Templar religious life in the West

As found earlier, the religious life of the Knights Templar remains an underexplored area of medieval history. Artifacts and documents are lacking and dispersed following the Order's dissolution in the early 14th century. At the same time, the Templars prosecution in the West did render much data. These indicate that Templar religious practices were not enforced by a centralized administration, but exhibited significant regional variations in their liturgical life. Some details. 

The available inventories and other documentary evidence compiled during the arrests and trials of the Templars in Europe, are invaluable for understanding the everyday religious life of the order. The inventories list a variety of liturgical books, vestments, altar furnishings, and devotional objects, reflecting the liturgical diversity and localized practices within the order.

The inventories indicate that Templar commanderies possessed a range of liturgical books, including breviaries, missals, psalters, and graduals. These books were essential for the daily and seasonal liturgical services conducted by the Templars. The presence of multiple types of liturgical books in a single commandery suggests a complex liturgical practice that may have incorporated elements from different liturgical traditions. For example, a commandery might use a breviary and missal based on the Roman rite, while also incorporating local variations or elements from monastic traditions.

The diversity of liturgical objects found in the inventories further supports the notion of localized religious practices. Some commanderies possessed richly decorated altar furnishings, such as chalices, patens, and ciboria, which were used in the celebration of the Eucharist. Others had more modest items, reflecting the economic status and resources of the commandery. The presence of devotional objects, such as relics, crosses, and icons, highlights the importance of personal and communal devotion within the order. These objects were often venerated in private chapels or oratories, indicating a blend of communal and individual religious practices.

The inventories from Western commanderies reveal a wide range of liturgical practices. Some commanderies closely followed the Roman rite, while others incorporated elements from local monastic, canonic, or mendicant traditions. For example, in France, many Templar commanderies adopted the liturgical practices of the Cistercian Order, reflecting the close ties between the Templars and the Cistercians. In Spain, Templar liturgies were influenced by the Mozarabic rite, a reflection of the unique religious landscape of the Iberian Peninsula.

The influence of local traditions on Templar liturgy is also evident in the use of vernacular languages in some liturgical texts. While Latin remained the primary liturgical language, some commanderies included prayers and hymns in the local vernacular, making the liturgy more accessible to the lay brothers and local communities. This use of vernacular languages highlights the Templars' efforts to integrate into the local religious and cultural milieu.

To conclude, the religious life of the Knights Templar, as revealed through the analysis of inventories and documentary evidence, reflects a complex and varied picture of liturgical practices, shaped by the specific needs and contexts of individual communities.

This blog is mainly based on the paper bij Schenk, J. (2017) The documentary evidence for Templar religion. In: Borchardt, K., Döring, K., Josserand, P. and Nicholson, H. (eds.) The Templars and their Sources. Series: Crusades - Subsidia (10). Routledge, pp. 199-211. ISBN 9781138201903. 

Additional sources used: 1) Dondi, C. (2004). The Liturgy of the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem: A Study and a Catalogue of the Manuscript Sources. Turnhout; 2) Salvadó, S. (2011). Liturgy of the Holy Sepulchre and the Templar Rite: Edition and Analysis of the Jerusalem Ordinal. Ph.D. thesis, Stanford University; 3) Nicholson, H. (2010). The Debate on the Trial of the Templars (1307–1314). Farnham; 4) Forey, A. (2001). The Fall of the Templars in the Crown of Aragon. Aldershot; 5) Barber, M. (1994). The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple. Cambridge University Press.

The illustration shows a French breviary, dated ca 1310, made by an artist who was a follower of the Parisian illuminator Jean Pucelle, who made several manuscripts for members of the French royal family. This initial P begins the lesson for the feast of the Ascension in a breviary used in private devotion. Source Free Library of Philadelphia: Philadelphia, PA  (accessed Sep 27, 2024), Fair Use.

    Support TemplarsNow™ by becoming a Patron, tipping us or buying one of our Reliable Books