Knightly orders of the crusade are the most popular. Spiritual knightly orders

In the monastic orders that arose in early medieval France, the ascetic direction strongly developed. The passion for the Crusades originated in France and took root there more deeply than in other countries. Another manifestation of the same enthusiasm was the new monastic orders that arose among the French to replace the Cluny congregation, whose asceticism had cooled. Their statutes were more severe than those of Cluny, which surpassed the Benedictine Rule in their severity. The number of monasteries in France grew; many of them were founded by people who considered it insufficient to demand strict compliance with the harsh rules of Cluny, who wanted to kill the flesh with more severe tortures, like the hermits of the Camaldolese and Valombrosa monasteries, built in the Apennine mountains.

Order of the Carthusians

Bruno, a native of Cologne, who was the head of the Reims cathedral school, retired from Reims, out of indignation at the vicious life of the archbishop; on the advice of the Bishop of Grenoble, he founded a monastery near Grenoble in a wild gorge between high mountains. This gorge was called Chartreuse (in Latin - Cartusia); the name of the gorge became the name of the monastery. The monasteries that accepted the charter given by Bruno to the Chartreuse Abbey began to be called Chartreuse or, in the Latin form of the word, Carthusian (Carthusian). The Carthusian Order and Chartreuse were founded in 1084. Bruno then had thirteen fellow hermits. Six years after that he went to Rome on call UrbanaII, who was his student, but it was difficult for him to remain among the noise of the world. He refused the rank of Bishop of Reggio offered to him, retired to the desert area of ​​the Calabrian Mountains, near Squillace, founded a monastery there with the charter of the Carthusian Order, and died there (in 1101).

Chartreuse Monastery - founding place of the Carthusian Order

Thirty-three years after his death, the rules he introduced in Chartreuse were written down and expanded. According to the charter of the Carthusian order, the monks did not live in lonely hermitages, but in a monastery, but they observed the rules of hermitage. The Carthusian monk spent his time in the silent solitude of his cell; The food of the Carthusians was meager, and they were completely forbidden to drink wine. Members of this medieval monastic order wore hair shirts under their shirts; their prayers were very long; they were required to do manual labor. But they were also engaged in scientific works; their monasteries had libraries.

Order of Grammon

This was also the character of the Grammonian order, the founder of which was Stephen of Tihorn, who built a monastery for himself and his followers in a desert area near Limoges (in 1073). Robert Arbrissel in 1096 built an abbey in the deserted Fontevros valley near Craon, which housed a convent intended for sinners who turned to repentance.

Cistercian Order

The Cistercian order acquired much greater importance in the early Middle Ages. Its founder was Robert, a native of Champagne, a Benedictine monk. Outraged by the luxury with which the rich Benedictines lived, in 1098 he and several followers built a monastery near Dijon, among a dense forest, in a valley called Citeaux. From the Latin form of this name, Cistercium, came the name of the order, which accepted the charter of the monastery founded by Robert; the rules of the charter were set out after Robert’s death in the “Charter of Christian Love”, Charta charitatis; in 1215 the pope accepted the Cistercians under his special protection.

Cistercian monks. 18th century fresco

The charter of this order was a reworking of Cluny in the spirit of more severe asceticism. The Cistercians replaced the black robe of the Benedictines in their order with a white one. With their harsh life in voluntary poverty, they gained such respect from the people that soon monasteries of their order began to appear everywhere. He became more influential than the Cluny congregation; his power was especially enhanced by Bernard, abbot of the Clairvaux (clara valus) monastery. considered a saint, had a strong influence on the course of historical events. He became the main inspiration for the Second Crusade.

Bernard of Clairvaux, the most famous member of the Cistercian order. Painting by G. A. Wasshuber, 1700

The Clunians could not be rivals of the Cistercians, who had such a famous ascetic; at that time they were already leading a luxurious, vicious life. Pontius (Pons), who was the abbot of Cluny from 1109, was debauched and rampant, like knights engaged in robbing passing merchants.

Order of the Premonstratensians

The Premonstratensian order competed with the Cistercian order in the severity of asceticism and power; The first monastery of this order was founded in the wooded valley of Coucy near Laon. Between the forests there was a meadow, which at the founding of the monastery received the name Pré Montré, “Meadow indicated” (by God); The monastery also began to be called by this name. The founder of the Premonstratensian Order was Norbert, a native of Lorraine, a man of noble birth, a relative of the emperors, a canon at the Cologne Cathedral and Chapel HeinrichV, who had rich income from these positions and a sure prospect of achieving very high ecclesiastical rank. Turned by a miraculous vision to concern for his spiritual salvation, he renounced wealth and honors, subjected himself (1118) to voluntary poverty and went to preach repentance to people. The clergy ignored his admonitions; he addressed his sermon to the common people; they began to consider him a saint. When Norbert went (1120) to found a monastery on the meadow God had indicated to him, only seven monks went there with him. Thirty years later there were almost a hundred abbeys in France and Germany whose monks wore the white clothes of the Premonstrans order. Their abbots gathered annually to resolve the affairs of the order in the Pré Montré monastery. Norbert was made Archbishop of Magdeburg and tried to spread the rules of monastic asceticism in Northern Germany. This led to unrest among the clergy and the people. One day the people wanted to kill Norbert, and he barely escaped. But when he died (June 6, 1134), the pious Magdeburgers did not give his body to the monks of the Pré Montré Abbey.

Carmelite Order

Around 1156, another medieval monastic order, similar to the Carthusian, arose in Palestine. Pilgrim Bartoldo, a native of Calabria, settled with several other pilgrims in a cave of Mount Carmila (Carmel); After the name of the mountain, these hermits called themselves Carmelites. The prophet Elijah lived on Mount Carmel; therefore, legend attributed the founding of the Carmelite Order to Elijah himself.

From 1100 to 1300, 12 knightly spiritual orders were formed in Europe. Three turned out to be the most powerful and viable: the Order of the Templars, the Order of the Hospitallers and the Teutonic Order.

Templars. Officially, this order was called the “Secret Knighthood of Christ and the Temple of Solomon,” but in Europe it was better known as the Order of the Knights of the Temple. His residence was located in Jerusalem, on the site where, according to legend, the temple of King Solomon was located (from the French temple - “temple”). The knights themselves were called templars. The creation of the order was proclaimed in 1118-1119. nine French knights led by Hugo de Paynes from Champagne. For nine years these nine knights remained silent; not a single chronicler of that time mentions them. But in 1127 they returned to France and declared themselves. And in 1128, a church council in Troyes (Champagne) officially recognized the order.

