Dear John,
To quote the Catholic Encyclopaedia as a source of accurate statements of
Catholic Dogma, Belief and propaganda is fine. However to rely upon it when
it claims the continuance of an heretical and papally suppressed
organsation, espcially when the said encyclopaedia is being somewhat
economical with the truth, is a trifle provocative or even naive.
Catholic teaching tells us hat the Pope is the supreme authority - God's
personal representative on earth. Later Holy Mother the Church declared that
the Pope, speaking ex-cathedra on matters of faith and morals is, in fact,
infallible - absolutely incable of error. Heresy certainly lies within the
remit of statements of faith.
The Pope suppressed the Order of the Knights Templar.His rule was absolute.
The carefully chosen mis-use of terminology by the present Catholic
Encyclopaedia in suggesting that the Order of the Temple continued
officially with papal blessing after the Pope himself had suppressed it,
would do credit to the Stalinist revisionist historians of the late and
unlamented USSR.
How could the Knights of Christ be honestly described in the long term as a
direct and official continuation of the original order when:
1) the original order was, under papal, orders, supressed and disibanded and
its surviving members pensioned off.
2) the vow of allegiance to the pope and the pope alone through the
authority of the Grandmaster was changed to an oath of allegiance to the
King of Portugal.
3) the rules of entry were changed soon after the Knights of Christ's
foundation, to exclude all postulants who were not Portugese nationals.
4) the objectives and function of the two orders, Templar and Knights of
Christ, diverged so dramatically and so completely.
5) Templar properties, treasure and documentation in countries other than
Portugal which should (if the CE is to be believed) properly have passed to
the Knights of Christ as the heirs and continuation of the Knights Templar,
passed to the Hospitallers, the French King, the pals and cronies of the
English King and back to the families of he original donors in some cses in
Scotland.
I personally view any statement by the catholic authorities regarding anyone
investigated for, or condmened for heresy, with the gravest of suspicion.
Catholic records in the public domain regarding these and similar matters
can usefully be used as a starting line for investigation to try and find
out the truth. Did the Gestapo tel lthe truth about the belief sstem of the
Jews? If so, then perhaps we may perhaps place some reluctant credence on
official catholic sources on matters of heresy.
Best wishes
Tim