The Connection Between the Knights Templar and Operative Masons
Presentation, by R.W. Bro. James Kirk-White,
Guest Speaker, Muskoka Scottish Rite Club, Nov. 28, 2005, Port Carling, Ontario

Brethren, my intention tonight is to attempt to make your eyes pop-out several times during the next 15 minutes. However there exists the probability that some of you knowledgeable brethren will just simply roll your eyes instead. This is fine with me, however, snoring will not be permitted.

During my researches on all things Masonic, I have discovered that there are scores of Templar experts, just as there are many Knight Templar organizations thru-out the world, all claiming to be the original descendants in one form or another of the famous Order.

One such organization I contacted is called the Rosslyn Templars. They have an interesting website located in the UK, and have strong roots to Rosslyn Chapel and the Sinclair family.

I contacted them for information on the name of the document that was mentioned in the Vatican’s two hour video, denouncing the best selling book, the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. This fictional book is extremely popular through-out the world, and because it has painted the Vatican poorly, and the Knights Templars as victims of greed and unholy power, the Vatican decided Dan Brown must be discredited for writing this fictional book.

And suddenly, after hundreds of years of continued vilifying of the Templar Order, there appears an ancient document, supposedly authored by Pope Clements V, who was the Pope guilty of collaborating with the King of France in the perpetration of the original evil deed. About 2 years ago this document was leaked to several creditable news organizations and is referred to as the Chinon Parchment. A book on the matter is currently being written by an Italian editor.

It stated that Pope Clement V wisely used his own department of inquisition and found the Templars innocent of heresy. However he failed to convey the results in time. The purpose of the release is to absolve Pope Clements V of any wrong doing towards the Knights Templar thereby placing the entire blame on Philip the Fair, King of France. I personally see it as an attempt to re-write history, and when this book is published, I believe it will create much controversy.

The Rosslyn Templar member, and director, that I contacted for the information was, Robert Currie, who, answered my request by email, and since he makes an interesting point, I will quote his reply in its entirety:
“Hi James, The document that has apparently came to light is known as the "Chinon Parchment". It is supposed to be an admission of the Vatican by Clement V that he found the Templars to be innocent. A search of the web should reveal several links to this document. I am however interested in your statement that more information should be made available to Masons? I take it from that, you regard the Masonic order as having come from the Templars. Something which myself and others of this site unfortunately don't agree with. Regards, Bob Currie.”

In answer, I sent Bob a paper that I had just co-incidentally written for our Study group regarding a fascinating book called, “The Secret History of Freemasonry -Its Origins and Connection to the Knights Templar” - by Ill. Bro. Paul Naudon, 33º. I recommended that he might give it a read.

Paul Naudon is a distinguished law scholar, specializing in the history of civil law and institutions. He is also a Freemason who has held many high ranking posts in France, including that of Grand Prior of the Gauls (Rectified Scottish Rite) and State Minister for the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. He lives in France and first published his book in 1991. It was then translated and published in English in 2005.

During my 40 years of real estate experience I discovered that a great deal of genealogical information can be gleaned from property ownership records and archives, thusly I soon became a believer in Naudon’s conclusions which are based on his meticulous research using ancient, property archives.
Paul Naudon’s professional status, and his willingness to lend his expertise to this Masonic subject provides a most unique approach in uncovering the truth.

Historians often make a sharp distinction between the operative Masonry of the Middle Ages and the speculative Masonry of modern times, emphasizing that there is no direct bridge connecting the two. Modern historians also have scoffed at Masonic claims concerning the close relationship between the Lodge and the Temple. They obviously have not read Naudon’s book.

Using medieval archives housed throughout Europe, historian Paul Naudon reveals that there was in fact a very intimate connection between the Masons and the Knights Templar. Church records of medieval Paris show that most, if not all, the Masons of that time were residents of the Templar censive district, which allowed them to enjoy great exemptions and liberties from both church and state as a result of the protection afforded them by this powerful Templar order.

The Templar’s European endeavour began in the early 1100s, when a request was made to King Louis VI by Father Bernard (later St. Bernard), and the Templars were given a place to build a church in Paris just outside the city walls. By 1147 they had several spacious buildings within Paris. By 1247, in less then 100 years, documents show their holdings covered one third of Paris.

The Templars were granted great rights within their domain, and those rights were confirmed by the placement of the Order’s Coat of Arms on the facades of their buildings. Inside this huge domain, the Templars ruled as masters, the Order was sovereign, both spiritually and temporally. (the Church and the King)

Circumstances eventually caused many craftsmen to seek protection in the sovereign censive district of the Templars. It seems that not only were the Templars inventors of the first banking system, but creators of the first labourers'’ union. Craftsmen who opted to join the Templars, received spiritual guidance, health and welfare benefits for their families, better payment and fewer taxes then if they opted to work outside the Templar domain. It was during this time when the Notre Dame de Paris and hundreds of other impressive buildings were erected. The amazing achievement of Notre Dame, with its wondrous flying buttresses, is impressive to view even by contemporary perspectives. It is believed they used secret technology to accomplish the feat.

The survival of Templar communities and their franchises after the dissolution of the Order in 1312 is well documented. The Hospitallers, who were known as the Knights of Rhodes since 1309 and later the Knights of Malta in 1530 were made surrogate holders of the manorial rights of the Templars, and over the centuries preserved them with all the privileges of their predecessors.