The Templar seal depicted two knights riding the same horse, which was supposed to speak of poverty and brotherhood. The symbol of the order was a white cloak with a red eight-pointed cross.

The goal of its members was “to take care, as far as possible, of roads and paths, and especially of the protection of pilgrims.” The charter prohibited any secular entertainment, laughter, singing, etc. Knights were required to take three vows: chastity, poverty and obedience. The discipline was strict: “Everyone does not follow his own will at all, but is more concerned about obeying the orderer.” The Order becomes an independent combat unit, subordinate only to the Grand Master (de Paynes was immediately proclaimed by him) and the Pope.

From the very beginning of their activities, the Templars gained great popularity in Europe. Despite and at the same time thanks to the vow of poverty, the order begins to accumulate great wealth. Each member donated his fortune to the order free of charge. The order received large possessions as a gift from the French and English kings and noble lords. In 1130, the Templars already had possessions in France, England, Scotland, Flanders, Spain, Portugal, and by 1140 - in Italy, Austria, Germany, Hungary and the Holy Land. In addition, the templars not only protected pilgrims, but also considered it their direct duty to attack trade caravans and rob them.

Templars by the 12th century. became owners of unheard of wealth and owned not only lands, but also shipyards, ports, and had a powerful fleet. They lent money to impoverished monarchs and thereby could influence government affairs. By the way, it was the Templars who were the first to introduce accounting documents and bank checks.

The Knights of the Temple encouraged the development of science, and it is not surprising that many technical achievements (for example, the compass) were primarily in their hands.

Skilled knight surgeons healed the wounded - this was one of the duties of the order.

In the 11th century The Templars, as “the bravest and most experienced people in military affairs,” were granted the fortress of Gaza in the Holy Land. But arrogance brought a lot of harm to the “soldiers of Christ” and was one of the reasons for the defeat of Christians in Palestine. In 1191, the collapsed walls of the last fortress defended by the Templars, Saint-Jean-d'Acre, buried not only the Templars and their Grand Master, but also the glory of the order as an invincible army. The Templars moved from Palestine first to Cyprus, and then finally to Europe. Huge land holdings, powerful financial resources and the presence of knights of the order among high dignitaries forced the governments of Europe to reckon with the Templars and often resort to their help as arbitrators.

In the 13th century, when the Pope declared a crusade against the heretics - the Cathars and the Albigensians, the Templars, the support of the Catholic Church, almost openly came out on their side.

In their pride, the Templars imagined themselves omnipotent. In 1252, the English king Henry III, outraged by their behavior, threatened the Templars with confiscation of land holdings. To which the Grand Master replied: “As long as you do justice, you will rule. If you violate our rights, you are unlikely to remain king.” And this was not a simple threat. The Order could do it! The Knights Templar were many influential people in the kingdom, and the will of the overlord turned out to be less sacred than the oath of allegiance to the order.

In the XIV century. King Philip IV the Fair of France decided to get rid of the obstinate order, which, due to lack of affairs in the East, began to interfere, and very actively, in the state affairs of Europe. Philip did not at all want to be in the place of Henry of England. In addition, the king needed to solve his financial problems: he owed the Templars a huge amount of money, but he did not want to give it back.

Philip used a trick. He asked to be accepted into the order. But Grand Master Jean de Male politely but firmly refused him, realizing that the king wanted to take his place in the future. Then the Pope (whom Philip placed on the throne) invited the Templar Order to unite with its eternal rivals - the Hospitallers. In this case, the independence of the order would be lost. But the master again refused.

Then, in 1307, Philip the Fair ordered the arrest of all Templars in the kingdom. They were accused of heresy, serving the devil and witchcraft. (This was due to the mysterious rites of initiation into members of the order and the subsequent preservation of the secrecy of its actions.)

The investigation lasted seven years. Under torture, the templars confessed to everything, but during a public trial they recanted their testimony. On March 18, 1314, the Grand Master de Male and Prior of Normandy were burned to death over a low fire. Before his death, the Grand Master cursed the king and the Pope: “Pope Clement! King Philip! Not even a year will pass before I call you to God’s judgment!” The curse has come true. The pope died two weeks later, and the king died in the fall. Most likely, they were poisoned by the templars, skilled in making poisons.

Although Philip the Fair failed to organize the persecution of the Templars throughout Europe, the former power of the Templars was undermined. The remnants of this order were never able to unite, although its symbols continued to be used. Christopher Columbus discovered America under the Templar flag - a white banner with a red eight-pointed cross.

Hospitallers. The official name is “The Order of the Horsemen of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem” (from the Latin gospitalis - “guest”; originally the word “hospital” meant “hospital”). In 1070, a hospital for pilgrims to holy places was founded in Palestine by the merchant Mauro from Amalfi. Gradually, a brotherhood was formed there to care for the sick and wounded. It grew stronger, grew, began to exert quite a strong influence, and in 1113 it was officially recognized by the Pope as a spiritual knightly order.

Knights took three vows: poverty, chastity and obedience. The symbol of the order was a white eight-pointed cross. It was originally located on the left shoulder of the black robe. The mantle had very narrow sleeves, which symbolized the monk's lack of freedom. Later, knights began to wear red robes with a cross sewn on the chest. The order had three categories: knights, chaplains and serving brethren. Since 1155, the Grand Master, who was proclaimed Raymond de Puy, became the head of the order. The General Chapter met to make the most important decisions. Members of the chapter gave the Grand Master a purse containing eight denarii, which was supposed to symbolize the knights' renunciation of wealth.

Initially, the main task of the order was caring for the sick and wounded. The main hospital in Palestine housed about 2 thousand beds. The knights distributed free aid to the poor and organized free lunches for them three times a week. The Hospitallers had a shelter for foundlings and infants. All sick and wounded had the same conditions: clothing and food of the same quality, regardless of origin. From the middle of the 12th century. The main duties of the knights become the war against infidels and the protection of pilgrims. The Order already has possessions in Palestine and Southern France. The Johannites, like the Templars, began to gain great influence in Europe.

