During the 12th century, there existed in Europe the powerful Order of the Temple. This Order had been founded to protect the Christians on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The original need for such an order had passed, but its purpose as the protector of the Church made it an important factor in Europe. By the latter part of the 14th century, the Order had become very influential and wealthy. It was then that Philip the Fair, King of France, began to fear that it would dominate the financial status of his nation.

Philip was an ambitious King; at all times eager for war; and, always in dire need of money, he extracted every possible tribute from his people. In desperate circumstances, he began to plot the destruction of the Order of the Temple so he could confiscate their wealth for his own use.

At this time, the Grand Master of the Templars was Jacques DeMolay. False rumors were circulated and supposed confessions published by Philip in order to brand the organization as vile and corrupt. Such an increasing campaign eventually weakened the Templars in the minds of the people. Then Philip thought it was the opportune time to strike. He ordered every known Templar in the land to be seized at a specified time, and when he struck at dawn on October 13, 1307, Templars everywhere in France were taken entirely by surprise and cast into dungeons.

Through the process of torture, some of the Templars were made to confess to false statements. But DeMolay, the Grand Master, would not concede one point to his accusers, and for almost seven years with-stood all torture and punishment, fighting as best he could to save his Order. Confined to unbearable prisons and vile dungeons, he remained true to his comrades, to God, and to his Order, until he made the supreme sacrifice. He was burned at the stake on March 18, 1314, a martyr to the cause of charity, fidelity, comradeship, courtesy and reverence. Such a splendid example of true knighthood is the examplar of the Order of DeMolay.