Monday, January 10, 2005
FOUND IN THE SECRET VATICAN ARCHIVES
A January 7, 2005 press release by The Most Reverend Gary Beaver, Archbishop - Primatial See, Interdenominational Church of the Holy Lands, claims that the Chinon parchment contains a papal exhonoration of the Templars from Pope Clement V who wrote "We hereby decree that they are absolved by the church and may again receive Christian sacraments." The Pope's failure to make this public resulted from his concern that it would arouse extreme passions and he feared a church schism. The press release sends "Those interested in finding out more about the OSMTH Magistral Grand Priory of the Holy Lands should visit The Official International Knights Templar Website.
I'll believe it when it appears in official Catholic news sites, not before.
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The York Rite USA website makes the same claim. It's dated March 2002 and attributed to Richard Owen.