At the end of the 12th century, when Christians were driven out of Palestine, the Johannites settled in Cyprus. But this situation did not suit the knights much. And in 1307, Grand Master Falcon de Villaret led the Johannites to storm the island of Rhodes. The local population, afraid of losing their independence, fiercely resisted. However, two years later the knights finally gained a foothold on the island and created strong defensive structures there. Now the Hospitallers, or, as they came to be called, the “Knights of Rhodes,” became an outpost of Christians in the East. In 1453, Constantinople fell - Asia Minor and Greece were completely in the hands of the Turks. The knights expected an attack on the island. It was not slow to follow. In 1480 the Turks attacked the island of Rhodes. The knights survived and repelled the attack. The Ioannites simply “became an eyesore to the Sultan” with their presence near its very shores, making it difficult to rule the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, the Turks' patience was exhausted. In 1522, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent vowed to expel Christians from his domains. The island of Rhodes was besieged by a 200,000-strong army on 700 ships. The Johannites held out for three months before Grand Master Villiers de Lille Adan surrendered his sword to the Sultan. The Sultan, respecting the courage of his opponents, released the knights and even helped them with the evacuation.

The Johannites had almost no land in Europe. And so the defenders of Christianity arrived on the shores of Europe, which they had defended for so long. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V offered the Hospitallers the Maltese archipelago to live in. From now on, the Knights Hospitaller became known as the Order of the Knights of Malta. The Maltese continued their fight against the Turks and sea pirates, fortunately the order had its own fleet. In the 60s XVI century Grand Master Jean de la Valette, having at his disposal 600 knights and 7 thousand soldiers, repelled the attack of a 35 thousand-strong army of selected Janissaries. The siege lasted four months: the knights lost 240 cavaliers and 5 thousand soldiers, but fought back.

In 1798, Bonaparte, going with an army to Egypt, took the island of Malta by storm and expelled the Knights of Malta from there. Once again the Johannites found themselves homeless. This time they found refuge in Russia, whose emperor, Paul I, they proclaimed Grand Master as a sign of gratitude. In 1800, the island of Malta was captured by the British, who had no intention of returning it to the Knights of Malta.

After the assassination of Paul I by the conspirators, the Johannites did not have a Grand Master or a permanent headquarters. Finally, in 1871, Jean-Baptiste Cescia-Santa Croce was proclaimed Grand Master.

Already from 1262, in order to join the Order of the Hospitallers, it was necessary to have a noble origin. Subsequently, there were two categories of those entering the order - knights by birth (cavalieri di giustizzia) and by vocation (cavalieri di grazzia). The latter category includes people who do not have to provide evidence of noble birth. It was enough for them to prove that their father and grandfather were not slaves and artisans. Also, monarchs who proved their loyalty to Christianity were accepted into the order. Women could also be members of the Order of Malta.

Grand Masters were chosen only from knights of noble birth. The Grand Master was almost the sovereign sovereign of the island of Malta. The symbols of his power were the crown, the “dagger of faith” - the sword and the seal. From the Pope, the Grand Master received the title of “guardian of the Jerusalem court” and “guardian of the army of Christ.” The order itself was called the “Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem.”

The knights had certain responsibilities to the order - they could not leave the barracks without the permission of the Grand Master, and spent a total of five years in the convention (dormitory, more precisely, the barracks of the knights) on the island of Malta. The knights had to sail on the ships of the order for at least 2.5 years - this duty was called a “caravan”.

By the middle of the 19th century. The Order of Malta is transforming from a military one into a spiritual and charitable corporation, which it remains to this day. The residence of the Knights of Malta is now located in Rome.

The Cross of the Order of Malta has served since the 18th century. one of the highest awards in Italy, Austria, Prussia, Spain and Russia. Under Paul I it was called the Cross of St. John of Jerusalem.

Teutons (Teutonic, or German, order. “Order of the House of St. Mary of the Teutonic”). In the 12th century. in Jerusalem there was a hospital (“hospital house”) for German-speaking pilgrims. He became the predecessor of the Teutonic Order. Initially, the Teutons occupied a subordinate position in relation to the Order of the Hospitallers. But then in 1199 the Pope approved the charter of the order, and Henry Walpot was proclaimed Grand Master. However, only in 1221 were all the privileges that the other, senior orders of the Templars and Johannites had extended to the Teutons.

The knights of the order took vows of chastity, obedience and poverty. Unlike other orders, whose knights were of different “languages” (nationalities), the Teutonic Order was mainly composed of German knights.

The symbols of the order were a white cloak and a simple black cross.

The Teutons very quickly abandoned their duties of protecting pilgrims and treating the wounded in Palestine. Any attempts by the Teutons to interfere in the affairs of the powerful Holy Roman Empire were suppressed. Fragmented Germany did not provide the opportunity to expand, as the Templars did in France and England. Therefore, the Order began to engage in “good activities” - to carry the word of Christ to the eastern lands with fire and sword, leaving others to fight for the Holy Sepulcher. The lands that the knights conquered became their possession under the supreme power of the order. In 1198, the knights became the main striking force of the crusade against the Livonians and conquered the Baltic countries at the beginning of the 13th century. founding Riga. This is how the state of the Teutonic Order was formed. Further, in 1243, the knights conquered the Prussians and took the northern lands from the Polish state.

There was another German order - the Livonian Order. In 1237, the Teutonic Order united with him and decided to move to conquer the northern Russian lands, expanding its borders and strengthening its influence. In 1240, the order's allies, the Swedes, suffered a crushing defeat from Prince Alexander Yaroslavich on the Neva. And in 1242, the same fate befell the Teutons - about 500 knights died, and 50 were taken prisoner. The plan to annex Russian territory to the lands of the Teutonic Order was a complete failure. The Teutonic Grand Masters were constantly afraid of the unification of Rus' and tried to prevent this by any means. However, a powerful and dangerous enemy stood in their way - the Polish-Lithuanian state. In 1409, war broke out between him and the Teutonic Order. The combined forces in 1410 defeated the Teutonic knights at the Battle of Grunwald. But the misfortunes of the order did not end there. The Grand Master of the order, like the Maltese, was a sovereign sovereign. In 1511, he became Albert of Hohenzollern, who, being a “good Catholic,” did not support the Reformation, which was fighting against the Catholic Church. And in 1525 he proclaimed himself the secular sovereign of Prussia and Brandenburg and deprived the order of both possessions and privileges. After such a blow, the Teutons never recovered, and the order continued to eke out a miserable existence.

In the 20th century German fascists extolled the previous merits of the order and its ideology. They also used the symbols of the Teutons. Remember, the Iron Cross (a black cross on a white background) is an important award of the Third Reich. However, the members of the order themselves were persecuted, apparently as having failed to live up to their trust.

The Teutonic Order formally exists in Germany to this day.

References:

To prepare this work, materials from the site http://www.bestreferat.ru were used

Organized into congregations and brotherhoods occupies important positions. Currently there are about 140 monastic orders, whose activities are led by the Vatican Congregation for Sanctified Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The most influential monastic orders are the Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits. Each of them has its own specifics and its own history of development.

Benedictines

Founder of the Benedictine monastery - Benedict of Nursia(480-547) became the founder of the first monastic rule. He founded a monastery in Monte in 530 Cassino, in which he established strict rules. This charter became the basis and example for the monks of other monasteries. The main rule was community life away from the bustle of the world. Monasteries were built in remote places, away from the influence of the world. Initially, there was no central organization; each monastery had independence. Monasteries became centers of education and training. The Benedictines were engaged in missionary activities in the Slavic lands and the Baltic states. Currently, the Benedictine Order unites over 10 thousand monks and 20 thousand nuns.

Monastic orders appeared in 910, after the abbot About from the monastery Cluny undertook a reform of the monastic organization. He proposed to unite many monasteries performing common tasks into orders, which should submit to the central government. The purpose of such a unification was a return to strict observance of the rules, the deprivation of monasteries of autonomy and subordination to the pope, bypassing bishops, and the independence of the church from secular power.

Carmelites

Founder - Berthold of Calabria, leader of the crusaders. The order was founded in 1155 after the victorious Crusade. It got its name from its location - at the foot of the mountain Carmel in Palestine. After the crusaders were defeated, in the 13th century. The order moved to Western Europe. In the 16th century The Carmelite Order split into several movements. A women's order arose in Spain Barefoot Carmelites, and then male. The peculiarities of the order include a reclusive lifestyle and living on alms. Carmelite monks are mainly engaged in missionary activities, raising and educating children and youth.

Carthusians

The monastery was founded in 1084 in the province Chartreuse(lat. - Cartusia). It was officially approved in 1176. There is a female branch of the order, which was formed in 1234. A special feature of the monastery is the presence of large land property. The main source of wealth is the production and sale of Chartreuse liqueur.

Cistercians

First appeared in 1098 in a desert area Sieve (Cito). Since the 14th century There are nunnery monasteries. In 1115 the order was reformed Bernard of Clairvaux and received the name Bernardine. The monks of the order actively participated in, supported the pope in his struggle with the secular authorities.

Franciscans

The monastery organized Francis of Assisi in 1207-1209 in Italy near Assisi. Francis of Assisi spoke out against the acquisitiveness of the papal hierarchs, against the distribution of positions by the pope to his relatives, and against simony (the buying and selling of church positions). He preached the benevolence of poverty, the renunciation of all property, sympathy for the poor, and a cheerful, poetic attitude towards nature. His mysticism was permeated with love for people. These ideas became very popular and in a short time gained recognition in other European countries. Francis of Assisi created "Order of Friars Minor" - religious and moral community. Minorities- “the least of all people” - lived not in monasteries, but in the world, traveled, preached in the language of the common people, and were engaged in charity.

The renunciation of property aroused suspicion among the pope. At first, Francis of Assisi was forbidden to preach, then in 1210 he was allowed, but demanded to abandon the call to poverty. Francis did not comply. After his death, the order split. Extreme followers of Francis fratinelli(brothers) were declared heretics, many were burned. The remaining moderate followers became the pope's support. In 1525, the Franciscans separated capuchins(pointed hoods) to counteract. Since 1619, the Capuchins became an independent order.

Dominicans

The order was founded in 1216 by a Spaniard Dominic de Guzman. The purpose of the order was to fight heresy Albigensians, which spread to France, Germany and Italy. The Albigensians opposed the Catholic Church, which hindered the development of cities. A crusade was declared against the Albigensians, which ended in the defeat of the heretics. The Dominicans also fought the heresy of the Cathars and other movements opposed to the Catholic Church, showing particular cruelty and uncompromisingness.

Dominicans take a vow of poverty, abstinence and obedience, and they are forbidden to eat. The requirement of poverty applies only to individuals, not to congregations. The emblem of the order is a dog with a lit torch in its mouth. They call themselves “dogs of the Lord” (lat. - dominicanes). In 1232 they were given leadership of the Inquisition. They become censors of Catholic orthodoxy. In their activities, the Dominicans used torture, executions, and prisons. They abandoned physical labor in favor of teaching and scientific work. Prominent Catholic theologians emerged from the ranks of the order, including Thomas Aquinas, as well as several popes.

Knight brotherhoods

Spiritual knightly orders began to emerge in the territory of Palestine, conquered during the first Crusade, to protect the conquered lands. The knights took three monastic vows: chastity, poverty and obedience. Unlike ordinary monks, members of the orders had to fight for the faith with weapons in their hands. They obeyed only the pope and the order authorities - the chapter and the grand masters.

Hospitallers

Around 1070 a hospice house was built in Jerusalem ( hospitalis) for wounded and sick pilgrims. The house was given the name of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria. Soon the monks caring for the wounded began to take part in the fighting themselves. In 1113, the pope approved the order's charter, according to which the Hospitallers, or Johannites, were called upon to fight the infidels. After the conquest of Palestine by the Muslims in 1309, the Johannites took possession of the island of Rhodes, and then, when the Ottomans captured it in 1522, they moved to the island of Malta, after which the order received the name Maltese. The distinctive feature of the order was a red cloak with a white cross.

Templars or Templars

The Order of the Templars or Templars arose at the beginning of the 12th century. It was named for the location of his residence near King Solomon's Temple. The distinctive feature of the order was a white cloak with a red cross. The Order accumulated significant funds. After the fall of Jerusalem, the order moved to Cyprus, then to France. King Philip IV the Fair, seeking to seize the wealth of the order, accused the Templars of Manichaeism (a synthesis of Zoroastrianism and Christianity). In 1310, the knights were burned, the property passed to the king, and the order was abolished.

Warband

In the 12th century. In 1190, German crusaders created a military monastic order in Palestine, based on the hospital of the Holy Virgin Mary - the Teutonic Order - after the name of the German tribe. At the beginning of the 13th century. he was transferred to the Baltic states, where he launched military activities in Prussia. The Order carried out a policy of feudal-Catholic expansion in the Baltic states and the northwestern Russian principalities. The difference between the Teutons was a white cloak with a black cross.

