Knights Templar
The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes, and Malta, more commonly known as the Knights Templar, is a fraternal organisation that is affiliated with Freemasonry. This order is distinct from the initial degrees conferred in a regular Masonic Lodge, which require only a belief in a Supreme Being. The Knights Templar is one of several Masonic Orders where eligibility for membership is exclusively open to Freemasons who profess a belief in Christianity. The order mandates its entrants to pledge their commitment to the protection and defence of the Christian faith. The term "United" in its comprehensive title indicates the amalgamation of more than one historical tradition and more than one actual order within this system. The individual orders 'united' within this system predominantly include the Knights of the Temple (Knights Templar), the Knights of Malta, the Knights of St. Paul, and exclusively within the York Rite, the Knights of the Red Cross.
Historical relationship
The Masonic order of Knights Templar is named after the medieval Catholic military order Knights Templar. However, it does not claim any direct lineage from the original Templar order. The earliest documented association between Freemasonry and the Crusades is the 1737 oration of the Chevalier Ramsay, which postulated that European Freemasonry originated from an interaction between crusader masons and the Knights Hospitaller.
Development in England
In England, Templar masonry embarked on a new epoch in 1791 with the establishment of its inaugural Grand Conclave, under the leadership of Grand Master Thomas Dunckerley. The Grand Conclave underwent a period of decline between 1872 and 1895, subsequently being re-established as the contemporary Great Priory of England and Wales.
Organisation and membership
The Knights Templar exist either as a constituent of the York Rite or as an independent organisation, contingent on the geographical jurisdiction. Outside the York Rite, membership is exclusively by invitation. Candidates are required to be Master Masons and Royal Arch Masons and to sign a declaration professing the Doctrine of the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Local bodies of Knights Templar are referred to as Preceptories; local bodies of Knights of St. Paul are referred to as Chapters; local bodies of Knights of Malta are referred to as Priories; all of these operate under a Grand or Great Priory, often with an intermediate level of Provincial Priories.
Regalia and ritual
The degree of Knight Templar is associated with elaborate regalia, the precise details of which vary between nations. The ritual draws upon the traditions of medieval Knights Templar, using them to impart moral instruction that aligns with the biblical teachings of the Christian tradition.
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