When one attempts to delve into and/or reconstruct history in order to prove or disprove an occurrence such as discovering whether the Knights Templars were guilty of the accusations that King Philip and the French government brought against them in the year 1307, one should consider all the aspects of world history at the time leading up to and during the actual activity. It is my belief, after such a search thoughtfulness and talking with other historians, that the Knights were innocent of the charges.

King Philip intended to devastate the Order by falsely accusing them of a variety of crimes that included the denial of Christ; sacrilegious acts upon the crucifix; obscene affection; disbelief in the sacraments; idolatrous practices; and arrogating unto themselves the power to absolve sin. All of these charges were discovered to be unfounded and disproved in a court of law.Significant factors revolving around the time of the Templar demise and potential results were:

1. King Philip wanted more money and power = dangerous.
   
   
2. The Church was in revolution and disorganized = non-supportive.
   
   
3. The Templar Knights were both wealthy and powerful = a perceived threat to some rulers.
   
   
4. Conflicts between educational standards in Paris and that of the Church = frictions.
   
   
5. King Philips desire to engage his country in the Flemish and other wars = greed.
   
   

Thus, a great wrong was done, the termination of a notable Holy Military Order, the Knights Templars. So we continue to delve into history, searching for reasons, rationale, justifications, and explanations to answer our questions. Hopefully our understanding is elevated as we analyze people of yesterday with the knowledge that we have today, and that we will strive to create a better world for mankind to live in.

Judith Long is the author of "The Last Mass of the Knights Templar."