Unmasking the Legal Invalidity of the Knights Templar Dissolution

The dissolution of the Knights Templar in 1312 has long been shrouded in controversy. New research conducted by Sophie Kirchgasser, presented in her dissertation at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, sheds groundbreaking light on the bull Vox in Excelso, issued March 22, 1312 (alternatively sometimes April 3, 1312 is mentioned) and traditionally viewed as the legal instrument behind the Order's disbandment. Meticulous historical and legal analysis reveals that the dissolution was never formally or legally enacted, casting doubt on centuries of ecclesiastical and historical interpretation. What are the facts?

A Misclassified Papal Bull?

The bull Vox in Excelso is often cited as the papal decree dissolving the Templar Order. However, Kirchgasser's research suggests otherwise. Through extensive philological and historical analysis, she argues that Vox in Excelso was not a formal bull dissolving the Order but rather a rhetorical condemnation, a "speech" presented during the Council of Vienne. The Council did not formally approve the dissolution, contradicting the bull’s claim of conciliar consent (concilio approbante). Reports from contemporaries, including Walter of Guisborough, document dissent during the Council, highlighting threats of excommunication against those who opposed the Templar condemnation.

Critically, Vox in Excelso lacks the hallmarks of an official papal decree, such as the Pope's signature or clear legal directives. This lack of procedural authenticity undermines its legitimacy as the foundation for the Order’s dissolution.

False Citations and Missing Originals

Kirchgasser’s analysis of historical sources uncovered significant discrepancies in the textual transmission of Vox in Excelso. The version commonly accepted today derives from a transcript attributed to Jaime Villanueva in 1806, later quoted by Hefele in 1866. Both rely on references to now-lost Catalonian transcripts. No original papal document from Pope Clement V's chancery has been found in any archive, including the Vatican. Furthermore, Kirchgasser identified hundreds of textual differences between Villanueva’s transcript and earlier versions, challenging its authenticity.

These findings expose a troubling chain of false citations and misattributions, rendering the modern iteration of Vox in Excelso historically and legally invalid. Without original documentation, the claim that the bull officially dissolved the Templar Order is untenable.

The sequence of events, from mass arrests to the trials and eventual asset distribution, points to a calculated campaign by Philip IV, supported by pliable church officials. The lack of a legitimate dissolution decree suggests that the Templars’ fate was sealed by political expediency, not canonical law.

Restoring the Legal Status of the Knights Templar?

Kirchgasser’s work, supported by the Salzburg International Templar Studies Network, has significant implications. By demonstrating the legal invalidity of the Templar dissolution, her findings open the door to potential rehabilitation of the Order by the Catholic Church.

Read the text of the bull in French and English.

This blog is based on the publication Auflösung des Templerordens ungültig (Dissolution of the Knights Templar invalid, TN) published on the website of  the Paris Lodron University Salzburg. For a paper by Dr Kirchgasser on the issue see her paper Die rechtshistorische Rekonstruktion der Bulle Vox in excelso und ihre Implikation zur Auflösung des Templerordens (Reconstruction of the bull Vox in excelso and its implication for the dissolution of the Knights Templar) in the Journal for Templar Studies – Special Issue 1 (2024), page 43. The illustration show Pope Clement V, bourgeois Bertrand de Got (* between 1250 and 1265 in Villandraut, France; † 20 April 1314 in Roquemaure, France), was Pope of the Catholic Church from 5 June 1305 to 20 April 1314. In 1309, he moved the papal residence to Avignon. Source dietempler.net. Fair Use intended.

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