Jesuits

The name comes from Lat. SocietasJesu- "Society of Jesus" The order was formed in 1534, approved by the pope in 1540. The founder was a Spanish Basque, a nobleman, a former brave officer, crippled in battle, Ignatius of Loyola(1491-1556). The purpose of the order is to fight the Reformation, spread Catholicism, and unquestioning submission to the pope. The Jesuits are characterized by a strictly hierarchical structure, headed by a general subordinate to the pope. The Order is engaged in worldwide missionary activities.

2004

Introduction

1. The concept of a monastic order

2.2. Livonian Order

2.4. Order of Johannites (Johannites, Order of Malta, Order of Hospitallers)

2.6. Order of the House of St. Mary of Teutonia (German Order, Teutonic Order)

2.8. Order of the Sword

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

A particular type of Catholic organization is monasticism - the guard of the Catholic Church. The monasticism of the Catholic Church is divided into orders of contemplative and active apostolic life. The latter are engaged in missionary work. These include most monks and nuns. Orders are specialized, i.e. each of them has its own field of activity, its own style, its own characteristics in the organization. Specialization in missionary work allows for the greatest productivity. There are monks who live only in monasteries and monks who live in the world and wear civilian clothes. Many monks work as scientists at research centers, at universities, many as teachers, doctors, nurses and other professions, exerting a Christian influence on their environment. A Catholic monk is not a recluse who has completely withdrawn from the world (although there are some). This is an active public figure, a catcher of human souls.

Here are some figures characterizing the state of Catholic monasticism. Churches: in total there are about 300 thousand monks and 800 thousand nuns. The largest monastic associations: 35 thousand people. Jesuits, 27 thousand Franciscans, 21 thousand Salesians, 16 thousand Capuchins, 12 thousand Benedictines, 10 thousand Dominicans (figures taken from M. Mchedlov’s book “Catholicism”, M., 1974)

Monks played a decisive role in the history of wine during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century The Jesuits produced wine on the coastal plains of Peru, and the Franciscans in the 18th century. laid the foundations for winemaking in California. The tradition of drinking wine is maintained to this day.

1. The concept of a monastic order

Order ( ordo religiosus) is a permanent, Church-approved community of men or women whose members ( religiosi, religiosae) take solemn vows ( vota solemnita) poverty, chastity and obedience and with them they oblige themselves to a righteous life in fulfillment of the general charter (regula).

MONASIC ORDERS - monastic associations in Catholicism. The first monastic orders arose in the 6th century. in Italy, until the 11th century. they existed independently of the Catholic hierarchy. The internal life of each monastic order is determined by its own rules, providing for a more or less high centralization of power, requiring unconditional submission to instructions from above. There are so-called mendicant orders (Franciscans, Bernardines, Capuchins, Dominicans and some others), whose charters prohibit their members from owning any property that generates a permanent income. Those same monastic orders that do not consider themselves to be part of this group have the right to earn money that goes into the church treasury or for charitable purposes. Monastic orders are divided into contemplative, or contemplative (their members devote the bulk of their time to prayer and worship), and active, directly involved in socially useful work and acts of mercy. Among the former, for example, are the Benedictines, and among the latter are the Lazarists. The Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits occupy an intermediate position. The Jesuit Order is the most famous among the Catholic orders. Created in 1534 by the Spanish monk Ignatius of Loyola, it still plays an active role in the church and in the world today. The Order runs 177 Catholic universities and cultural centers scattered around the world, as well as 500 schools, attended by about 1.5 million people. This order, as well as other orders. (there are about 140 of them in total), is engaged in religious-political propaganda, religious-educational and religious-educational activities in various parts of the world, including in Russia. The first Catholic monastic associations to spread in Russia since 1724 were the Franciscans and Dominicans. Later, the Augustinians, Carmelites, Marians and others appeared. At the beginning of the 20th century. on the territory of Russia there were eight male and 16 female monasteries (700 monks and nuns), which ceased to exist after 1917. In 1992, the Branch of the Society of Jesus - Jesuits was recreated in Moscow and registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia, in 1995 - the Congregation of Franciscans , Dominicans and Salesians.

The main difference between the order and other religious organizations is the presence of a special charter approved by the Pope.

Solemn vows, which are taken after the end of the period of obedience (novitiate), imply complete and irrevocable surrender of oneself to the order, and through it to God. They deprive a member of the order of the rights to own and dispose of property, to enter into marriage and free him from all social obligations. In some orders (as, for example, in the Jesuit Order), a fourth is added to the three generally accepted vows, which obliges the applicant to follow the special goals facing the order. A characteristic feature of a monastic order is the mandatory residence of its members in a monastery ( clausura, stabilitas loci). In the tradition of the Franciscans and Dominicans, this rule replaces stabilitas provinciae- requirement for a member of the order to reside within a certain territory. All monastic orders differ in their way of life, goals and areas of activity, and externally - in the monastic robes characteristic of each order.

Regulations on the status of the monastic order and the principles of its activities were adopted at the 4th Lateran (1215) and 2nd Lyon Councils. According to these provisions, monastic orders are exempt from the supreme supervision of the bishop and are subject directly to the Pope.

The administration of the order is strictly centralized: it is headed by the general of the order, elected by the general chapter ( capitulum generalis) - a collegial body, which includes provincials ( ministri provinciales) - heads of regional (provincial) associations of the order. At the head of individual monastic communities (conventions) are abbots (abbots, priors or guardians) elected by full members of a given community, whose meeting is called a chapter, or cathedral. Communities or groups of communities of a number of orders are united into structural units called congregations (for example, the Benedictine order consists of 18 congregations). The women's branch of the order is sometimes called the "second order". Under some orders (Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites) there are special brotherhoods of the laity, which are called tertiaries (“third orders”). Tertiaries do not have independent status and their task is to provide active assistance to the order in all its activities.

Monastic orders are divided into the following categories:

1. Ordines monastici seu monachales, whose members are called monachi regulares(“statutory monks”): Antonians, Basilians, Benedictines and their branches (Clunians, Cistercians, etc.) and Carthusians;

2. Ordines canonici (canonic regulares) And ordines clericorum (clerici regulares) - “statutory canons” and “statutory clergy”: Augustinians, Premonstrans, Dominicans and Jesuits;

3. Ordines mendicantium, or regulares mendicantes- “mendicant orders”: Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians-Heremites and Carmelites;

4. Ordines militares, or regulares militares- “knightly (military) orders”: St. John or Hospitallers, Templars (Templars), Teutonic, Levonian orders and others.

2. Medieval monastic orders

The first monastic order in Western Europe was the Benedictine Order (founded in the 4th century).

In the 11th century, the orders of the Cistercians and Carthusians became widespread in Europe.

In the 11th - 12th centuries, in connection with the Crusades, spiritual knightly orders emerged, combining monastic and knightly ideals in their charters. The most common of them are the Hospitallers, Templars and Teutons.

In the 13th century, mendicant monastic orders were created to strengthen the authority of the church and combat heretical movements. The most famous of them are the Franciscans and Dominicans, who took a vow of “bodily poverty” (which over time took on a purely nominal character). The combination of statutory life with priestly service, independence from local authorities, and subordination directly to the pope made the mendicant monastic orders a universal means of influencing the world.

In the 16th - 17th centuries, during the period of the Counter-Reformation, numerous new orders were created to overcome the crisis of the church - Jesuits, Basilians, Theatines, Barnabites.

Currently there are about 140 monastic orders. The monastic orders are governed by the Congregation for Institutes of Sanctified Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

2.1. Cistercian Order (Cisterians)

Catholic monastic order. Founded by the Benedictine Robert of Molesma in 1098.

In 1115 it was headed by Bernard of Clairvaux.

In XII - XIII, the male and female monasteries of the Cistercians were rich and influential. By 1300 there were 700 Cistercian monasteries.

Since the 14th century, the Cistercian order has been in decline.

From the Cistercians, Bernardines, Florians and Trappists emerged.

There are currently about 3,000 Cistercians.

2.2. Livonian Order

Military monastic Catholic order. A unit of the Teutonic Order, created in 1237 from the remnants of the Order of the Sword. The Order, along with the Archbishopric of Riga, the Courland, Dorpat, and Ezel bishoprics, was supposed to rule Livonia, the territory occupied by the crusaders in the Baltic states.

The symbolism of the Livonians was reminiscent of the Teutonic: a black cross on a white field, but many Livonians wore cloaks with the symbols of the Swordsmen: red crosses and swords.

In 1242, Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated the knights of the Livonian Order in the battle of Lake Peipus (“Battle of the Ice”), peace was concluded with Livonia on the terms of its renunciation of claims to Russian lands.

In 1309, after the Teutonic Order captured Eastern Pomerania with the city of Danzig from Poland, the Marienburg fortress became the capital of the Teutonic and Livonian Orders.

At the end of the 13th century. The Livonian Order entered into competition with the Archbishopric of Riga for political power in Livonia.

After the defeat of the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, the position of the Livonian Order began to shake. In 1444 - 1448 The order took part in the war between Livonia and Novgorod and Pskov.

After the defeat in the Livonian War of 1558-1583 by Russian troops, the Livonian Order collapsed and was liquidated in 1562. The Duchy of Courland and the Duchy of Zadvina were created on its territory, the remaining territories were transferred to Denmark and Sweden.

2.3. Jesuit Order (Jesuits, Society of Jesus)

Catholic monastic order. Founded in 1534 in Paris by the Spaniard Ignatius of Loyola and approved by Pope Paul III in 1540.

The basis of the order is strict discipline, unquestioning submission to the leadership and the Pope. The order was removed from episcopal jurisdiction. The basic principle of the order: “The end justifies the means.” The structure of the order is hierarchical and consists of four levels. The order is headed by a general elected by the congress of the order. The Order divides the world into nine assistants, governing the assistants who make up the General Council of the order. Assistantships are divided into provinces and viceprovinces, and these, in turn, are divided into collegiums or residences.

The order is characterized by a high and versatile level of education of all its members. Thanks to this, from the very moment of its founding, members of the order made up a significant part of the teaching staff in educational institutions in Europe, and from the end of the 17th century. - and in Russia. During the Reformation, the order became the main support of the Catholic Church. By the 17th century The order began to play a significant role in the politics, ideology and economy of Europe. By the middle of the 18th century. The order posed a real threat to the papacy. In 1733, Pope Clement XIV, under pressure from the royal courts of Spain, Portugal and France, decided to dissolve the order.

De jure the order was dissolved, but its secret activities did not stop. In those territories of Russia where the Jesuits had significant influence, Empress Catherine II forbade the dissolution of the order, intending to use it as a political force against the Catholic Church.

In 1814, Pope Pius VII restored the normal functioning of the order in full.

At the end of the 20th century. The Jesuit Order has 35 thousand members. About 1 thousand newspapers and magazines are published in more than 50 languages. The Order owns 33 universities and 200 schools.

2.4. Order of Johannites (Johannites, Order of Malta, Order of Hospitallers)

The most ancient Catholic monastic order. Founded in 1023 (according to other sources, in 1070) by the merchant Pantaleon Mauro from Amalfi (Southern Italy) and his associates, who built a hospital and shelter for sick and elderly pilgrims going to Jerusalem.

After the capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders in 1099, the order was recognized by the Pope as an independent religious organization. Its full name was: “Knightly Order of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem.”

Those who entered the order took three monastic vows: chastity, obedience and poverty.

Around 1155, the head of the order, the French knight Raymond de Puy, took the title of Grand Master and issued the first statutes of the order.

The symbol of the order was the eight-pointed white cross (later called the Maltese cross), which, as a rule, was embroidered on robes or cloaks. By the 13th century, the outfit of the Hospitallers had taken on its classic look: a red cloak with an eight-pointed cross embroidered on the front and back.

By the 12th century, the order had achieved serious military power.

In 1306, the order invaded the island of Rhodes and dominated there for more than 200 years, until it was expelled by the Turks in 1523. After this, in 1530, the order was taken under the protection of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and gave the order the island of Malta as fief.

In the 16th - 17th centuries, the order reached its peak and became a strong maritime power in the Mediterranean.

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte's troops captured Malta. After a brutal defeat, the order moved to Russia under the patronage of Paul I, who, with a special manifesto, assumed the title of Grand Master of the Order, and declared St. Petersburg to be the main residence of the Hospitallers.

After the assassination of Paul I in 1801, the seat of the order was moved to Italy.

From 1834 to the present, the headquarters of the order has been located in Rome, where it occupies about two square kilometers. The order's possessions in Rome enjoy the right of extraterritoriality.

