The Parchment (23 page)

“We have a commanderie in Villeneuve just across the river from the Palais,” the grand master wrote the pope. “The simple quarters of my order will be adequate for my needs.”

The Templar commanderie lay on a bluff overlooking Villeneuve. The barges carrying de Molay's entourage arrived quietly at the docks of the town. The grand master insisted that there be no panoply to mark his arrival. Even the Bishop of Avignon was politely asked not to come to greet de Molay.

Gerard was assigned the job of transferring provisions from the Templar barges to horse carts for the trip up the hill to the commanderie. As Gerard bent down to lift a heavy chest onto one of the carts, a large hulk of a man stood over him, blocking out the sun. Gerard knew immediately who it was.

“Brother Michael!”

“By the bones of St. Peter, what are you doing here, Montelambert? And a Templar, no less.”

The two men embraced.

“How long have you been in Villenueve, Brother Michael?”

“When the Crusaders abandoned Tortosa, the grand master ordered me here. I must admit I prefer Tortosa to Avignon.”

“Why is that?” asked Gerard.

“In Palestine snakes crawl; here they walk.”

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HE LARGE OAKEN
chair all but engulfed the small frame of Bertrand de Got, formerly Archbishop of Bordeaux and now the Vicar of Christ, Pope Clement V. To be chosen Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church was an honor bestowed on few men. Devout Catholics believed that the Holy Spirit inspired Clement's selection. Clement, however, knew better. He owed his election not to the Holy Spirit but to a man — King Philip IV of France. Wanting a French pope, Philip had bought the final votes needed to give the election to Clement. In return for his election, Philip had already forced Clement to move the papal household from Rome to Avignon. Clement knew there would be new demands to come.

A knock on the door made Clement look up from the letter he was reading. An elderly cardinal entered the room. “Ah, Pierre, thank you for coming so quickly.” Cardinal Pierre de Saone was the camerlengo of the Church and Clement's most trusted adviser.

“De Saone, this letter just arrived from the Patriarch of Constantinople. It is dated June twenty-ninth.”

“The feast of Saints Peter and Paul. What does the Patriarch want?”

The pope looked upset. “He threatens a schism unless the Western and Eastern Churches reach some accommodation on the status of the Bishop of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople.”

“What ‘accommodation’ does the Patriarch want?” The cardinal asked the question sarcastically.

“He proposes that we both have equal status in the Church. Each would have a veto over the other in doctrinal and ecclesiastical matters. He concludes by saying that, just as Peter and Paul
settled their differences amicably, the two of us must do the same for the good of Christianity.”

“What the Patriarch proposes is out of the question, Your Holiness. You are the Vicar of Christ on earth. The Patriarch must accept the primacy of the Bishop of Rome.”

“Of course I cannot accept the Patriarch's demands. But his threat of a schism is still ominous.”

“I know it is, Holiness.”

“These are desperate times, de Saone. The world seems to be coming apart. The infidels have reconquered Jerusalem, and Christ's tomb is again in shackles. The remaining crusaders in Palestine stream back to Europe defeated and demoralized. Here in France, Philip maneuvers to take more and more power from the Church. Already he has forced me to move my household here to Avignon. Who would have believed that one day the Bishop of Rome would sit captive in a French city! But I dare not oppose Philip. You saw what he did to my predecessor Pope Boniface. These papal vestments are no protection from Philip's anger.”

“The Archangel Michael would strike Philip dead if he ever dared harm you, Clement.”

“Let me tell you a story. Remember the recent deportation of the Jews from France.”

“Of course. Phillip expelled them so he could confiscate their wealth.”

“When he first told me of his plans for the Jews, I objected in the strongest terms. I threatened to place France under an interdict and forbid the distribution of the sacraments. I told him the interdict would remain in place until he relented and allowed the Jews to return to France.”

“And what did he say to that?”

“Here is what he said: ‘Boniface placed France under an interdict and look what happened to him. If you follow his lead, Clement, there will soon be another Frenchman on the Throne of Saint Peter.’ What do I do, de Saone? I am not as brave as Boniface. I fear Philip.”

“You are right to fear him. Philip stops at nothing to get his way. Yield to his political ambitions. Flatter him — call him the new Charlemagne. But you must not let Philip gain control in matters of religion. You are the Vicar of Christ and the conduit of his graces, not King Philip.”

“It sounds so easy when you say it, Pierre.” Clement poured himself a glass of water. “Philip is not the only problem that must be dealt with. Jacques de Molay has come from Cyprus to see me. He wishes to discuss the future of the Order of the Temple now that Jerusalem has fallen to the Saracens. But I fear that the grand master comes with something else on his mind. I do not trust him.”

“You are right to be cautious, Holiness. What is good for the order is not always good for the Church.”

“I trust your judgment in these matters, Pierre. Stay to hear what he says.”

A servant knocked on the door to the pope's chamber. “Your Holiness, the grand master of the Templars waits outside,”

“Show him in.”

Clement rose from his chair to greet his famous guest. De Molay genuflected before the pope and kissed his ring. “Your Holiness, it is good of you to receive me so soon after my arrival in Avignon.” Clement opened his arms expansively. “The grand master of the Temple is a welcome guest in our palace. I only wish I could welcome you more appropriately. Philip forces me to live in this crowded pigsty of a city. The streets are so dangerous that members of the curia have built skyways from their houses to the Palais des Papes.”

De Molay smiled. “I have seen them throughout the city.”

“On top of everything else, this dingy palace that Philip has provided me is too small for my household. But, Grand Master, I am sure you did not come all the way from Cyprus to listen to my complaints. You know, of course, Cardinal de Saone. I have asked His Eminence to join our discussion.”

“I know the camerlengo's reputation for wisdom and unswerving devotion to the Church. He has always been a loyal friend of our order.”

De Saone quickly grew impatient with the customary rounds of diplomatic niceties. “Your order has also contributed much to the work of the Church, Grand Master. But now tell us why you have come. Although the spring sun is warm in Avignon, I do not think it was the weather that brought you here.”

“You are right, Your Eminence. I am here for a reason.” De Mo-lay turned and addressed Pope Clement directly. “As you are aware, Holiness, I have asked to speak to you about a matter of the gravest concern to my order and to Christendom. The holy places are again in Saracen hands. The crusading armies have returned to Europe. Two hundred years ago, your blessed predecessor Pope Urban rallied all of Europe to the banner of the Cross. For a time, the Tomb of Christ was in Christian hands. I beg you, Clement, follow the example of Pope Urban. Preach a new Crusade. Western Christendom must retake what it has lost.”

“Grand Master, I am told you are someone who is both realistic and skilled in the art of diplomacy. You know as well as I that there can be no Crusade at this time. There have been six already. The kings of France and England are preoccupied with matters here in Europe. They have neither the money nor the inclination for new adventures in the Holy Land.”

“But, Your Holiness, you could bend them to your will. Threaten them with an interdict.”

“For all your reputation as a shrewd diplomat, de Molay, I am surprised at your naïveté. There will be no Crusade. I do not have the power to convince any of the kings of Europe to join in such an effort.”

“You are the Vicar of Christ, Your Holiness. I must insist that you reconsider your decision.”

“‘Insist!’” Clement bristled when he repeated the word. “Do not forget to whom you are speaking, Grand Master.”

“Your Holiness, I wish to show you something that may change your mind.”

De Molay unrolled an ancient parchment scroll and laid it on a table. “This parchment was discovered several months ago in Palestine by a young Templar. It is written in Hebrew. I understand
Your Holiness is fluent in Hebrew so you might wish to read it for yourself.”

The pope sat down at the table where de Molay had unrolled the manuscript. “I will not indulge you much longer, Grand Master.”

After studying the manuscript for several minutes, the pope suddenly stopped. His face grew pale and his body trembled. Clement handed the parchment to Cardinal de Saone. “This writing, de Molay, is the product of the Devil. It is rank heresy. If you or any of your Templars believe in such things, then you should be excommunicated from the Church.”

“Your Holiness, what I believe — for the moment at least — is irrelevant. What is relevant, however, is the parchment. As of this moment, just four people know the contents of this document — three of whom are presently in this room. And so it will remain — on one condition.”

“And what is that, de Molay?”

De Molay looked squarely at Pope Clement. “That you call for a new Crusade to free the Holy Places.”

The pope was shocked at de Molay's challenge. “And if I refuse?”

“The contents of the parchment will be revealed. You can imagine the impact it will have on the papacy, Your Holiness. If there is a bloodline of Christ Our Savior, many devout Christians will believe that his descendants, and not Peter's successors, should lead the Church.”

“Who would believe you, de Molay?” Clement looked contemptuously at the grand master. “We all know that many in your order are capable of forging this Hebrew document. That is what the people will believe. As for this claim that issue was born to Jesus and the Magdalene, it is simply preposterous. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that He chose to be celibate. The faithful will not believe that, despite His words, Jesus had relations with a woman. He was God.”

“But he was also fully human, Holiness.”

The pope became visibly agitated at the grand master's words. “Don't engage me in theological debate, Grand Master.”

“Your Holiness, that was not my intent. But there is more to this than may meet the eye. There are political overtones to this parchment.”

“Political overtones?”

“You know that as well as I, Holiness. For years there have been rumors in France that there was a bloodline of Christ, and that it ran through the Merovingian dynasty of French kings. Your sponsor, King Philip, is a Capetian.”

“The Capetians have ruled France for over three hundred years, de Molay. Their throne is secure.”

“Perhaps not as secure as you may think, Your Holiness. Rumors about a bloodline of Christ resurfaced during the recent Crusades against the Cathars. Some even believe that the Capetians brutal suppression of the Cathars was aimed at destroying the bloodline.”

“These rumors are no threat, de Molay.”

“I respectfully disagree, Holiness. In the right hands, this parchment will refuel these rumors and give them more credibility. There could be efforts to depose the Capetian dynasty in favor of the Merovingians. Imagine what your King Philip will think if he learns that you had the chance to destroy the manuscript but did not!”

Cardinal de Saone angrily interrupted. “This is extortion, de Molay!”

“Call it what you will, Eminence. I do what I must do for my order.”

De Molay turned again to Clement. “Your Holiness, I ask you for a second time — will you agree to preach a new Crusade to recapture the Holy Places?”

“De Molay, Templars take a vow to obey me in all things. I call on that vow. Do not reveal the contents of this parchment. Many will die, brother will fight against brother.”