Freemasonry: The Knights Templar Connection

If you're reading this, you're probably one of the thousands of people who have become aware of the Knights Templar sometime in the past five years. For all that was truth and fiction about Dan Brown's "DaVinci Code," there's no arguing the fact that it successfully raised the awareness of the ancient order and their transition into the twenty-first century. The actual history of the Order is fascinating and any of the attached links below will provide anyone new to the topic with the basics and more.

The truth is that there are many organizations around the world that take their inspiration and their name from the historical Knights Templar. Most are charitable groups who are inspired by the Knights dedication to chivalry and their refusal to surrender during battle. The group that draws the most attention by far is the Masonic branch of Knights Templar. While the connection to the historic Knights Templar is tentative at best, Freemasons offer membership to Christian Masons on the York Rite path who have been successfully initiated into the Royal Arch. Great debates still rage concerning whether or not there was ever an "official" meeting point of Templarism and Freemasonry. Many of today's Freemasons attribute the introduction of Templar traditions to Andrew Ramsay in the year 1713, while others maintain he did nothing more that deliver a speech concerning the Templars in that same year.

Many Masonic Templars believe the truth to be less obvious. Some might argue that following the arrest of European Templars (particularly French) on Friday 13, 1307, the remaining body of Knights escaped to Scotland and eventually the New World from the port of La Rochelle. Others maintain that they gradually merged into 14th century life across Europe from Portugal or Switzerland. As these Knights were highly skilled seaman and stone masons, the eventual merging into operative masonic guilds was a matter of time.

To what extent the true values and beliefs of the ancient order have penetrated modern Freemasonry is a matter of opinion, but it is a fact that York Rite Masonic Templars take great personal pride in their connection to this unique and cherished order.

Safe Journey.