25d • Insights 📕
Reflecting on Yesterday’s reading
Reflecting on yesterday’s readings, especially the warning against bearing false witness and condemning the innocent, it brought to mind the story of the Knights Templar.
In Scripture we are told: “You shall not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16) and “Do not condemn the innocent or the righteous” (Exodus 23:7) — a clear call to truth and justice.
The Knights Templar were men who served God and the Church faithfully for nearly two centuries, protecting pilgrims and living under a strict religious rule. Yet in 1307, King Philip IV of France, who was heavily in debt to them, had them arrested and accused of heresy and false crimes.
Many were tortured into giving false confessions, and the pressure placed on the Church was immense. The order was eventually dissolved, not through clear proof of guilt, but largely to bring peace under political pressure.
What’s striking is that later evidence, including the Chinon Parchment, shows that the Pope actually absolved the Templar leaders of heresy before the order was suppressed.
It’s a sobering reminder of how truth can be distorted, how the innocent can suffer, and how power can influence justice — something Scripture warns us about clearly.
A powerful example of why we’re called to stand firmly in truth, even when the cost is high.
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Reflecting on Yesterday’s reading
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