There was never any legal confusion between the Hospitaller’s own domain and what they owned in the name of the ex-commandery of the Temple, and the homage that was once rendered to the Templars was thus transferred to the Knights of Malta.

The Templar communities of craftsmen did not disappear along with the Order. The right of asylum in the Templar domain was reconfirmed to the Hospitaller even as late as 1539, over 200 years later. And the right of franchise within the Templar censive district survived intact until the end of the seventeenth century and even traces can be seen in a memorandum from 1701 -almost 400 yrs later.

The bond between the Templars and the masons were so strong that traces of it remained for centuries. The author details many recorded and documented examples of the same. Paul Naudon’s research and many other serious books have left no room for doubt in my mind about the Templar’s connection with Freemasonry. I shall leave that story here, and recommend you read this book as there is much more to discover, for what I have just stated is only snippets from the first half of his book.

Since I don’t have much time tonight, I would like to move on in order to discuss a Knights Templar secret, since it is also a Masonic secret as well -a secret that will make your eyes pop -while their rolling.

Another brilliant Masonic writer that I enjoy, is Laurence Gardner. He is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a constitutional historian, a Professional Member of the institute of Nanotechnology, the Jacobite Historiographer Royal and the bestselling author of the following books, Bloodline of the Holy Grail, Realm of the Ring Lords, Genesis of the Grail Kings, Lost Secrets of the Sacred Ark, The Shadow of Solomon, and The Magdalene Legacy.

Gardner was for over 20 years a U.K. Mason, having to demit due to conflicts of interest with his chosen field. He is well aware of the secrets and mysteries of speculative Masonry and it is this awareness, and love of the Craft, that has inspired his direction of research and thus his many great books.

I enjoyed reading his Bloodline of the Holy Grail and have just finished his Shadow of Solomon, which is about the lost secrets of the Freemasons revealed. Both recommended reads. However the current book of Gardner’s that I am reading is called, The Secrets of the Sacred Ark which is about the amazing revelations of the incredible power of gold.

The Ark of the Covenant is displayed upon the seal of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, as well as England’s. Due to this fact, I have been drawn to explore this subject. No doubt, Gardner’s interest in nanotechnology inspired this Ark manuscript, and it is his scientific status which lends credibility to this exposure of an unbelievable secret.

Repeatedly, and through-out history, Masonry, including the Knights Templar, have been linked with the Ark of the Covenant and the secret power it possesses, and for this reason I now share a few, brief comments about this fascinating subject.

According to modern science, the Ark of the Covenant is quite capable of doing everything that the Old Testament says it did because it was in reality a superconductor. It was said to levitate, it could blow down thick stone walls, it could cause plaques and instant death, cut and raise massive stone blocks. The Ark’s size was such that, considering the amount of gold it contained, it weighed over 2,700 lbs. Yet four priests were able to carry it, at the head of the Israelite throng, for over 40 years of wandering. They used a couple of wooden poles for handles, and fancy aprons with inlaid special stones for protection – but how?

This same Ark was used by Solomon to create the ‘special bread’ requested by King Tyre as the only payment for the tons of gold he presented to Solomon for the building of the Temple. The said bread was used to feed King Tyre’s family in order to increase their wisdom and provide them with good health. The bread was made from white powder -the remains of an action rendered upon gold.

This white powder carried several names thru-out history. Ancient Egyptians called it Mfkzt, King Solomon called it bread or manna, in later history it became known as the Philosopher’s Stone. It is portrayed in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics as a cone shaped loaf of bread often presented ceremoniously, on a tray, to a Pharaoh or Queen. It is symbolized by a point within a circle, the ancient symbol of light.

This white powder was the product of an ancient technology which could take 24 kt gold and reduce it to a powder, and the technology was within the Ark, a superconductor. Moses demonstrated this when he came down from the mountain and used fire to destroy the golden idol, and then fed the ashes to the people -obviously, melted gold can not be eaten. However, according to the Old Testament, and earlier ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, the white powder seemed quite palatable.

Returning to the Ark, the brilliant light which would be expelled between the wings of the cherubs on the mercy-seat of the Ark was devastating; it could blow up extremely thick walls of stone protecting a city, and the story of the servant who thought the Ark was falling, touched it to prevent the accident and was instantly killed by it, is now quite plausible.

King Solomon and the special family/tribe of Priests called Levites, (meaning levitation) were the only ones capable of handling the vessel safely. And when it rested within the Holy of Holies, the Ark is said to have levitated 3 inches above the floor.

This wondrous white powder, when cold, weighs 100 times the weight of the gold used, and when heated, weighs less then nothing. The vessel it rests upon will also weigh less then nothing and would levitate. This powder, as it grew lighter, would disappear in a flash of light, yet it still remained in place -so where does it go? Brethren, this pile of white powder, now referred to as an exotic element, when, in cooperation with a superconductor, enters into a parallel dimension.

This, Ill. Sirs, is where the study of Masonic secrets and histories has led me to date -into the world of Meta physics, quantum physics and tomorrow.

My brethren I have run out of time, so further discussion about the lost secrets of the Sacred Ark will just have to wait until another time. I can assure you it’s fascinating.

I would like to conclude with a final thought, the lost secrets of Masonry are quickly becoming evident. If not to Masons in general, they are to the elite of science… and these secrets will propel the societies of tomorrow.

You may now put your eyes back into their sockets.
Thank you very much.

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