The Templars were originally founded as a military Christian order, whose main purpose was to protect pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land, while their non-military brothers developed a financial structure (akin to a crude version of a modern banking system). While the order was originally successful, their exclusive nature and gradually amassed wealth earned the mistrust of religious and secular leaders. Tales of bizarre initiation ceremonies and pseudo-pagan rites began to spread. Eventually the French king, Philip IV, issued a decree ostracizing the order, and Pope Clement V excommunicated the order (under pressure from Philip). Many Templars were arrested and tortured until they gave false confessions that collaborated with the popular stories.
De Molay was arrested, and though confessed he later rescinded. He and several others were taken to the Ile aux Juifs (now the Ile St Louis) in Paris to be burnt at the stake as relapsed heretics. According to legend, De Molay called out that both Pope Clement and Philip would soon meet him before God. The Pope died within the month, and Philip died in a hunting accident before the end of the year.
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