The Knights Templar was officially recognized by the Catholic Church in the Year 1139 in a Papal Bull an official declaration by the Pope of the time, several decades after they were founded in the European country of France.
The Idea behind creating the order was to provide a force that could protect Christian Pilgrims in their dangerous trips across regions of the Holylands.
Hugues de Payens or Payns was a French Nobleman born in 1070, he was the co-founder and the first Grand Master of the Knight’s Templar.
Hugues de Payens
Together with Bernard of Clairvaux a French Abbott, he helped create the Latin Rule which was a set of rules or the code of behavior for the Knights Templar Order.
Bernard of Clairvaux
It is widely recognized that Bernard of Clairvaux (a French abbot) and the Nobleman ‘Hugues de Payens’ founded the Knights Templar in the year 1119.
The Identity of Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 20 August 1153) is fairly straightforward to establish and there is much more readily available and accurate information about him than ‘Hugues de Payens’.
Bernard Clairvaux is historically recorded as being a French abbot and a major leader in the reform of Benedictine monasticism.
Bernard Clairvaux outlined the structure and idea of the Knights Templars when he attended the Council of Troyes, at which he traced the outlines of the Rules of the Knights Templar, this would quickly become the ideal of Christian nobility throughout Europe.
Bernard was a strong supporter of Pope Innocent II, he became a powerful preacher against heresy which was a belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine.
He was a strong supporter of the Christian Crusades and helped a recruitment drive for the Second Crusade at the ‘Council of Vézelay’ in the year 1146.
Bernard Bernard of Clairvaux served as a Monk for 40 years and died at the age of 63
Hugues de Payens died on the 24 May 1136
No one can argue that the knights’ templar became one of the most Powerful and Famous organizations in history, they are still surrounded by mystery and conspiracy theories to this very day!
