Pope Clement V in 1305, sent letters to the Grand Masters of the Order of Templars(Jecques de Molay), and the Hospitaller(named Fulk de Villaret). In these letters the Pope discussed the possibility for the two Orders to be merged. None of the Orders approved the idea, but Clement V was very persistent and in 1306, invited the two Grand Masters to France for discussion.

The first to arrive in the early 1307, was De Molay. However, Villaret delayed with several months. And meanwhile, Pope Clement V and De Molay discussed charges,been made 2 years ago by ousted Templar. Clement sent a written request for investigation assistance to the King of France Philip IV, although while discussing with De Molay the Pope agreed, that the charges were false.

King Philip IV, from his war with the English, was in deep debt to the Templars. That is why, he decided to use the rumors for his own dark purposes. So, the first step he undertook, was to press the Church in taking action against the Order. This was his way to free from his debts.

His next move was clear. If he wanted to have no debts, he had to order the arrests of De Molay and many other French Templars. This happened on Friday October 13, 1307. All these people were arrested simultaneously.

They were evilly and ruthlessly tortured to extract false confessions and blasphemies, as also charged with numerous heresies. These confessions, caused a great scandal in Paris, being obtained through duress.

But Philip didn’t stop his bullying, which guided to the Pastoralis Praeeminentiae, issued by the Pope Clement V on November 22, 1307.

So, the Pope ordered the European monarchs to arrest all the Templars and seize their assets. After freed of the torture of the Inquisitors, the Knights recanted all the false confessions in front of the Pope. But in 1310, Philip blocked any attempt for the truth to appear, and many of the Templars were burned at the stake in Paris.