As a sovereign state, the order has diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with 50 states. The Order has its own constitution, government, anthem, citizenship, and banknotes.

Currently, the order has about 10 thousand knights and about one million associate members of the order, united in 35 national sections. Members of the order are mainly major political figures and businessmen.

All members of the order are divided into three main ranks:

Knights of Justice

Knights of Obedience

In addition, there are honorary knights and ladies.

All threads of government are concentrated in the hands of the Grand Master, who is elected for life from a narrow circle of knights and approved by the pope.

Divorced people or those living in an extramarital affair, Jews and communists are not accepted into the order. Membership in the order is allowed only to Catholics, but this rule does not apply to crowned persons.

Currently, the order is primarily engaged in organizing medical care and organizing pilgrimages. The order runs about 200 hospitals in different countries of the world. After the Salvation Army, the Order of Hospitallers is the largest charitable organization.

2.5. Order of the Templars (Order of the Templars)

One of the ancient Catholic monastic orders. Founded in 1119 by French knights in Jerusalem shortly after the First Crusade. Odren received its name (French templiers, from templ - temple) from the location of the original residence near the place where, according to legend, the Temple of Solomon was located.

The “father” of the order is considered to be the Burgundian knight Hugo de Paynes, who in 1118, while participating in a crusade, along with eight associates, found refuge in the palace of the Jerusalem ruler Baldwin I.

The main task of the order was declared to be the protection of pilgrims and states conquered by the crusaders from Muslims.

The Templars took the same three vows as the Johannites and had a similar organizational structure. The symbol of the Templars was a red cross, which was worn over a white cloak borrowed from the Cistercians.

In a short time, thanks to donations, trade and usury, the order became the largest feudal lord and banker in the Middle East and Western Europe.

In 1128, the statutes of the Templar Order were adopted.

In the 13th century, the number of the order reached 15 thousand knights. The Order was repeatedly used to combat heresies and uprisings.

At the end of the Crusades, the order settled in Europe, mainly in France. Fearing the growth of the power of the Templars, the French king Philip IV the Fair in 1307 achieved the arrest of all members of the order and initiated an inquisitorial process against them.

The knights, led by the master, accused of Manichaeism, were burned at the stake in 1310. In 1312, Pope Clement V abolished the order.

2.6. Order of the House of St. Mary of Teutonia (German Order, Teutonic Order)

Catholic monastic order. Founded by German crusaders at the end of the 12th century on the basis of the hospital "House of St. Mary of the Teutonic" in Jerusalem.

Initially, the order occupied a subordinate position in relation to the Johannites. The charter and independence of the order were approved by Pope Innocent III in 1198.

The first grandmaster of the order, even before the approval of the statutes, was Heinrich Walpot.

The residences and possessions of the order were located, in addition to Jerusalem, in Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the order settled in North-Eastern Europe, pursuing a policy of expansion in the Baltic states and north-western Russian principalities. In the occupied lands, the knights of the order carried out forced Germanization and conversion of the population to Catholicism.

In 1410, the combined Polish-Lithuanian-Russian troops inflicted a crushing defeat on the Teutonic Order at the Battle of Grunwald.

In the 16th century, when the Reformation swept Prussia, the order's domains were secularized. With the loss of capital and possessions, the order lost its military and political significance.

The Teutonic Order currently exists in Germany in the form of a small church organization.

2.7. Augustinian Order (Augustinians)

Catholic monastic order. It originates from monastic communities formed by St. Augustine and his sister Perpetua. Follows the rule attributed to St. Augustine, which was drawn up in the middle of the 5th century and required monastic community and complete renunciation of property. The Augustinians laid the origins of the practice of all mendicant orders.

The Augustinians are practically a union of several related orders. The most famous of them are the statutory Augustinian canons, the white canons, the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine, the Order of the Barefoot Hermit Brothers, the Order of the Contemplative Brothers, the congregation of the statutory Lateran Canons, and the Congregation of the Ascension.

There are currently about 10 thousand Augustinians.

2.8. Order of the Sword

Catholic spiritual-knightly monastic order. Established in 1202 on the initiative of the Bremen canon Albert, who became the first Bishop of Riga.

During the second "Northern" Crusade, the knights of the Order of the Sword made an unsuccessful attempt to take the Izborsk fortress.

In 1234, on the Emajõge River near the city of Yuryev, the Novgorod prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich defeated the troops of the Order of the Sword, stopping the advance of the knights to the east.

In 1236, the Lithuanian prince Mindovg defeated the army of the Order of the Swordsmen at the Battle of Siauliai. The master of the order, Volkvin, was killed in the battle.

In 1237, the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen merged with the Teutonic Order, forming a division of the Teutonic Order, called the Livonian Order and intended to conduct business in Livonia.

The name of the order comes from the image on their cloaks of a red sword with a cross.

2.9. Franciscan Order (Franciscans)

Catholic mendicant monastic order. Founded in Italy in 1207 - 1209. Francis of Assisi.

Along with the Dominican Order, the Franciscans were involved in holding Inquisition trials.

At the end of the XII - beginning of the XIII century. the order split into conventuals (supporters of monastic life who rejected the strict order rules) and spiritualists (supporters of poverty and strict rigorism). Under the influence of spiritualists, two radical heretical sects arose - the Fraticelli and the Fagellants.

In the 13th century. The Franciscans were very popular in Italy, Spain and France.

Conclusion

The role of monks in the development of European culture of the Early Middle Ages today is practically not disputed or questioned by anyone. Moreover, it has become a kind of triviality, a commonplace. It is curious that, in all likelihood, this was the same undeniable “triviality” for medieval chroniclers. “They were well educated in divine and human affairs and passed on to others the treasures of the spirit that they possessed.”

Currently (end of the 20th century) in the Roman Catholic Church there are 213,917 monks (of which 149,176 are monastic priests and 908,158 nuns), members of various monastic associations.

Bibliography

1. Religious studies: Textbook and minimum educational dictionary for religious studies. - M.: Gardariki, 2002.

2. Tkach M. Secrets of Catholic monastic orders. - M.: Ripol Classic, 2003.

3. Wapler A., ​​“History of the Roman Catholic Church”, Odessa, 1899.

4. Kovalsky I.A., “International Catholic Organizations”, M., 1962.

6. Mchedlov M., “Catholicism”, Moscow, 1974

Augustinian Order. Appeared in the second half of the 13th century and received the privileges of a mendicant order. The Order united several hermit communities in Italy (Johnbonites, Tuscan Eremites, Britinians, etc.) into one congregation. The order's charter was not strict. In the 14th century, with an even greater weakening of the original strictness of the charter, the order was transformed into numerous new congregations, one of them was the Saxon one, to which Staupitz and Luther belonged.

Franciscan Order. The founder was the son of a merchant - Francis of Assisi. Francis, having taken a vow of perfect mendicancy, became a traveling preacher of repentance, apostolic poverty, asceticism and love of neighbor in 1208. Soon several students gathered around him, with whom he formed Order of Friars Minor or minorities. Pope Innocent 3, to whom Francis appeared, although he did not approve the order, allowed him and his brothers to engage in preaching and missionary work. In 1223, the order was solemnly approved by a bull of Pope Honorius 3, and the minorities were given the right to preach and make confession everywhere. In 1212, Clara of Assisi founded the order Clarissa, to which Francis gave a charter in 1224. After the death of Francis in 1226, the order spread throughout all countries of Western Europe and numbered thousands of monks.

Dominican Order. The Order was founded at approximately the same time as Francis by a priest and canon Dominican Republic. At the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th centuries. Many heretics appeared in the Roman Church, who found shelter in southern France and caused great unrest. Dominic, traveling through southern France, became acquainted with its heretical population, and decided to found an order specially designed for this purpose to convert heretics. Having received permission in 1215 from Pope Innocent, and from Pope Honorius a charter, the order declared itself. According to this charter, the main activity of the order was to be the conversion of heretics. But Honorius, also to strengthen the Catholic faith, granted the order the right to engage in preaching and confession everywhere. From preaching, the Order of Dominic was originally called the Order brother preachers, later in honor of the founder it began to be called Dominican. In 1220, Dominic made a change in the charter of his order, adding, following the example of the Franciscans, begging to the main vows of the brethren. In principle, the Dominican Order was very similar to the Order of Francis. The difference lies in the fact that, in accordance with its task of converting heretics and establishing the Catholic faith, it took upon itself primarily the educational direction and acted as an order engaged in in-depth study of theology among the upper classes. Dominicans founded their own educational institutions. At the same time, the Franciscans were rivals and opponents of the Dominicans in many dogmatic issues. After Dominic's death in 1221, his order spread throughout Western Europe.

The Franciscan and Dominican monastic orders had, like no other, special importance in the Roman Church, having the status of mendicants, except for the Jesuit order that subsequently appeared. The reason lies in the special nature and direction of their activities, different from other orders. Monks of other Western orders, in accordance with their vows, had to spend their lives away from society and care only about their own salvation; they were not given participation in church affairs. On the contrary, even pastoral activities, through which they could influence society, were prohibited by the popes. The Franciscan and Dominican orders were intended by their founders to promote the interests of the church among society, and the popes not only prevented this, but also made it easier for them to fulfill their given purpose, giving members of both orders extensive rights to widespread pastoral activity. The Franciscans and Dominicans formed a specific hierarchy that was at the direct disposal of the papal throne. Based on this state of affairs in the church, mendicant monks take an active part in all spheres of spiritual activity. They are preachers, confessors, learned theologians and philosophers, university professors and agents of popes. The Franciscans were the confessors of sovereigns from the 13th to the 16th centuries, and enjoyed great influence in secular affairs until they were supplanted by the Jesuits. Together with the Dominicans, the Franciscans served as the Inquisition, founded in the 13th century. It should be noted, however, that at first the Dominicans and Franciscans, when the vow of poverty was observed by them in all severity, were representatives of pious life. And all this taken together strengthened their importance in the Church. But the influence of a close connection with the papacy and serving its interests left an imprint on the activities of the mendicant orders and, as a result, they more and more deviated from their original purpose - the salvation of human souls. They directed all their interests and activities towards the spread and establishment of papal power. The basic vow of both orders - apostolic poverty - was forgotten, and strict discipline gave way to licentiousness.

In addition to monastic orders in the Western European Church in the Middle Ages, orders appeared, partly monastic and partly lay - spiritual knightly orders. Their appearance expressed the general trend of Western medieval life, when the Church, defending its interests, attracted all classes of society, including knighthood, to its service. The natural reason for the emergence of spiritual knightly orders in the political situation of the current era was the Crusades. The most noticeable contribution to the history of the Middle Ages in general, and in particular to the history of the Crusades, was made by three orders - the Hospitallers, the Templars and the Teutons. The Templar Order ceased to exist in the first half of the 14th century; the rest still exist today, but do not play a significant military-political role. The orders degenerated into charitable public organizations.

One of the first orders of this kind was the Order of St. John or Hospitallers. In 1048, long before the Crusades, Amalfi was founded by civilians hospice of Saint John the Baptist- a Christian organization or hospital for the shelter of poor and sick pilgrims; a brotherhood was also established at the hospital. Ioannites - Jerusalem, Rhodes and Maltese Sovereign Military Hospitable Order of St. John. In 1099, when the Christian kingdom was founded by the crusaders during the first crusade in Jerusalem, the members of this brotherhood accepted monastic rules and the organization turned into a religious-military order. Initially, the main responsibility of the Brothers of St. John was hospitality and caring for the sick. Later, these duties were supplemented by the duty to protect the pilgrims with weapons and concern for the defense of the Holy Land. The latter duties soon became the main ones and the Johannites devoted themselves exclusively to the fight against the infidels. A spiritual knightly order was formed. Pope Innocent II approved it. The Johannites were divided into three classes: knights, priests and service brothers. The order was led by the Grandmaster. The formation of the order with the aim of fighting the infidels was met with sympathy in Europe, and as a result, large donations began to be made in favor of the Johannites. Solomon moved to Cyprus, and from there they migrated to Western Europe and lived on their rich estates, especially in France. The center of concentration was Paris. Subsequently, the French king Philip IV the Handsome, fearing the knights’ plans against the state and wanting to take away their enormous wealth, began to bring terrible accusations against the order. Philip the Fair over time confiscated the order's property and directed the Inquisition against the brotherhood. Members of the order were accused of a terrible heresy - of renouncing Jesus Christ. Pope Clement 5, who lived at that time in Avignon and was completely dependent on Philip, was forced to contribute to the destruction of the order. In 1312, a papal bull declared the Templar order heretical and destroyed.