Do the Knights Templar Still Exist Today?
The question of whether the Knights Templar still exist today is one of the most frequently asked questions about the Order. The answer depends, in large part, on what is meant by “still exist.” If the question is whether there are any organizations that claim descent from the medieval Order, the answer is yes — there are many such organizations. If the question is whether any of these organizations are the direct continuation of the medieval Order, the answer is no — most mainstream historians reject the claims of continuity.
This article examines the modern organizations that claim descent from the Templars. It is a companion to The Modern Legacy of the Knights Templar and to Templar Mythology, Symbolism and Hidden Knowledge.
The Suppression in 1312
The medieval Order of the Temple was suppressed by Pope Clement V in March 1312, with the bull Vox in Excelso. The bull was the formal end of the Order, although the bull’s careful legal language — “not by way of definitive sentence” but “by way of apostolic provision” — has been the basis of later claims by some organizations that the Order was never formally dissolved.
The story of the suppression. See The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar.
The “Surviving Order” Myth
Almost as soon as the suppression was announced, legends began to circulate that the Order had survived in secret. The most famous such legend involves the appointment of a “successor” Grand Master and the establishment of a clandestine organization that continued the medieval Order in secret.
The most important version of the legend is the Scottish Rite legend, which claims that the Order survived in Scotland under the protection of the Sinclair family. The legend. See Rosslyn Chapel and the Sinclair Connection.
The Modern Orders of Chivalry
The most direct modern heirs of the medieval Order are the various chivalric orders that claim descent from the Templars. The two largest modern organizations that claim such descent are:
- The Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH), founded in 1702. The OSMTH is one of the oldest modern organizations claiming Templar descent. It has thousands of members around the world, with national Grand Priories in Europe, the Americas, and beyond. The OSMTH is recognized by the International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC) as a private international order.
- The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (OSMTJ), founded in 1804. The OSMTJ is another major organization claiming Templar descent. It also has thousands of members around the world. The OSMTJ is recognized by some national governments and by some chivalric bodies.
Both organizations claim a direct line of succession from the medieval Order, although most mainstream historians do not accept these claims. The organizations are private or dynastic orders, and they are not part of the Roman Catholic Church’s official structure.
The modern legacy. See The Modern Legacy of the Knights Templar.
The Masonic Knights Templar
The Masonic Knights Templar are a degree within the York Rite of Freemasonry, one of the two main branches of Anglo-American Freemasonry. The Masonic Knights Templar are organized into Grand Encampments, with the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States being the largest, with hundreds of thousands of members.
The Masonic Knights Templar are not a continuation of the medieval Order, although they do claim a “chivalric” tradition. The Masonic Knights Templar draw on the medieval Order for their symbolism, their regalia, and their ceremony, but the actual historical connection is, at best, indirect.
The connection between the Templars and the Freemasons. See The Templars and the Freemasons.
The Order of Christ in Portugal
The most direct continuation of the medieval Templars in the Iberian Peninsula is the Order of Christ (Ordem de Cristo), founded in Portugal in 1319 as the official successor to the Portuguese branch of the Templars. The Order of Christ inherited the Portuguese Templars’ properties, including the Convent of Christ in Tomar, and it went on to play a central role in the Age of Discovery and in the Portuguese Empire.
The Order of Christ was officially suppressed in 1834, but the title was revived in the twentieth century as a decoration of the Portuguese Republic. The Order’s history. See The Order of Christ in Portugal.
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), formally the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, is the direct continuation of the Knights Hospitaller, the other great military religious order of the Crusades. The SMOM is recognized as a sovereign entity under international law, and it has diplomatic relations with many countries and with the United Nations.
The SMOM is not a continuation of the Templars, but it is the most direct heir of the Hospitaller tradition. The story of the Hospitallers. See The Military Orders of the Crusades.
The “Imitation” Orders
In addition to the major organizations listed above, there are a number of smaller organizations that claim descent from the Templars. These include several Rosicrucian-inspired groups and various self-styled “sovereign” orders that emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Most of these are private or fraternal orders with no recognition from the International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC) or from any national government. Some are occult or esoteric organizations that use Templar imagery and ritual.
The Catholic Church and the Templar Legacy
The Roman Catholic Church has never restored the Order of the Temple, and the bull Vox in Excelso remains in effect. The Catholic Church has, however, taken a number of positions on the legacy of the Templars:
- The Vatican has rejected the claims of modern neo-Templar organizations.
- The Catholic Church has issued statements warning against the idea of a Masonic-Templar connection.
- The Holy See has rejected the claim that the Order’s leader, Jacques de Molay, was a martyr.
The Catholic Church’s position on the Templars. See The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar.
The Modern Heritage
The Templar legacy is preserved in a number of ways in the modern world. The most important are:
- Historical scholarship: The Templars are the subject of a rich and growing body of historical scholarship, and the Order is now well understood.
- Tourism: The Templar sites across Europe, including Temple Church in London, the Convent of Christ in Tomar, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, are major tourist destinations.
- Popular culture: The Templars are the subject of countless novels, films, video games, and documentaries, and they remain one of the most popular subjects of medieval history in popular culture.
- Modern chivalric orders: The various chivalric orders that claim descent from the Templars continue to operate in many countries.
The modern legacy. See The Modern Legacy of the Knights Templar.
Conclusion
The question of whether the Knights Templar still exist today depends, in large part, on what is meant by “still exist.” If the question is whether any organizations claim descent from the medieval Order, the answer is yes — there are many such organizations. If the question is whether any of these organizations are the direct continuation of the medieval Order, the answer is no — most mainstream historians reject the claims of continuity. The modern legacy of the Order. See The Modern Legacy of the Knights Templar.