The Portuguese Templars had contributed to the conquest of Algarve from the Moslems; they were still defending that conquest when their order was suppressed (1312) by Pope Clement V. King Diniz, who then ruled Portugal, regretted the loss of these useful auxiliaries all the more because, in the trial to which the order had been submitted everywhere throughout Christendom, the Templars of Portugal had been declared innocent by the ecclesiastical court of the Bishop of Lisbon. To fill their place, the king instituted a new order, under the name of Christi Militia (1317)
Ordem Militar de Cristo
The Alfonsine Ordinances only record the current idea in the fifteenth century: the Templars – religious-military order created in Palestine in 1120 by Hugo de Payens – have been deleted for its many sins, including sodomy (Lehmann, 1989: 165). The numerous objections raised in proceedings brought by the king of France, Philip IV the Fair (1285-1314), did not prevent the king of Portugal, Dom Dinis (1279-1325), acted differently with the Portuguese Templars.
The charges were: “… bestiality, idol worship, denial of sacraments, to sell his soul to the devil and worship him as a big cat; sodomy between them and relations with demons and succubi, started to require who deny God, Christ and the Virgin; spitting three times, urinating and stepping on the cross, and give the “kiss of shame” in the prior Order, mouth, penis and buttocks … “(TUCHMAN, 1990: 41 ).
The transfer of assets to the Templar Order of St. John of Jerusalem – as decided by the Council of Vienne (1311-1312) – did not happen in Portugal – the Order of St John was created in Palestine just before the First Crusade (“.. . amalfitanas two families, Mauris and Pantaleonis, in 1048, asked the Caliph Mustansir Billah Fatimid [1036-1094], by rich presents, Muslim permission to build a hospice, a hospital and a convent […] in order to welcome and accommodate pilgrims who flocked to the city of Jerusalem “- COSTA 1994: 14).
Subsequently, the Order of the Hospital was adapted to a military order, without giving up their welfare origin). As we shall see, Dinis acted extremely timely manner, to nationalize the assets of the Temple, further strengthening the Lusitanian crown against the papacy.
This article discusses the suppression of the Templars and the creation of the Order of Christ, placing them within a larger context, the slow formation of a Portuguese national identity. This process, early in relation to other European powers enabled the lusos the lead in maritime expansion of the XVI-XVII centuries. For this, we must first introduce the topic in space and time with respect.
The Templars cause interpretative difficulties to historians: “… are today (and especially today) a difficult institution to understand” (HAIL, 1988: 265). In a recent and still unpublished lecture given at the University Estacio de Sa (1993), Dr. Rui Vieira da Cunha, referring to the Templars, stressed he did not want to appear “new ghosts.”
This is partly due to the great number of legends that have formed from the execution of the last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, and Masonic orders that call themselves heirs of the Knights Templar. Jacques de Molay would cast a curse on the French king and his descendants until 13. Third generation at the time of his execution on the island of Seine, 03/18/1314 summoned Philip the Fair and Pope Clement V to meet him before God within a year.
The fact is that Clement V died a month later and Philip after seven months at age 46. Furthermore, “… in succession, Louis X, Philip V and Charles IV reigned less than six years each and died at 27, 28 and 33 years, respectively, while male successor, despite having all three together total Six Wives “(TUCHMAN, 1990: 43).
Leaving aside this mystical path, remains confine ourselves to sources. In order to raise the questions posed above, it is necessary to trace the political path taken by King Dinis in the short period of 1307-1319, years that encompass the arrest of the Templars in France and the creation of the Order of Christ in Portugal. We will not cover the procedure itself, already well known (Barber, 1991), but what happened in Portugal, particularly the relationship between Dinis and the papacy.
Already in 1306, pressured by Philip the Fair , Pope Clement V (1305-1314) ordered that a council would meet in Spain with the aim of investigating the behavior of the Templars in the Peninsula. The meeting took place in Salamanca, with the presence of the Archbishop of Santiago, besides eleven bishops, including Lisbon, João de Soalhães (ALMEIDA, Volume I 1967: 154). The fact is that nothing has been found to compromise the friars of the Temple.
