- Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani
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The Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH), also known as Knights Templar International, is a self-styled order founded in 1945 by Antonio Campello Pinto de Sousa Fontes (1878-1960), [1][2][3] claiming to be a continuation of the self-styled l'Ordre du Temple founded in 1804 by Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat. [4]
Fernando Campello Pinto Pereira de Sousa Fontes succeeded his father as the head of the order in 1960.
There are a number of Orders who claim they are OSMTH and the order exists in each country under different jurisdictions. In America, the order is known as the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Inc. [5] Another American group, calling itself the Loyalists or OSMTH-Regency and who recognised the leadership of Pereira de Sousa Fontes is entitled the Ordo Pauperum Commilitum Christi et Templi Solomonis, Equis Templi. [6]
The OSMTH-KTI organisation that is registered in Geneva, Swiss Reg No: CH-660.1.972777-4 and is in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has over 5000 active members in Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, England & Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia and in the United States. [7][8]
OSMTH-KTI does not officially recognize the claims laid out in the Larmenius Charter as historically valid.[9]
OSMTH-KTI, which is open to Christians of any denomination, operates as a charity,[10] and engages in diplomatic and humanitarian works.[11] They should not be confused with a multitude of other self-styled "Knights Templar", or the Masonic Knights Templar.
Christian men who join the organisation call themselves "Knights" with the republican[clarification needed] honorific of Chevalier and females are termed "Dames" with the republican honorific of Chevaleresse (or Chevalière).[12]
Contents
History
Antonio Campello Pinto de Sousa Fontes in 1945 claimed that the OSMTH was the continuation of the neo-Templar order founded by Bernard-Raymond Fabre-Palaprat in 1804, using the Larmenius Charter as evidence of its pedigree.
While OSMTH-KTI's rituals and traditions are currently based upon those of the historical Knights Templar, according to its website [9] and their present leaser, Grand Master Patrick Rea, [13] there is no direct historical lineage between the two groups.
In 2001, the Order was accredited by the United Nations Economic and Social Council as a non-governmental organisation, one of over 2,000 organizations to hold this status.[14] The Order is an associate member of the International Peace Bureau and an affiliate of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy,[11] which was founded by one of OSMTH's members.[10]
Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem
In 1970, a split occurred within the OSMTH and Fernando Campello Pinto Pereira created the The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ), having previously succeeded his father as the head of the OSMTH in 1960.[15] This was caused when Antoine Zdrojewski was unexpectedly elected as the new head of the OSMTH at the Convent of Paris.[16] Zdrojewski became the head of the SMOTJ until his death in 1989, and was succeeded by George Lamirand as the head of the SMOTJ until his death in 1994. [17]
The SMOTJ has an American autonomous[18] branch of the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani.[19][20] The ecumenical organization operates as a modern day network of educated professionals.[11][18] As of August 2007, the organization had approximately 5,200 members.[21] Their goals are the preservation of the holy sites in and around Jerusalem; antiquarian research; charitable works; diplomatic lobbying and intervention.
Despite the organization's name, it has never been sovereign, nor is it a military order.
References
- ^ http://www.chivalricorders.org/orders/templars/templars.htm
- ^ http://www.fghoche.com/tribunes/chronobio.html
- ^ Neo-Templarism (Religious Movement)/
- ^ OSMTH "History and Goals of the Contemporary Templar Order"
- ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20100324131657/http://us.osmth.org/
- ^ http://www.knighttemplar.org
- ^ http://www.osmth.org
- ^ Christopher Hodapp, Alice Von Kannon, The Templar Code for Dummies, pages 206-207 (Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2007). ISBN 978-0-470-12765-0
- ^ a b OSMTH Templar legacy page
- ^ a b OSMTH brochure, p. 3, 5, 6
- ^ a b c OSMTH International Overview, accessed 29 Jul 2011
- ^ OSMTH Knight's manual, p.3
- ^ Real Knights Templar are philanthropists accessed May 15, 2011.
- ^ United Nations NGO page
- ^ http://www.fghoche.com/tribunes/chronobio.html
- ^ James R. Lewis, The Order of The Solar Temple: The Temple of Death, page 24 (Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2006). ISBN 0-7546-5285-8
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b SMOTJ About Us page
- ^ SMOTJ About Us page, International section
- ^ OSMTH List of Priories
- ^ Reading Eagle on-line report and interview quotes statistics for early 2010.
Further reading
- BBC Website 'What are the Knights Templar up to now?'. News Magazine 2007-10-19
- BBC Radio 4. On the Trail of the Templars Program audio, first broadcast 2007-06-18
- Stephen Howarth. The Knights Templar, 1991. ISBN 978-0880296632
- Chev. Leo Thys, KCTJ. "History of the Order of the Temple of Jerusalem: From 1118 to 2005", ISBN 9-0901-9317-0
External links
Categories:- Self-styled orders of knighthood
- Non-governmental organizations
- 1804 establishments
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