Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem

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The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ), also known as the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH) is an international association of autonomous national Grand Priories of the modern order of Knights Templar.

The Order's goals are the preservation of the holy sites in and around Jerusalem; antiquarian research; charitable works; diplomatic lobbying and intervention. In modern times, the Order exists as an international ecumenical Christian organisation which was founded in 1804, based on the traditions of the medieval Knights Templar and principles of chivalry.

Christian men who join the organisation can aspire to the rank of "Knight" (or Chevalier), whilst female members are termed "Dames" (or Chevaleresse, Chevalière). A secular-military order of chivalry, the organization operates as a modern day network of educated professionals. As of January 2008, the organization has approximately 5,200 members.

In 2001, the Order was accredited by the United Nations Economic and Social Council as a Non-Governmental Organisation. The Order, also an ecumenical Christian and humanitarian organisation, is an associate member of the International Peace Bureau, founded by Alfred Nobel in 1891, and an affiliate of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy.

The central figure behind the Order's revival was Bernard-Raymond Fabre-Palaprat, a French physician who took a keen interest in the history of the medieval Knights Templar. In 1805, he re-organized the Templar Order and proclaimed himself the Grand Master. This new organization was well-accepted in the occult sub-culture and even Napoleon showed interest.

The current Grand Master of OSMTH is RADM James J. Carey, US Navy (Retired).


References

  • Chev. Leo Thys, KCTJ. "History of the Order of the Temple of Jerusalem: From 1118 to 2005", ISBN 9-0901-9317-0

Further reading

External links

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