History

Jacques de Molay

Jacques   de   Molay   (c.   1243   –   18   March   1314),   also   spelled   "Molai",   was   the   23rd   and   last   Grand   Master   of   the   Knights   Templar,   leading   the   Order   from   20   April   1298 until   it   was   dissolved   by   order   of   Pope   Clement   V   in   1312.   Though   little   is   known   of   his   actual   life   and   deeds   except   for   his   last   years   as   Grand   Master,   he   is   one   of   the best known Templars. Jacques   de   Molay's   goal   as   Grand   Master   was   to   reform   the   Order,   and   adjust   it   to   the   situation   in   the   Holy   Land   during   the   waning   days   of   the   Crusades.   As European   support   for   the   Crusades   had   dwindled,   other   forces   were   at   work   which   sought   to   disband   the   Order   and   claim   the   wealth   of   the   Templars   as   their   own. King   Philip   IV   of   France,   deeply   in   debt   to   the   Templars,   had   Molay   and   many   other   French   Templars   arrested   in   1307   and   tortured   into   making   false   confessions. When   Molay   later   retracted   his   confession,   Philip   had   him   burned   upon   a   scaffold   on   an   island   in   the   River   Seine   in   front   of   Notre   Dame   de   Paris   in   March,   1314.   The sudden end of both the centuries-old order of Templars and the dramatic execution of its last leader turned Molay into a legendary figure. Little   is   known   of   his   early   years,   but   Jacques   de   Molay   was   probably   born   in   Molay,   Haute-Saône,   in   the   County   of   Burgundy,   at   the   time   a   territory   ruled   by   Otto   III as   part   of   the   Holy   Roman   Empire,   and   in   modern   times   in   the   area   of   Franche-Comté,   northeastern   France.   His   birth   year   is   not   certain,   but   judging   by   statements made   during   the   later   trials,   was   probably   around   1250.   He   was   born,   as   most   Templar   knights   were,   into   a   family   of   minor   or   middle-ranking   nobility.   It   is   suggested that   he   was   dubbed   a   knight   at   age   21   in   1265   and   is   known   that   he   was   executed   in   1314,   aged   about   70.   If   correct,   these   dates   lead   to   the   belief   that   he   was   born about 1244. In   1265,   as   a   young   man,   he   was   received   into   the   Order   of   the   Templars   in   a   chapel   at   the   Beaune   House,   by   Humbert   de   Pairaud,   the   Visitor   of   France   and   England. Another prominent Templar in attendance was Amaury de la Roche, Templar Master of the province of France. Around 1270, Molay went to the East (Outremer), although little is recorded of his activities for the next twenty years.