After the arrest of the Templars in France in 1307, Clement V, through bull Callidis serpentis (12/30/1308), Dinis asked to do the same with the Portuguese Templars. The Portuguese king did not grant the request of the pope. Moreover, the Templars and his master, Frei D. Vasco Fernandes, had been absent from the kingdom, for unknown reasons.
Fortunato de Almeida raises the possibility of having gone to justify to the pope (ALMEIDA, Volume I 1967: 155). We consider this unlikely. Since 1309 the papacy thought in Avignon, near the mouth of the Rhone, a fief of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, but under political influence of France (TUCHMAN, 1990: 25); French Templars were arrested. D. Vasco Fernandes would not risk being captured by simple attempt to talk to Clement V. is more likely to be waiting the course of events.
We discuss the position taken by D. Dinis. Portugal had already had numerous problems with the Church: In 1192 Cardinal Rinério launched sentences of excommunication and interdict on Portugal and Leon; in 1208, Sancho was excommunicated and died in that condition, in 1210. Only in 1213 Pope Innocent III ordered the ecclesiastical judges to absolve him of excommunication Afonso II (with a fine of 50,000 crossed).
But the dispute between Portugal and the Church did not stop there: in 1218 the bishop of Lugo renews the process of excommunication; in 1220, the archbishop of Braga excommunicated Alfonso II again. Honorius III confirmed the excommunication and threatened to expose the kingdom of Portugal to conquer other sovereign, and absolving his vassals the oath of allegiance. Alfonso II also died excommunicated in 1223. In 1231, Portugal suffered another papal interdict, raised in 1233 by Pope Gregory IX. Conflicts desembocaram in 1245, the deposition of Sancho II and civil war (MATTOSO, s / d).
Now the time was ripe to try to resolve the issue of the Templars goods: the Temple had an immense territory in lusas land space that would be delivered to the papacy in Avignon, therefore, under the direct influence of Philip the Fair . Everyone knows that the Iberian Peninsula mirrored the rivalry between France and Britain – who later would end the Hundred Years War, in 1328: Castile, pro-France, Portugal, pro-England. With the outbreak of war the position of Portugal was: Afonso IV opted for England in level of military neutrality (diplomatic relations and trade agreements).
In this intricate international political game, the Templars assets could create a schism in Portuguese geopolitical realm. Furthermore, there were marriage proposals from both hierosolimitanas orders, Templars and Hospitallers (DEMUGER, 1986: 236). This would mean the union of the Lusitanian assets of the Hospital and the Temple: it would be a “state within the state” since rival the Portuguese king in terms of manorial possessions.
Given the position of King Dinis, Clement V in 1310, determined that the new council should take place, again to investigate the conduct of Iberian Templars. Met two meetings: one in Medina del Campo – where the Templars were cited of Castile and Leon – and another again in Salamanca, with the presence of the Bishop of Lisbon, Joao Guard, and the Bishop of Guarda, D. Vasco. The accused were again acquitted, but “the bishops abstained purposes of sentencing, which reserved to the Pope” (ALMEIDA, Volume I 1967: 155)
To guard against any papal measure, Dinis signed a pact with his son, Ferdinand IV of Castile (1285-1312). The monarchs undertook to defend the Templar possessions of their respective kingdoms (ALMEIDA, Volume I 1967: 155) (January 21, 1310 The King of Aragon could if I wanted to enter the covenant.).
The firm stance of the kings of Portugal and Castile took Clement V to include the following clause in his bull Ad providam (May 2, 1312): all goods of the Temple would be transferred to the Order of the Hospital, except those located in the realms of Castile, Aragon, Portugal and Majorca.
Inserted in this same bull, had the following condition: the kings of the Peninsula were obliged not to sell the Templar properties, until the Church take a final decision.
With the new pope, John XXII (1316-1334), the Portuguese prosecutors alleged that the transfer of assets to the Templar Order of the Hospital would cause damage to the crown. Although the Hospitallers from Friar Alfonso Peres flour, were always in affinity with the crown, the fact is that the Portuguese Order of the Hospital was subordinate to the Grand Commander of Hispania, who resided in Castile (MATTOSO 1986:. Vol II, 164 ).
The Grand Commander was the highest authority of the order on the Peninsula, directly subordinated to the grand master, who lived during this period on the island of Rhodes – in 1291 the order had been expelled from Palestine by the Muslims. This would cause future problems regarding the management of assets in Portuguese lands, besides providing the king of Castile some sort of territorial claim in wartime.
