Encyclopedia > Jacques de Molay

  Article Content

Jacques de Molay

Jacques de Molay (est. 1244-1314) served as the 23rd Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and is probably the best known templar besides the order's founder and first Grand Master, Hughes de Payens.

De Molay's exact date of birth is in some doubt, but it is known that he joined the Knights Templar in 1265 at the age of 21 and rose through the ranks quickly. He was first appointed to the position of Visitor General in Britain, and later elevated to the post of Grand Preceptor of England.

After the death of Theobald Gaudin, the 22nd Grand Master, de Molay moved from England to Cyprus, where he remained until Clement V summoned him to France in 1307. There he was arrested and jailed by Philip the Fair.

De Molay confessed under toture to "denying Christ and trampling on the Cross," and on March 18th, 1314 he was led out to publicly confess the order's sins and his own. On this occasion he recanted his previous confessions and asserted that he was guilty only of lying about his sins in order to relieve his torture. He was taken to Ile de le Cite in the Seine and burned alive, along with Geoffrey de Charney, then the preceptor of Normandy.

The Freemasons, believing they descended from the Templars, named their boy's youth group the Knights of de Molay[?].



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Northwest Harbor, New York

... of the town is 90.49% White, 3.63% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.62% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races. ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 40.2 ms