Grand Master

After   the   Fall   of   Acre   to   the   Egyptian   Mamluks   in   1291,   the   Franks   (a   name   used   in   the   Levant   for   Catholic   Europeans)   who   were   able   to   do   so   retreated   to   the   island of   Cyprus.   It   became   the   headquarters   of   the   dwindling   Kingdom   of   Jerusalem,   and   the   base   of   operations   for   any   future   military   attempts   by   the   Crusaders   against the   Egyptian   Mamluks,   who   for   their   part   were   systematically   conquering   any   last   Crusader   strongholds   on   the   mainland.   Templars   in   Cyprus   included   Jacques   de Molay   and   Thibaud   Gaudin,   their   22nd   Grand   Master.   During   a   meeting   assembled   on   the   island   in   the   autumn   of   1291,   Molay   spoke   of   reforming   the   Order   and   put himself   forward   as   an   alternative   to   the   current   Grand   Master.   Gaudin   died   around   1292   and,   as   there   were   no   other   serious   contenders   for   the   role   at   the   time, Molay   was   soon   elected.   In   spring   1293,   he   began   a   tour   of   the   West   to   try   to   muster   more   support   for   a   reconquest   of   the   Holy   Land.   Developing   relationships   with European   leaders   such   as   Pope   Boniface   VIII,   Edward   I   of   England,   James   I   of   Aragon   and   Charles   II   of   Naples,   Molay's   immediate   goals   were   to   strengthen   the defence   of   Cyprus   and   rebuild   the   Templar   forces.   From   his   travels,   he   was   able   to   secure   authorization   from   some   monarchs   for   the   export   of   supplies   to   Cyprus, but   could   obtain   no   firm   commitment   for   a   new   Crusade.   There   was   talk   of   merging   the   Templars   with   one   of   the   other   military   orders,   the   Knights   Hospitaller.   The Grand Masters of both orders opposed such a merger, but pressure increased from the Papacy. It   is   known   that   Molay   held   two   general   meetings   of   his   order   in   southern   France,   at   Montpellier   in   1293   and   at   Arles   in   1296,   where   he   tried   to   make   reforms.   In   the autumn   of   1296,   Molay   was   back   in   Cyprus   to   defend   his   Order   against   the   interests   of   Henry   II   of   Cyprus,   which   conflict   had   its   roots   back   in   the   days   of   Guillaume de Beaujeu. From   1299   to   1303,   Molay   was   engaged   in   planning   and   executing   a   new   attack   against   the   Mamluks.   The   plan   was   to   coordinate   actions   between   the   Christian military   orders,   the   King   of   Cyprus,   the   nobility   of   Cyprus,   the   forces   of   Cilician   Armenia,   and   a   new   potential   ally,   the   Mongols   of   the   Ilkhanate   (Persia),   to   oppose   the Egyptian Mamluks and take back the coastal city of Tortosa in Syria. Ghazan,   the   Mongol   ruler   of   the   Ilkhanate,   sought   a   Franco-Mongol   alliance   with   the   Crusaders   against   the   Egyptian   Mamluks,   but   was   never   able   to   successfully coordinate military actions For   generations,   there   had   been   communications   between   the   Mongols   and   Europeans   towards   the   possibility   of   forging   a   Franco-Mongol   alliance   against   the Mamluks,   but   without   success.   The   Mongols   had   been   repeatedly   attempting   to   conquer   Syria   themselves,   each   time   either   being   forced   back   by   the   Egyptian Mamluks   or   having   to   retreat   because   of   a   civil   war   within   the   Mongol   Empire,   such   as   having   to   defend   from   attacks   from   the   Mongol   Golden   Horde   to   the   north.   In 1299,   the   Ilkhanate   again   attempted   to   conquer   Syria,   having   some   preliminary   success   against   the   Mamluks   in   the   Battle   of   Wadi   al-Khazandar   in   December   1299.   In 1300,   Molay   and   other   forces   from   Cyprus   put   together   a   small   fleet   of   sixteen   ships   which   committed   raids   along   the   Egyptian   and   Syrian   coasts.   The   force   was commanded   by   King   Henry   II   of   Jerusalem,   the   king   of   Cyprus,   accompanied   by   his   brother,   Amalric,   Lord   of   Tyre,   and   the   heads   of   the   military   orders,   with   the ambassador   of   the   Mongol   leader   Ghazan   also   in   attendance.   The   ships   left   Famagusta   on   20   July   1300,   and   under   the   leadership   of   Admiral   Baudouin   de   Picquigny, raided the coasts of Egypt and Syria: Rosetta, Alexandria, Acre, Tortosa and Maraclea, before returning to Cyprus. The   Cypriots   then   prepared   for   an   attack   on   Tortosa   in   late   1300,   sending   a   joint   force   to   a   staging   area   on   the   island   of   Ruad,   from   which   raids   were   launched   on   the mainland.   The   intent   was   to   establish   a   Templar   bridgehead   to   await   assistance   from   Ghazan's   Mongols,   but   the   Mongols   failed   to   appear   in   1300.   The   same happened in 1301 and 1302, and the island was finally lost in the Siege of Ruad on 26 September 1302, eliminating the Crusaders' last foothold near the mainland. Following   the   loss   of   Ruad,   Molay   abandoned   the   tactic   of   small   advance   forces,   and   instead   put   his   energies   into   trying   to   raise   support   for   a   new   major   Crusade,   as well   as   strengthening   Templar   authority   in   Cyprus.   When   a   power   struggle   erupted   between   King   Henry   II   and   his   brother   Amalric,   the   Templars   supported   Amalric, who   took   the   crown   and   had   his   brother   exiled   in   1306.   Meanwhile,   pressure   increased   in   Europe   that   the   Templars   should   be   merged   with   the   other   military   orders, perhaps all placed under the authority of one king, and that individual should become the new King of Jerusalem when it was conquered.

Travel to France

In   1305,   the   newly   elected   Pope   Clement   V   asked   the   leaders   of   the   military   orders   for   their   opinions   concerning   a   new   crusade   and   the   merging   of   their   orders. Molay   was   asked   to   write   memoranda   on   each   of   the   issues,   which   he   did   during   the   summer   of   1306.      Molay   was   opposed   to   the   merger,   believing   instead   that having   separate   military   orders   was   a   stronger   position,   as   the   missions   of   each   order   were   somewhat   different.   He   was   also   of   the   belief   that   if   there   were   to   be   a new crusade, it needed to be a large one, as the smaller attempts were not effective. On   6   June,   the   leaders   of   both   the   Templars   and   the   Hospitallers   were   officially   asked   to   come   to   the   Papal   offices   in   Poitiers   to   discuss   these   matters,   with   the   date of   the   meeting   scheduled   as   All   Saints   Day   in   1306,   though   it   later   had   to   be   postponed   due   to   the   Pope's   illness   with   gastro-enteritis.   Molay   left   Cyprus   on   15 October, arriving in France in late 1306 or early 1307; however, the meeting was again delayed until late May due to the Pope's illness. King   Philip   IV   of   France,   deeply   in   debt   to   the   Templars,   was   in   favour   of   merging   the   Orders   under   his   own   command,   thereby   making   himself   Rex   Bellator,   or   War King.   Molay,   however,   rejected   the   idea.   Philip   was   already   at   odds   with   the   papacy,   trying   to   tax   the   clergy,   and   had   been   attempting   to   assert   his   own   authority   as higher   than   that   of   the   Pope.   For   this,   one   of   Clement's   predecessors,   Pope   Boniface   VIII,   had   attempted   to   have   Philip   excommunicated,   but   Philip   then   had Boniface   abducted   and   charged   with   heresy.   The   elderly   Boniface   was   rescued,   but   then   died   of   shock   shortly   thereafter.   His   successor   Pope   Benedict   XI   did   not   last long,   dying   in   less   than   a   year,      possibly   poisoned   via   Philip's   councillor   Guillaume   de   Nogaret.   It   took   a   year   to   choose   the   next   Pope,   the   Frenchman   Clement   V,   who was   also   under   strong   pressure   to   bend   to   Philip's   will.   Clement   moved   the   Papacy   from   Italy   to   Poitiers,   France,   where   Philip   continued   to   assert   more   dominance over the Papacy and the Templars. The   Grand   Master   of   the   Hospitallers,   Fulk   de   Villaret,   was   also   delayed   in   his   travel   to   France,   as   he   was   engaged   with   a   battle   at   Rhodes.   He   did   not   arrive   until   late summer,   so   while   waiting   for   his   arrival,   Molay   met   the   Pope   to   discuss   other   matters,   one   of   which   was   the   charges   by   one   or   more   ousted   Templars   who   had   made accusations   of   impropriety   in   the   Templars'   initiation   ceremony.   Molay   had   already   spoken   with   the   king   in   Paris   on   24   June   1307   about   the   accusations   against   his order   and   was   partially   reassured.   Returning   to   Poitiers,   Molay   asked   the   Pope   to   set   up   an   inquiry   to   quickly   clear   the   Order   of   the   rumours   and   accusations surrounding it, and the Pope convened an inquiry on 24 August.

Arrest and charges

There   were   five   initial   charges   lodged   against   the   Templars.   The   first   was   renunciation   of   and   spitting   on   the   cross   during   initiation   into   the   Order.   The   second   was the   stripping   of   the   man   to   be   initiated   and   the   thrice   kissing   of   that   man   by   the   preceptor   on   the   navel,   posterior   and   mouth.   The   third   was   telling   the   neophyte (novice)   that   unnatural   lust   was   lawful   and   indulged   in   commonly.   The   fourth   was   that   the   cord   worn   by   the   neophyte   day   and   night   was   consecrated   by   wrapping   it around   an   idol   in   the   form   of   a   human   head   with   a   great   beard,   and   that   this   idol   was   adored   in   all   chapters.   The   fifth   was   that   the   priests   of   the   order   did   not consecrate   the   host   in   celebrating   Mass.   Subsequently,   the   charges   would   be   increased   and   would   become,   according   to   the   procedures,   lists   of   articles   86   to   127   in which will be added a few other charges, such as the prohibition to priests who do not belong to the order. On   14   September,   Philip   took   advantage   of   the   rumours   and   inquiry   to   begin   his   move   against   the   Templars,   sending   out   a   secret   order   to   his   agents   in   all   parts   of France   to   implement   a   mass   arrest   of   all   Templars   at   dawn   on   13   October.   Philip   wanted   the   Templars   arrested   and   their   possessions   confiscated   to   incorporate their   wealth   into   the   Royal   Treasury   and   to   be   free   of   the   enormous   debt   he   owed   the   Templar   Order.   Molay   was   in   Paris   on   12   October,   where   he   was   a   pallbearer at   the   funeral   of   Catherine   of   Courtenay,   wife   of   Count   Charles   of   Valois,   and   sister-in-law   of   King   Philip.   In   a   dawn   raid   on   Friday,   13   October   1307,   Molay   and   sixty   of his   Templar   brother   knights   were   arrested.   Philip   then   had   the   Templars   charged   with   heresy   and   many   other   trumped-up   charges,   most   of   which   were   identical   to the charges which had previously been leveled by Philip's agents against Pope Boniface VIII. During   forced   interrogation   by   royal   agents   at   the   University   of   Paris   on   24,   or   25   October,      Molay   confessed   that   the   Templar   initiation   ritual   included   "denying   Christ and   trampling   on   the   Cross".   He   was   also   forced   to   write   a   letter   asking   every   Templar   to   admit   to   these   acts.   Under   pressure   from   Philip   IV,   Pope   Clement   V   ordered the arrest of all the Templars throughout Christendom. Jacques   de   Molay   sentenced   to   the   stake   in   1314,   from   the   Chronicle   of   France   or   of   St   Denis   (fourteenth   century).   Note   the   shape   of   the   island,   representing   the   Île de la Cité (Island of the City) in the Seine, where the executions took place. The   pope   still   wanted   to   hear   Molay's   side   of   the   story,   and   dispatched   two   cardinals   to   Paris   in   December   1307.   In   front   of   the   cardinals,   Molay   retracted   his   earlier confessions.   A   power   struggle   ensued   between   the   king   and   the   pope,   which   was   settled   in   August   1308   when   they   agreed   to   split   the   convictions.   Through   the   papal bull   Faciens   misericordiam,   the   procedure   to   prosecute   the   Templars   was   set   out   on   a   duality,   whereby   one   commission   would   judge   individuals   of   the   Order   and   a different   commission   would   judge   the   Order   as   a   whole.   Pope   Clement   called   for   an   ecumenical   council   to   meet   in   Vienne   in   1310   to   decide   the   future   of   the Templars. In the meantime, the Order's dignitaries, among them Molay, were to be judged by the pope. In   the   royal   palace   at   Chinon,   Molay   was   again   questioned   by   the   cardinals,   but   this   time   with   royal   agents   present,   and   he   returned   to   his   forced   admissions   made   in 1307.   In   November   1309,   the   Papal   Commission   for   the   Kingdom   of   France   began   its   own   hearings,   during   which   Molay   again   recanted,   stating   that   he   did   not acknowledge the accusations brought against his order. Marker   at   the   site   of   Jacques   de   Molay's   execution   in   Paris.   (Translation:   At   this   location,   Jacques   de   Molay,   last   Grand   Master   of   the   Knights   Templar,   was   burned   on 18   March   1314),   located   by   the   stairs   from   the   Pont-Neuf   bridge.   The   top   half   of   this   photo   shows   the   part   of   the   island   where   the   executions   took   place.   The   lower half shows the plaque, which is on one of the pillars of the bridge, behind the trees. Any   further   opposition   by   the   Templars   was   effectively   broken   when   Philip   used   the   previously   forced   confessions   to   sentence   54   Templars   to   be   burnt   at   the   stake on 10–12 May 1310. The   council   which   had   been   called   by   the   Pope   for   1310   was   delayed   for   a   further   two   years   due   to   the   length   of   the   trials,   but   was   finally   convened   in   1312.   On   22 March 1312, at the Council of Vienne, the Order of the Knights Templar was abolished by papal decree

Death

Of Molay's death, Henry Charles Lea gives this account: "The   cardinals   dallied   with   their   duty   until   18   March   1314,   when,   on   a   scaffold   in   front   of   Notre   Dame,   Jacques   de   Molay,   Templar   Grand   Master,   Geoffroi   de   Charney, Master   of   Normandy,   Hugues   de   Peraud,   Visitor   of   France,   and   Godefroi   de   Gonneville,   Master   of   Aquitaine,   were   brought   forth   from   the   jail   in   which   for   nearly seven   years   they   had   lain,   to   receive   the   sentence   agreed   upon   by   the   cardinals,   in   conjunction   with   the   Archbishop   of   Sens   and   some   other   prelates   whom   they   had called   in.   Considering   the   offences   which   the   culprits   had   confessed   and   confirmed,   the   penance   imposed   was   in   accordance   with   rule   —   that   of   perpetual imprisonment.   The   affair   was   supposed   to   be   concluded   when,   to   the   dismay   of   the   prelates   and   wonderment   of   the   assembled   crowd,   Jacques   de   Molay   and Geoffroi   de   Charney   arose.   They   had   been   guilty,   they   said,   not   of   the   crimes   imputed   to   them,   but   of   basely   betraying   their   Order   to   save   their   own   lives.   It   was   pure and   holy;   the   charges   were   fictitious   and   the   confessions   false.   Hastily   the   cardinals   delivered   them   to   the   Prevot   of   Paris,   and   retired   to   deliberate   on   this unexpected   contingency,   but   they   were   saved   all   trouble.   When   the   news   was   carried   to   Philippe   he   was   furious.   A   short   consultation   with   his   council   only   was required.   The   canons   pronounced   that   a   relapsed   heretic   was   to   be   burned   without   a   hearing;   the   facts   were   notorious   and   no   formal   judgement   by   the   papal commission   need   be   waited   for.   That   same   day,   by   sunset,   a   pile   was   erected   on   a   small   island   in   the   Seine,   the   Ile   des   Juifs,   near   the   palace   garden.   There   de   Molay, de   Charney,   de   Gonneville,   and   de   Peraud   were   slowly   burned   to   death,   refusing   all   offers   of   pardon   for   retraction,   and   bearing   their   torment   with   a   composure which   won   for   them   the   reputation   of   martyrs   among   the   people,   who   reverently   collected   their   ashes   as   relics."   (Note:   the   account   varies   by   one   day,   not   unusual for chronicles of the middle ages) Chinon Parchment Main article: Chinon Parchment In   September   2001,   Barbara   Frale   found   a   copy   of   the   Chinon   Parchment   in   the   Vatican   Secret   Archives,   a   document   which   explicitly   confirms   that   in   1308   Pope Clement   V   absolved   Jacques   de   Molay   and   other   leaders   of   the   Order   including   Geoffroi   de   Charney   and   Hugues   de   Pairaud.   She   published   her   findings   in   the   Journal of   Medieval   History   in   2004.   Another   Chinon   parchment   dated   20   August   1308   addressed   to   Philip   IV   of   France,   well-known   to   historians,   stated   that   absolution   had been granted to all those Templars that had confessed to heresy "and restored them to the Sacraments and to the unity of the Church".
Chapel of the Beaune Commandery nowadays, where Jacques de Molay was ordinated.
The Grand Master of the Hospitallers, Fulk de Villaret
Thibaud    Gaudin    (1229?    –    April    16, 1292)    was    the    Grand    Master    of    the Knights    Templar    from    August    1291 until his death in April 1292.
In   Solo   Deo   Salus   -   Salvation   In   God Alone
P ope    Clement    V    (Latin:    Clemens    V;    c. 1264    –    20    April    1314),    born    Raymond Bertrand     de     Got     (also     occasionally spelled    de    Guoth    and    de    Goth),    was Pope   from   5   June   1305   to   his   death   in 1314.        He        is        remembered        for suppressing    the    order    of    the    Knights Templar   and   allowing   the   execution   of many   of   its   members,   and   as   the   Pope who   moved   the   Papacy   from   Rome   to Avignon,   ushering   in   the   period   known as the Avignon Papacy.
King Philip IV of France
Chinon Parchment
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History

Jacques de Molay

Jacques   de   Molay   (c.   1243   –   18   March   1314),   also   spelled   "Molai",   was   the 23rd   and   last   Grand   Master   of   the   Knights   Templar,   leading   the   Order from   20   April   1298   until   it   was   dissolved   by   order   of   Pope   Clement   V   in 1312.   Though   little   is   known   of   his   actual   life   and   deeds   except   for   his   last years as Grand Master, he is one of the best known Templars. Jacques   de   Molay's   goal   as   Grand   Master   was   to   reform   the   Order,   and adjust   it   to   the   situation   in   the   Holy   Land   during   the   waning   days   of   the Crusades.   As   European   support   for   the   Crusades   had   dwindled,   other forces   were   at   work   which   sought   to   disband   the   Order   and   claim   the wealth   of   the   Templars   as   their   own.   King   Philip   IV   of   France,   deeply   in debt    to    the    Templars,    had    Molay    and    many    other    French    Templars arrested   in   1307   and   tortured   into   making   false   confessions.   When   Molay later   retracted   his   confession,   Philip   had   him   burned   upon   a   scaffold   on an   island   in   the   River   Seine   in   front   of   Notre   Dame   de   Paris   in   March, 1314.   The   sudden   end   of   both   the   centuries-old   order   of   Templars   and the   dramatic   execution   of   its   last   leader   turned   Molay   into   a   legendary figure. Little   is   known   of   his   early   years,   but   Jacques   de   Molay   was   probably   born in   Molay,   Haute-Saône,   in   the   County   of   Burgundy,   at   the   time   a   territory ruled   by   Otto   III   as   part   of   the   Holy   Roman   Empire,   and   in   modern   times in   the   area   of   Franche-Comté,   northeastern   France.   His   birth   year   is   not certain,    but    judging    by    statements    made    during    the    later    trials,    was probably   around   1250.   He   was   born,   as   most   Templar   knights   were,   into   a family   of   minor   or   middle-ranking   nobility.   It   is   suggested   that   he   was dubbed   a   knight   at   age   21   in   1265   and   is   known   that   he   was   executed   in 1314,   aged   about   70.   If   correct,   these   dates   lead   to   the   belief   that   he   was born about 1244. In   1265,   as   a   young   man,   he   was   received   into   the   Order   of   the   Templars in   a   chapel   at   the   Beaune   House,   by   Humbert   de   Pairaud,   the   Visitor   of France    and    England.    Another    prominent    Templar    in    attendance    was Amaury de la Roche, Templar Master of the province of France. Around    1270,    Molay    went    to    the    East    (Outremer),    although    little    is recorded of his activities for the next twenty years.

Grand Master

After   the   Fall   of   Acre   to   the   Egyptian   Mamluks   in   1291,   the   Franks   (a   name used    in    the    Levant    for    Catholic    Europeans)    who    were    able    to    do    so retreated    to    the    island    of    Cyprus.    It    became    the    headquarters    of    the dwindling    Kingdom    of    Jerusalem,    and    the    base    of    operations    for    any future   military   attempts   by   the   Crusaders   against   the   Egyptian   Mamluks, who    for    their    part    were    systematically    conquering    any    last    Crusader strongholds   on   the   mainland.   Templars   in   Cyprus   included   Jacques   de Molay   and   Thibaud   Gaudin,   their   22nd   Grand   Master.   During   a   meeting assembled   on   the   island   in   the   autumn   of   1291,   Molay   spoke   of   reforming the   Order   and   put   himself   forward   as   an   alternative   to   the   current   Grand Master.   Gaudin   died   around   1292   and,   as   there   were   no   other   serious contenders   for   the   role   at   the   time,   Molay   was   soon   elected.   In   spring 1293,   he   began   a   tour   of   the   West   to   try   to   muster   more   support   for   a reconquest    of    the    Holy    Land.    Developing    relationships    with    European leaders   such   as   Pope   Boniface   VIII,   Edward   I   of   England,   James   I   of   Aragon and   Charles   II   of   Naples,   Molay's   immediate   goals   were   to   strengthen   the defence   of   Cyprus   and   rebuild   the   Templar   forces.   From   his   travels,   he was   able   to   secure   authorization   from   some   monarchs   for   the   export   of supplies    to    Cyprus,    but    could    obtain    no    firm    commitment    for    a    new Crusade.   There   was   talk   of   merging   the   Templars   with   one   of   the   other military   orders,   the   Knights   Hospitaller.   The   Grand   Masters   of   both   orders opposed such a merger, but pressure increased from the Papacy. It   is   known   that   Molay   held   two   general   meetings   of   his   order   in   southern France,   at   Montpellier   in   1293   and   at   Arles   in   1296,   where   he   tried   to make    reforms.    In    the    autumn    of    1296,    Molay    was    back    in    Cyprus    to defend   his   Order   against   the   interests   of   Henry   II   of   Cyprus,   which   conflict had its roots back in the days of Guillaume de Beaujeu. From   1299   to   1303,   Molay   was   engaged   in   planning   and   executing   a   new attack   against   the   Mamluks.   The   plan   was   to   coordinate   actions   between the   Christian   military   orders,   the   King   of   Cyprus,   the   nobility   of   Cyprus, the   forces   of   Cilician   Armenia,   and   a   new   potential   ally,   the   Mongols   of   the Ilkhanate   (Persia),   to   oppose   the   Egyptian   Mamluks   and   take   back   the coastal city of Tortosa in Syria. Ghazan,    the    Mongol    ruler    of    the    Ilkhanate,    sought    a    Franco-Mongol alliance   with   the   Crusaders   against   the   Egyptian   Mamluks,   but   was   never able to successfully coordinate military actions For   generations,   there   had   been   communications   between   the   Mongols and   Europeans   towards   the   possibility   of   forging   a   Franco-Mongol   alliance against    the    Mamluks,    but    without    success.    The    Mongols    had    been repeatedly    attempting    to    conquer    Syria    themselves,    each    time    either being   forced   back   by   the   Egyptian   Mamluks   or   having   to   retreat   because of   a   civil   war   within   the   Mongol   Empire,   such   as   having   to   defend   from attacks    from    the    Mongol    Golden    Horde    to    the    north.    In    1299,    the Ilkhanate    again    attempted    to    conquer    Syria,    having    some    preliminary success    against    the    Mamluks    in    the    Battle    of    Wadi    al-Khazandar    in December    1299.    In    1300,    Molay    and    other    forces    from    Cyprus    put together   a   small   fleet   of   sixteen   ships   which   committed   raids   along   the Egyptian   and   Syrian   coasts.   The   force   was   commanded   by   King   Henry   II   of Jerusalem,   the   king   of   Cyprus,   accompanied   by   his   brother,   Amalric,   Lord of   Tyre,   and   the   heads   of   the   military   orders,   with   the   ambassador   of   the Mongol   leader   Ghazan   also   in   attendance.   The   ships   left   Famagusta   on   20 July   1300,   and   under   the   leadership   of   Admiral   Baudouin   de   Picquigny, raided   the   coasts   of   Egypt   and   Syria:   Rosetta,   Alexandria,   Acre,   Tortosa and Maraclea, before returning to Cyprus. The   Cypriots   then   prepared   for   an   attack   on   Tortosa   in   late   1300,   sending a   joint   force   to   a   staging   area   on   the   island   of   Ruad,   from   which   raids were   launched   on   the   mainland.   The   intent   was   to   establish   a   Templar bridgehead   to   await   assistance   from   Ghazan's   Mongols,   but   the   Mongols failed   to   appear   in   1300.   The   same   happened   in   1301   and   1302,   and   the island    was    finally    lost    in    the    Siege    of    Ruad    on    26    September    1302, eliminating the Crusaders' last foothold near the mainland. Following   the   loss   of   Ruad,   Molay   abandoned   the   tactic   of   small   advance forces,   and   instead   put   his   energies   into   trying   to   raise   support   for   a   new major    Crusade,    as    well    as    strengthening    Templar    authority    in    Cyprus. When   a   power   struggle   erupted   between   King   Henry   II   and   his   brother Amalric,   the   Templars   supported   Amalric,   who   took   the   crown   and   had   his brother   exiled   in   1306.   Meanwhile,   pressure   increased   in   Europe   that   the Templars   should   be   merged   with   the   other   military   orders,   perhaps   all placed    under    the    authority    of    one    king,    and    that    individual    should become the new King of Jerusalem when it was conquered.

Travel to France

In    1305,    the    newly    elected    Pope    Clement    V    asked    the    leaders    of    the military    orders    for    their    opinions    concerning    a    new    crusade    and    the merging   of   their   orders.   Molay   was   asked   to   write   memoranda   on   each   of the   issues,   which   he   did   during   the   summer   of   1306.      Molay   was   opposed to   the   merger,   believing   instead   that   having   separate   military   orders   was a    stronger    position,    as    the    missions    of    each    order    were    somewhat different.   He   was   also   of   the   belief   that   if   there   were   to   be   a   new   crusade, it needed to be a large one, as the smaller attempts were not effective. On   6   June,   the   leaders   of   both   the   Templars   and   the   Hospitallers   were officially   asked   to   come   to   the   Papal   offices   in   Poitiers   to   discuss   these matters,   with   the   date   of   the   meeting   scheduled   as   All   Saints   Day   in   1306, though   it   later   had   to   be   postponed   due   to   the   Pope's   illness   with   gastro- enteritis.   Molay   left   Cyprus   on   15   October,   arriving   in   France   in   late   1306 or   early   1307;   however,   the   meeting   was   again   delayed   until   late   May   due to the Pope's illness. King   Philip   IV   of   France,   deeply   in   debt   to   the   Templars,   was   in   favour   of merging   the   Orders   under   his   own   command,   thereby   making   himself   Rex Bellator,    or    War    King.    Molay,    however,    rejected    the    idea.    Philip    was already   at   odds   with   the   papacy,   trying   to   tax   the   clergy,   and   had   been attempting   to   assert   his   own   authority   as   higher   than   that   of   the   Pope. For     this,     one     of     Clement's     predecessors,     Pope     Boniface     VIII,     had attempted   to   have   Philip   excommunicated,   but   Philip   then   had   Boniface abducted   and   charged   with   heresy.   The   elderly   Boniface   was   rescued,   but then   died   of   shock   shortly   thereafter.   His   successor   Pope   Benedict   XI   did not   last   long,   dying   in   less   than   a   year,      possibly   poisoned   via   Philip's councillor   Guillaume   de   Nogaret.   It   took   a   year   to   choose   the   next   Pope, the   Frenchman   Clement   V,   who   was   also   under   strong   pressure   to   bend to   Philip's   will.   Clement   moved   the   Papacy   from   Italy   to   Poitiers,   France, where   Philip   continued   to   assert   more   dominance   over   the   Papacy   and the Templars. The   Grand   Master   of   the   Hospitallers,   Fulk   de   Villaret,   was   also   delayed   in his   travel   to   France,   as   he   was   engaged   with   a   battle   at   Rhodes.   He   did   not arrive   until   late   summer,   so   while   waiting   for   his   arrival,   Molay   met   the Pope   to   discuss   other   matters,   one   of   which   was   the   charges   by   one   or more   ousted   Templars   who   had   made   accusations   of   impropriety   in   the Templars'   initiation   ceremony.   Molay   had   already   spoken   with   the   king   in Paris   on   24   June   1307   about   the   accusations   against   his   order   and   was partially   reassured.   Returning   to   Poitiers,   Molay   asked   the   Pope   to   set   up an   inquiry   to   quickly   clear   the   Order   of   the   rumours   and   accusations surrounding it, and the Pope convened an inquiry on 24 August.

Arrest and charges

There   were   five   initial   charges   lodged   against   the   Templars.   The   first   was renunciation   of   and   spitting   on   the   cross   during   initiation   into   the   Order. The   second   was   the   stripping   of   the   man   to   be   initiated   and   the   thrice kissing   of   that   man   by   the   preceptor   on   the   navel,   posterior   and   mouth. The   third   was   telling   the   neophyte   (novice)   that   unnatural   lust   was   lawful and   indulged   in   commonly.   The   fourth   was   that   the   cord   worn   by   the neophyte   day   and   night   was   consecrated   by   wrapping   it   around   an   idol   in the   form   of   a   human   head   with   a   great   beard,   and   that   this   idol   was adored   in   all   chapters.   The   fifth   was   that   the   priests   of   the   order   did   not consecrate   the   host   in   celebrating   Mass.   Subsequently,   the   charges   would be   increased   and   would   become,   according   to   the   procedures,   lists   of articles   86   to   127   in   which   will   be   added   a   few   other   charges,   such   as   the prohibition to priests who do not belong to the order. On   14   September,   Philip   took   advantage   of   the   rumours   and   inquiry   to begin   his   move   against   the   Templars,   sending   out   a   secret   order   to   his agents   in   all   parts   of   France   to   implement   a   mass   arrest   of   all   Templars   at dawn    on    13    October.    Philip    wanted    the    Templars    arrested    and    their possessions    confiscated    to    incorporate    their    wealth    into    the    Royal Treasury   and   to   be   free   of   the   enormous   debt   he   owed   the   Templar Order.   Molay   was   in   Paris   on   12   October,   where   he   was   a   pallbearer   at the   funeral   of   Catherine   of   Courtenay,   wife   of   Count   Charles   of   Valois,   and sister-in-law   of   King   Philip.   In   a   dawn   raid   on   Friday,   13   October   1307, Molay   and   sixty   of   his   Templar   brother   knights   were   arrested.   Philip   then had    the    Templars    charged    with    heresy    and    many    other    trumped-up charges,   most   of   which   were   identical   to   the   charges   which   had   previously been leveled by Philip's agents against Pope Boniface VIII. During   forced   interrogation   by   royal   agents   at   the   University   of   Paris   on 24,   or   25   October,      Molay   confessed   that   the   Templar   initiation   ritual included   "denying   Christ   and   trampling   on   the   Cross".   He   was   also   forced to    write    a    letter    asking    every    Templar    to    admit    to    these    acts.    Under pressure   from   Philip   IV,   Pope   Clement   V   ordered   the   arrest   of   all   the Templars throughout Christendom. Jacques   de   Molay   sentenced   to   the   stake   in   1314,   from   the   Chronicle   of France   or   of   St   Denis   (fourteenth   century).   Note   the   shape   of   the   island, representing   the   Île   de   la   Cité   (Island   of   the   City)   in   the   Seine,   where   the executions took place. The   pope   still   wanted   to   hear   Molay's   side   of   the   story,   and   dispatched two   cardinals   to   Paris   in   December   1307.   In   front   of   the   cardinals,   Molay retracted   his   earlier   confessions.   A   power   struggle   ensued   between   the king   and   the   pope,   which   was   settled   in   August   1308   when   they   agreed   to split   the   convictions.   Through   the   papal   bull   Faciens   misericordiam,   the procedure   to   prosecute   the   Templars   was   set   out   on   a   duality,   whereby one   commission   would   judge   individuals   of   the   Order   and   a   different commission   would   judge   the   Order   as   a   whole.   Pope   Clement   called   for an   ecumenical   council   to   meet   in   Vienne   in   1310   to   decide   the   future   of the    Templars.    In    the    meantime,    the    Order's    dignitaries,    among    them Molay, were to be judged by the pope. In    the    royal    palace    at    Chinon,    Molay    was    again    questioned    by    the cardinals,   but   this   time   with   royal   agents   present,   and   he   returned   to   his forced     admissions     made     in     1307.     In     November     1309,     the     Papal Commission   for   the   Kingdom   of   France   began   its   own   hearings,   during which   Molay   again   recanted,   stating   that   he   did   not   acknowledge   the accusations brought against his order. Marker   at   the   site   of   Jacques   de   Molay's   execution   in   Paris.   (Translation:   At this   location,   Jacques   de   Molay,   last   Grand   Master   of   the   Knights   Templar, was   burned   on   18   March   1314),   located   by   the   stairs   from   the   Pont-Neuf bridge.   The   top   half   of   this   photo   shows   the   part   of   the   island   where   the executions   took   place.   The   lower   half   shows   the   plaque,   which   is   on   one of the pillars of the bridge, behind the trees. Any    further    opposition    by    the    Templars    was    effectively    broken    when Philip   used   the   previously   forced   confessions   to   sentence   54   Templars   to be burnt at the stake on 10–12 May 1310. The   council   which   had   been   called   by   the   Pope   for   1310   was   delayed   for   a further   two   years   due   to   the   length   of   the   trials,   but   was   finally   convened in   1312.   On   22   March   1312,   at   the   Council   of   Vienne,   the   Order   of   the Knights Templar was abolished by papal decree

Death

Of Molay's death, Henry Charles Lea gives this account: "The   cardinals   dallied   with   their   duty   until   18   March   1314,   when,   on   a scaffold   in   front   of   Notre   Dame,   Jacques   de   Molay,   Templar   Grand   Master, Geoffroi   de   Charney,   Master   of   Normandy,   Hugues   de   Peraud,   Visitor   of France,   and   Godefroi   de   Gonneville,   Master   of   Aquitaine,   were   brought forth   from   the   jail   in   which   for   nearly   seven   years   they   had   lain,   to   receive the    sentence    agreed    upon    by    the    cardinals,    in    conjunction    with    the Archbishop   of   Sens   and   some   other   prelates   whom   they   had   called   in. Considering     the     offences     which     the     culprits     had     confessed     and confirmed,   the   penance   imposed   was   in   accordance   with   rule   —   that   of perpetual   imprisonment.   The   affair   was   supposed   to   be   concluded   when, to   the   dismay   of   the   prelates   and   wonderment   of   the   assembled   crowd, Jacques   de   Molay   and   Geoffroi   de   Charney   arose.   They   had   been   guilty, they   said,   not   of   the   crimes   imputed   to   them,   but   of   basely   betraying   their Order   to   save   their   own   lives.   It   was   pure   and   holy;   the   charges   were fictitious   and   the   confessions   false.   Hastily   the   cardinals   delivered   them   to the    Prevot    of    Paris,    and    retired    to    deliberate    on    this    unexpected contingency,   but   they   were   saved   all   trouble.   When   the   news   was   carried to   Philippe   he   was   furious.   A   short   consultation   with   his   council   only   was required.    The    canons    pronounced    that    a    relapsed    heretic    was    to    be burned    without    a    hearing;    the    facts    were    notorious    and    no    formal judgement   by   the   papal   commission   need   be   waited   for.   That   same   day, by   sunset,   a   pile   was   erected   on   a   small   island   in   the   Seine,   the   Ile   des Juifs,   near   the   palace   garden.   There   de   Molay,   de   Charney,   de   Gonneville, and   de   Peraud   were   slowly   burned   to   death,   refusing   all   offers   of   pardon for   retraction,   and   bearing   their   torment   with   a   composure   which   won   for them    the    reputation    of    martyrs    among    the    people,    who    reverently collected   their   ashes   as   relics."   (Note:   the   account   varies   by   one   day,   not unusual for chronicles of the middle ages) Chinon Parchment Main article: Chinon Parchment In   September   2001,   Barbara   Frale   found   a   copy   of   the   Chinon   Parchment in   the   Vatican   Secret   Archives,   a   document   which   explicitly   confirms   that in   1308   Pope   Clement   V   absolved   Jacques   de   Molay   and   other   leaders   of the   Order   including   Geoffroi   de   Charney   and   Hugues   de   Pairaud.   She published   her   findings   in   the   Journal   of   Medieval   History   in   2004.   Another Chinon   parchment   dated   20   August   1308   addressed   to   Philip   IV   of   France, well-known   to   historians,   stated   that   absolution   had   been   granted   to   all those   Templars   that   had   confessed   to   heresy   "and   restored   them   to   the Sacraments and to the unity of the Church".

Friday 6th April

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Thursday 8th March

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Sunday 1st January

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