This relative autonomy in relation to the Portuguese Hospitaller commander of Hispania would not be sufficient to solve some hierarchical question of utmost importance: the Grand Commander of the Order resided in Castile eternal rival Portugal. How Erdmann says, “Just interested him (D. Dinis) that rich heritage (Templar) not to leave out of the country.’s What would have happened, at least in part, if the goods has passed to the Knights of St. John “(Erdmann 1940: 51).
Concern Dinis with the territorial demarcation of the kingdom of Portugal was not unjustified; Portuguese friars of the Order of Santiago (or Calatrava), which since 1288 were no longer subject to the master of Castile by decision of Pope Nicholas IV (1288-1292), returning now to be so, by decree of Boniface VIII (1294 – 1303). The subordination of the Portuguese Order of Santiago master of Castile was officially settled in 1319 by Olim felicis inserts (February 27, 1319) and should Tunc (1 July of the same year), both of Pope John XXII; Portuguese friars of Calatrava were no longer subject to Castile (Bull of Pope Nicholas IV: Pastoralis officii [17 September 1288]; bull of Boniface VIII: Antiquis retro Ab [20 July 1295] – ALMEIDA, Volume I, 1967 : 151).
Distribution of the fortifications of military orders took into account the military protection of the cities of Lisbon and Santarém. The Hospitallers (map, their domains are marked by vertical gray stripes ) defended the entrance to the north by the Tagus, from Zêzere based on Belver and Crato. Likewise, the Templars (tilted to the right stripes), had fortifications in Castelo Branco, Soure, Pombal and Tomar. Knights of the Order of Avis ( orange horizontal stripes ), controlled the route coming from Badajoz and Mérida. The Order of Santiago ( green stripes tilted to the left) participated directly in victorious conquest of the Alentejo. Thus, received in exchange control of the road coming from the South: Mértola, Beja and Aljustrel until Alcacer do Sal should be noted, finally, the geographical whittle the kingdom of Portugal, almost entirely based on the existence of military orders to go to war or to the activities of resettlement. The main castles are marked by red dots; monasteries in blue squares. In :. MATTOSO, Joseph (ed.) History of Portugal – The Feudal Monarchy (1096-1480 ), Lisbon, Editorial Stamps, s / d, p. 212.
This could cause serious inconvenience to the crown, as the Knights of Santiago received the Portuguese kings castles with many neighboring kingdom of Castile. The order of importance had grown ever since the conquest of the Algarve during the military campaign of 1249-1250 and the subsequent donation of Afonso III (1245-1279) (Marques 1994: 125-152). Adding this to the issue of subordination of the Portuguese master of Castile Hospitallers, created to be an essential problem for Portuguese sovereignty. Both orders (Santiago and Hospital) had a vast territory in the realm, beyond the Templar problem.
But back to the case of the Temple. Portuguese prosecutors presented to John XXII the following proposal: in Castro Marim, Algarve Kingdom Castle, on the border with Muslims, would be established one (new) Portuguese monastic-military order of chivalry, and Dinis donate the castle and all rights that exerted on it.
The pope agreed (bull of John XXII, Ad and ex quibus ) (ALMEIDA, Volume I 1967: 351), and the order was established in the said castle, with the parish church of Santa Maria do Castelo, in the bishopric of Silves, following the rule Santiago (Calatrava) – shortly after, in about 1338, the Temple moved to Tomar.
The pope, through leaflets and Ad Venientes and ex quibus (15 and 14 March 1319), was named the Knighthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with Gil Marques occupying the position of master (was already master of the house of Avis, other religious-military order of major political force in Portugal). Future teachers would be elected by the professed friars, and supervision order was under the responsibility of the Abbot of Alcobaca.
Dungeon of the castle in Castelo Branco. In : MILK, Ana Cristina. Castelo Branco . Lisbon: Editorial Presençsa, 1991, p. 11. “I, Peter Alvito, master Militia of the Temple with the convent of Portugal, and we want to restore people Castelo Branco. Unto, present and future, give the forum and habits of Elvas, and two parties of knights go to fossado and the third part is at the Village, and do fossado once a year “( First Foral de Castelo Branco , c. 1213).
