16 October 2007: The Truth Will Out (at a price)

The Knights Templar, the medieval Christian order disbanded under accusations of heresy and sexual misconduct, will soon be partly rehabilitated when the Vatican publishes trial documents it has kept closely guarded for 700 years.

The Templars were founded in 1119 by knights, to protect Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. They amassed enormous wealth, and legends abound of their hidden treasures, secret rituals and power. In the recent bestseller "The Da Vinci Code" the Knights are portrayed as guardians of the legendary Holy Grail.

After Muslims re-conquered the Holy Land at the end of the 13th century the Templars were accused of heresy by King Philip IV of France. Members of the Order were burned at the stake and, despite his conviction that the Templars were not guilty, in 1312 Pope Clement ordered the Order disbanded. Many thing the Templars had been falsely accused, by people jealous of their wealth and power.

Now, if you want to make up your own mind, a reproduction of the minutes of the trials against the Templars is about to be published. The Papal Inquiry into the Trial of the Templars will be available from the Vatican on 25th October.

Be prepared to pay about 4,000 pounds for a copy.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar]