Vox In Excelso - 22 de março de 1312
A bulal Vox in Excelso foram as ordem dadas por Clemente V tara dissolver a Ordem do Templo. Esse do0cumento históricomostra as rasões para a sua decisão na falsa acusação contra a ordem do Templo, face os testemunhos do processo. Mesmo que a ordem tenha sido dissolvida em 1312, alguns Templários mudaram para a Portugal para fazer parte da Ordem de Cristo e acreditasse e alguns conseguiram proteção na Escócia e na Suíça. Vox In Excelso
Indeed a little while ago, about the time of our election
as supreme pontiff before we came to Lyons for our coronation, and
afterwards, both there and elsewhere, we received secret intimations
against the master, preceptors and other brothers of the order of
Knights Templar of Jerusalem and also against the order itself. These
men had been posted in lands overseas for the defence of the patrimony
of our lord Jesus Christ, and as special warriors of the catholic
faith and outstanding defenders of the holy Land seemed to carry the
chief burden of the said holy Land. For this reason the holy Roman
church honoured these brothers and the order with her special support,
armed them with the sign of the cross against Christ's enemies, paid
them the highest tributes of her respect, and strengthened them with
various exemptions and privileges; and they experienced in many and
various ways her help and that of all faithful Christians with repeated
gifts of property. Therefore it was against the lord Jesus Christ
himself that they fell into the sin of impious apostasy, the abominable
vice of idolatry, the deadly crime of the Sodomites, and various heresies.
Yet it was not to be expected nor seemed credible that men so devout,
who were outstanding often to the shedding of their blood for Christ
and were seen repeatedly to expose their persons to the danger of
death, who even more frequently gave great signs of their devotion
both in divine worship and in fasting and other observances, should
be so unmindful of their salvation as to commit such crimes. The order,
moreover, had a good and holy beginning; it won the approval of the
apostolic see. The rule, which is holy, reasonable and just, had the
deserved sanction of this see. For all these reasons we were unwilling
to lend our ears to insinuation and accusation against the Templars;
we had been taught by our Lord's example and the words of canonical
scripture. We were duty-bound by our office to pay heed to the
din of such grave and repeated accusations. When at last there came
a general hue and cry with the clamorous denunciations of the said
king and of the dukes, counts, barons, other nobles, clergy and people
of the kingdom of France, reaching us both directly and through agents
and officials, we heard a doleful tale: that the master, preceptors
and other brothers of the order as well as the order itself had been
involved in these and other crimes. This seemed to be proved by many
confessions, attestations and depositions of the master, of the visitor
of France, and of many preceptors and brothers of the order, in the
presence of many prelates and the inquisitor of heresy. These depositions
were made in the kingdom of France with our authorisation, edited
as public documents and shown to us and our brothers. Besides, the
rumour and clamour had grown to such insistence that the hostility
against both the order itself and the individual members of it could
not be ignored without grave scandal nor be tolerated without imminent
danger to the faith. Since we though unworthy, represent Christ on
earth, we considered that we ought, following in his footsteps, to
hold an inquiry. We called to our presence many of the preceptors,
priests, knights and other brothers of the order who were of no small
reputation. They took an oath, they were adjured urgently by the Father,
Son and holy Spirit; we demanded, in virtue of holy obedience, invoking
the divine judgment with the menace of an eternal malediction, that
they tell the pure and simple truth. We pointed out that they were
now in a safe and suitable place where they had nothing to fear in
spite of the confessions they had made before others. We wished those
confessions to be without prejudice to them. In this way we made our
interrogation and examined as many as seventy-two, many of our brothers
being present and following the proceedings attentively. We had the
confessions taken down by notary and recorded as authentic documents
in our presence and that of our brothers. After some days we had these
confessions read in consistory in the presence of the knights concerned.
Each was read a version in his own language; they stood by their confessions,
expressly and spontaneously approving them as they had been read out. The cardinals went to see the grand master, the visitor
and the preceptors personally and explained the reason for their visit.
Since these men and other Templars resident in the kingdom of France
had been handed over to us because they would freely and without fear
of anyone reveal the truth sincerely to the cardinals, the cardinals
by our apostolic authority enjoined on them this duty of telling the
truth. The master, the visitor and the preceptors of Normandy, Outremer,
Aquitaine and Poitou, in the presence of the three cardinals, four
notaries and many other men of good repute, took an oath on the holy
gospels that they would tell the truth, plainly and fully. They deposed
one by one, in the cardinals' presence, freely and spontaneously,
without any compulsion or fear. They confessed among other things
that they had denied Christ and spat upon the cross at their reception
into the order of the Temple. Some of them added that they themselves
had received many brothers using the same rite, namely with the denial
of Christ and the spitting on the cross. There were even some who
confessed certain other horrible crimes and immoral deeds, we say
nothing more of these at present. The knights confessed also that
the content of their confessions and depositions made a little while
ago before the inquisitor was true. These confessions and depositions
of the grand master, visitor and preceptors were edited as a public
document by four notaries, the master and the others being present
and also certain men of good repute. After some days, the confessions
were read to the accused on the orders and in the presence of the
cardinals; each knight received an account in his own language. They
persisted in their confessions and approved them, expressly and spontaneously,
as they had been read out to them. After these confessions and depositions,
they asked from the cardinals absolution from the excommunication
incurred by the above crimes; humbly and devoutly, on bended knee,
with hands joined, they made their petition with many tears. Since
the church never shuts her heart to the sinner who returns, the cardinals
granted absolution by our authority in the customary form of the church
to the master, visitor and preceptors on abjuration of their heresy.
On their return to our presence, the cardinals presented to us the
confessions and depositions of the master, visitor and preceptors
in the form of a public document, as has been said. They also gave
us a report on their dealings with these knights. From these confessions, depositions and report we find
that the master, the visitor and the preceptors of Outremer, Normandy,
Aquitaine and Poitou have often committed grave offences, although
some have erred less frequently than others. We considered that such
dreadful crimes could not and should not go unpunished without insult
to almighty God and to every Catholic. We decided on the advice of
our brothers to hold an enquiry into the above crimes and transgressions.
This would be carried out through the local ordinaries and other wise,
trustworthy men delegated by us in the case of individual members
of the order; and through certain prudent persons of our considered
choice in the case of the order as a whole. After this, investigations
were made both by the ordinaries and by our delegates into the allegations
against individual members, and by the inquisitors appointed by us
into those against the order itself, in every part of the world where
the brothers of the order have usually lived. Once made and sent to
us for examination, these investigations were very carefully read
and examined, some by us and our brothers, cardinals of the holy Roman
church others by many very learned, prudent, trustworthy and God-fearing
men, zealous for and well-trained in the catholic faith, some being
prelates and others not. This took place at Malaucene in the diocese
of Vaison. Later we came to Vienne where there were assembled already
very many patriarchs, archbishops, selected bishops, exempt and non-exempt
abbots, other prelates of churches, and procurators of absent prelates
and of chapters, all present for the council we had summoned. In the
first session we explained to them our reasons for calling the council.
After this, because it was difficult indeed almost impossible, for
the cardinals and all the prelates and procurators gathered for the
council to meet in our presence in order to discuss how to proceed
in the matter of the Templars, we gave orders as follows. Certain
patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, exempt and non-exempt abbots, other
prelates of churches, and procurators from all parts of Christendom,
of every language nation and region, were concordantly chosen out
of all the prelates and procurators at the council. The choice was
made from those believed to be among the more skilful, discreet and
apt for consultation on such an important affair and for discussing
it with us and the above-mentioned cardinals. After this we had the
attestations received during the inquiry read publicly in the presence
of the prelates and procurators. This reading went on during several
days, for as long as they wished to listen, in the place assigned
for the council, namely the cathedral church. Afterwards the said
attestations and the summaries made from them were considered and
examined, not in a perfunctory manner but with great care, by many
of our venerable brethren, by the patriarch of Aquileia, by archbishops
and bishops of the present sacred council who were specially chosen
and delegated for the purpose, and by those whom the whole council
had chosen very carefully and earnestly. The majority of the cardinals and of those elected by the council, a proportion of more than four-fifths, have thought it better, more expedient and advantageous for God's honour and for the preservation of the christian faith, also for the aid of the holy Land and many other valid reasons, to suppress the order by way of ordinance and provision of the apostolic see, assigning the property to the use for which it was intended. Provision is also to be made for the members of the order who are still alive. This way has been found preferable to that of safeguarding the right of defence with the consequent postponement of judgment on the order. We observe also that in other cases the Roman church has suppressed other important orders for reasons of far less gravity than those mentioned above, with no fault on the part of the brethren. Therefore, with a sad heart, not by definitive sentence, but by apostolic provision or ordinance, we suppress, with the approval of the sacred council, the order of Templars, and its rule, habit and name, by an inviolable and perpetual decree, and we entirely forbid that anyone from now on enter the order, or receive or wear its habit, or presume to behave as a Templar. If anyone acts otherwise, he incurs automatic excommunication. Furthermore, we reserve the persons and property for our disposition and that of the apostolic see. We intend with divine grace, before the end of the present sacred council, to make this disposition to the honour of God the exaltation of the christian faith and the welfare of the holy Land. We strictly forbid anyone, of whatever state or condition, to interfere in any way in this matter of the persons and property of the Templars. We forbid any action concerning them which would prejudice our arrangements and dispositions, or any innovation or tampering. We decree that from now on any attempt of this kind is null and void, whether it be made knowingly or in ignorance. Through this decree, however, we do not wish to derogate from any processes made or to be made concerning individual Templars by diocesan bishops and provincial councils, in conformity with what we have ordained at other times. Let nobody therefore ... If anyone ...
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