Gil Marques as Master of the Order of Christ, Dinis solve the problem of control over the Temple. The Order of Christ received from the Portuguese crown all Templar property, the town of Castro Marim, and the most ex-friars of the Temple. According to its statutes, made in 1321, the Order of Christ had a relatively small effective: 69 armed and mounted knights, clerics 9 and 6 sergeants, a total of 84 friars.
Sergeants ( sergeants ) were sort of squires. Served the monk-knights, dressed them and prepared their weapons, taking care of horses and cleaning service. With the passage of time, have received the religious habit. The effective was shortly thereafter changed since the Constitution of 1326 Taking it says the following: “We enjoin, and set, and we grant that forever there in our order said eighty-six friars, at least, as is said. of which are seventy-one riders friars, stews horses, weapons, and other (fifteen) are clerics, and sergentes “(ALMEIDA, Volume I 1967: 156).
This reduced number characterized the Order of Christ as an elite military corps, permanently ready for combat. Hence its importance for the Portuguese crown and to the process of Reconquista, for as Humberto Baquero Moreno says, “… in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages was not an army armed with character of permanence body, carrying only the recruitment of men when the needs of the military nature thus imposed “(Moreno, 1991: 29-40).
Thus, this elite corps supplied vital for the consolidation and strengthening of the Portuguese state necessity. He, like the other military orders in Portuguese soil, catered to the need of the state to possess a standing army, even though limited in number.
Anyway, just took the nationalization of the Templars goods in Portuguese lands. The Order of Christ was so “virtually at the mercy of the crown” (MATTOSO, 1986: vol II, 164.). Dinis showed great political acumen, seizing the moment that offered him. Portugal strode to the affirmation of their national identity, forged from Afonso Henriques with a mindset cross, which had the military orders – especially now in their proper order – its biggest paradigm.
The Order of Christ, situated within the political sphere of the crown, from the fifteenth century, widened her horizons, directing and leading the Lusitanian maritime expansion. As we understand, the creation of a Portuguese military order is inserted into the slow formation process, vital to the process of expansion of the Lusitanian Portuguese national identity following centuries: “But the ease of communication was not enough to dilute the localist purpose and spirit neighborhood that animated all municipalities during the Middle Ages, helping to stem the outbreak of a national consciousness that only the unity of language and the need for defense against the Spanish were able to end cementing “(Marques, 1987: 02).
His biggest supporter was Prince Henry, third son of King John I (1385-1433), who, in 1420, at age 26, became a Portuguese master of the order, fighting the Moors in Ceuta and helping Portugal to to expand overseas:
Infants … was, until his death, the main driver of developments discovery (…) Thanks to his immense wealth and property of the Order of Christ, that became Grand Master, could afford the huge expenditure required expeditions (TEYSSIER, 1992).
The permanence of this crusade mentality, who insisted on not beyond the XII-XII centuries, took Portuguese navigators to unknown paths; this same mentality motivated the cross, the African (1432-1481) King Afonso V, in the words of Armindo de Souza, “a cross out of season, the last crusader”, to dare to penetrate in Africa: “In 1458, achievement is Alcacer Ceguer. In 1463-1464,-tries to Tangier, but folds up. In 1469 it is the turn of ANAFE, the current Casablanca, which was soon abandoned, by getting uncomfortably situated south. Arzila In 1471 falls. ” (SOUZA, s / d: 505-506).
This impulse conqueror brought Portugal to a prominent role on the biggest stage of human acts in history. At the heart of these achievements is his mentality crusade, medieval holdover Finally, direct legacy of military orders:
We knew … that the penetration in Africa would be a war to the Moors as the previous multi-secular struggles. Also saw themselves in Moroccan ‘Moors’ (…) Following these achievements in Morocco, sea travel developed along the West African coast. We allude to the party behind them had the Order of Christ, continuator of the Templars (…). The role played by the idea of cross from the Portuguese discoveries is therefore closely linked to their previous developments in the wars with the Moors (ERDMANN 1940: p 57-58.).
In fact, it is the Portuguese Cabralian the last crusader. The caravels that dock in Brazil have their stamp on the old Templar cross, eternal symbol of the crusade against the “other.” This was a bigger reason for the training of Portuguese national identity.
Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam 