Vox in excelso

Vox in excelso is a pontifical Bulle signed in 1312 by the Pape Clément V. It establishes officially the dissolution of the Ordre of the Temple.

It was adopted at the time of a secret consistory a few days before his publication, is then read: " Considering finally that, for less reasons, the Roman Church abolished other famous orders, we abolish, not without bitterness and pain close friends, not under the terms of a legal sentence, but by manner of apostolic decision or ordinance, the aforesaid order of the templiers, with all its institutions… "

Historical context

By these words, Clément V seals the fate about the Temple. He from now on is abolished, without the approval of the Concile. If it is not the silence to which the assembly was forced. Opened in October 1311, the Council of Vienna, then town of Empire, badly failed to turn, from the point of view of the pope and king de France. Gathering some 200 prelates, the council was convened to examine three questions: the business of Templiers and the examination of the loads which weigh against them, the launching of a new crusade and the reform of the Church. But its main objective is, no matter what it arrives, the setting with dead of the Temple.

But the fathers of the council will thwart these plans. Increasingly many groups wish the behavior of a lawsuit in due form, and that the defense of the templiers is assured. In addition, a handle of templiers made displacement in order to defend the order. Obviously, the order is in danger. A lawsuit and a defense could " laver" Templiers of a certain number of charges. Clement V written, in November 1311, with Philippe Beautiful the.

The king of France counter-attacks, the next month, and convenes general states which must be held the February 10th 1312 in Lyon, near Vienna. These general states approve the principle of the removal of the Temple. Skilfully, Philippe the Beautiful one written to the pope to transmit this claim to him and asks for the creation of a new order. It is one of the wishes there, already old, of king de France who has also the ambition to install one of his sons to the head of the new order. Escorted by his army, Philippe the Beautiful one arrives at Vienna, the March 20th. This demonstration of force leaves little choice to the council and the prelates. Two days later, the secret consistory adopts the bubble Vox in excelso .

After Vox in excelso

To close the public reading of the bubble, Clément V announces finally the project of a new crusade. It is there too one of the wishes of Philippe the Beautiful one. The king of France fails however on a point, the creation of a new military order which could have been the spearhead of forwarding towards the Holy Land. Still remain to regulate a point of importance: future of the goods of the Order of the Temple. By a bubble taken in May 1312, " AD providam Christi vicarii", the pope allots the inheritance of Templiers to the Ordre of the Hospital (future knights of Malta), except the goods located in Aragon, in Castille, with the Portugal and Majorque. The Hospital ones will have great difficulty to return in possession of the goods of the Temple allotted by papacy. Since the first wave of arrests, in 1307, the fortune of Templiers was put under sequestration. Many powerful consequently began the cutting-up of it.

The last act of the business of the Temple will be played the March 18th 1314 with the setting with died of the main last of the Order, Jacques de Molay, and that of Geoffroy de Charney, burned alives in Paris, on the Island of Javiaux, because declared " ''relaps''" when they reconsidered their consents.

Random links: