Interrogations and commissions of inquiry
Since all the Templars of the kingdom of France were arrested, Philippe IV le Bel enjoined the European sovereigns (Spain and England) to do the same. All refused because they feared the wrath of the pope. The King of France was not discouraged and therefore opened the trial of the Templars.
However, the Order of the Temple was a religious order and as such could not be subjected to secular justice. Philippe le Bel therefore asked his confessor, Guillaume de Paris, also Grand Inquisitor of France, to carry out the interrogations of the one hundred and thirty-eight Templars arrested in Paris. Among these knights, thirty-eight died under torture, but above all the beginning of the "confessions" had been set in motion.
Among the most common sins, the Inquisition heard of the denial of the Holy Cross, the denial of Christ, sodomy, and the worship of an idol (called the Baphomet). Only three Templars resisted the torture and did not confess to any lewd behavior.
In an attempt to protect the Order of the Temple, Pope Clement V fulminated the bull Pastoralis praeminentiae which ordered European rulers to arrest the Templars residing in their homes and place their property under the management of the Church.
Moreover, the Pope asked to hear the Templars in Poitiers himself. But, most of the dignitaries being imprisoned in Chinon, King Philippe le Bel claimed that the prisoners (seventy-two in all and sorted by the king himself) were too weak to make the trip. The pope then delegated two cardinals to go and hear the witnesses in Chinon (from this came the famous Parchment of Chinon).
The first pontifical commission took place on November 12, 1309 in Paris. Its purpose was to judge the Order of the Temple as a moral person and not as a physical person. To do this, she sent a circular on August 8 to all the bishoprics to bring the arrested Templars to appear before the commission. Only one brother denounced the confessions made under torture:Ponsard de Gisy, preceptor of the Commandery of Payns. On February 6, 1310, fifteen out of sixteen Templars proclaimed their innocence and were soon followed by most of their brothers.
The King of France then wanted to save time and appointed to the archbishopric of Sens an archbishop who was totally devoted to him:Philippe de Marigny (half-brother of Enguerrand de Marigny).
He sent fifty-four Templars to the stake on May 12, 1310, following their confessions extracted under torture in 1307. All interrogations were completed on May 26, 1311.
The Council of Vienna (October 16, 1311)
The Council of Vienna was held on October 16, 1311 and had three objectives:
to rule on the fate of the Order
discussing church reform
organize a new crusade.
However, during the council, some Templars decided to present themselves:they were seven in number and wanted to defend the order.
The king, wanting to put an end to the order of the Temple, left in the direction of Vienna with armed men in order to put pressure on Clement V. He arrived there on March 20, 1312.
On March 22, 1312, the Pope fulminated the bull Vox in excelso which ordered the definitive abolition of the Order.
Regarding the fate of the Templars and their property, the Pope fulminated two other bubbles:
Ad providam on May 2, 1312, concerned the property of the Temple which was bequeathed in full to the order of the 'Hospital (with the exception of Spain and Portugal, where two orders were born from the ashes of the Order of the Temple, the Order of Montesa and the Order of Christ)
Considerants dudum on May 6, 1312 determined the fate of men:
- those who have confessed or been declared innocent will be granted an annuity and will be able to live in a house of the order,
- all those who deny or recant will face severe punishment (death penalty).
However, the fate of the dignitaries of the Order of the Temple remained in the hands of the pope.