The famous “Charta Transmissionis” by Larmenius brings to light many question points and it cannot absolutely be considered as an historical base to found a legally reasonable succession on. Even if we refer to the principles of St. Bernard’s Primitive Rule and “De Laude Novae Militiae”, we can state that we have only one spiritual heritage, that is the fruit of our own choice and cultural direction, which is not the result of a legitimising process.
Then, our Order refers to an historical and spiritual heritage which it is bearer of, interpreting and adjusting it in accordance with the necessities of modern man.
Our Order is not a charity association. One of our goals is certainly the humanitarian work and the support of people in need, this is not the only aim of our Order. To join to an aid organization in order to help the others is definitely very important and the charity of many is more important that the single one. But our main aim is to collect important resources by our initiatives, stimulating donations and sponsors. Help someone to let him overcome the difficulties of the day is important, but cannot solve his problem. Trying to get rid of the cause of his troubles is more difficult but by the time its effect is more significant. Many resources are required to realize this and they cannot be gathered only by collecting money during each Chapter or begging or cleaning the windscreens along the streets in the name of poverty. Is not the humiliation of ourselves that can exalt, but the results that can be reached in another way. We must make fruitful our wit, professionalism and knowledge in order to get approvals and founds to address to long-lasting works.
Our Order is founded on the transparency of the rules, actions and men. For many centuries Templars have been considered as shrouded in a mysterious and magic, esoteric and occult halo. It has been said and believed everything about them: secret Masters, rituals that could not be made known under pain of death, secret or blasphemous ceremonies, astral connections and magic practices, historical, archaeological, spiritualist or genealogical fantastic interpretations and totally uncalled-for reconstructions.
It was because of these assumptions and impeachments that our ancient Templar brothers were imprisoned, tortured and killed. Anybody could provide evidence of the truthfulness of these indictments, but on them it has been creating a legend which is still the source of a huge market of occultist foolishness.
Our Order makes public its rules, presents its structure and activities, there is no secret order neither secret is the list of its members. All this is very important for us. It is for this same reason that all the national sections rightfully respect the legal and civil system of each host country and the statute of our Order has been legitimately registered in Switzerland and was officially recognized by United Nations as ONG.
Our Order has specific cultural aims: revaluing medieval world as the root of our civilization; re-establishing some historical facts that were changed or misunderstood on the basis of inexact texts- often contradictory and patched up somehow or other just to get money at the end of the first millennium; reviving the old Templar principles according to modern world.
These challenges are very important facing up to the spreading intolerance and lack of culture. Because knowledge is the basis of tolerance and the tolerance and respect are the basis of peace.
Because we are “Milites Templi”, and then soldiers, we know exactly the atrocities of gone and present wars. Peace is a precious, primary and absolute blessing to be pursued not by the weapons but by the mental power, culture and understanding, identifying ourselves as all identities of the same humankind.
This is the goal of our Academy: it is very important and for it we gather together bright and strong-willed women ad men, to help to grow upcoming men for a better world.
The main goal of our Order is to contribute to better develop mankind. This does not mean to create a “homo novus”, but to look into ourselves for the limit of our aspirations and the roots of our common human being. It is possible to build up a better society on the basis of tolerance of the ideas and respect of man, the society that we think can be a true Templar humanity.
Never before man has never had so much at his disposal and so man -maybe thousands and thousands- men have so little and must live along with the spectres of prejudice, disease, hunger and poverty: the four not so new Apocalypse Knights.
Is really the Middle Age so far?
We must understand the reasons of the others, make the resources of innovation fruitful and share them, try to spread the economical welfare, primary condition of healthy spirit, that today is achievable but still available, and in a bad way, just to a small part of the people of the world. We do not have great resources but strong ambitions: on the basis on the culture of the example, we aim to a spirited society. The Order does not, and should not, engage in politics. But we want, day by day and starting from the present, offer an example to demonstrate that things could be different, better.
This is the society we hope for. An emulating society for the common benefit.
Grand Prior of Italy
Stelio W. Venceslai G.C.K.T. – G.C.T.J.
Our Motto
Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da gloriam