Lawsuit of the Day: Knights of the Templar v. The Pope
If legal novelist John Grisham and Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown were to get together and make a literary baby, it would look a lot like our lawsuit of the day. From London’s Daily Telegraph:
The heirs of the Knights Templar have launched a legal battle in Spain to force the Pope to restore the reputation of the disgraced order which was accused of heresy and dissolved seven centuries ago.The Association of the Sovereign Order of the Temple of Christ, whose members claim to be descended from the legendary crusaders, have filed a lawsuit against Benedict XVI calling for him to recognise the seizure of assets worth 100 billion euros [$150 billion USD].
They claim that when the order was dissolved by his predecessor Pope Clement V in 1307, more than 9,000 properties as well as countless pastures, mills and other commercial ventures belonging to the knights were appropriated by the church.
1307? It seems like the statute of limitations has run out on that one. (Or “prescriptive period” per Spain’s civil law system.)
The Pope has the Vatican to blame for inspiring the lawsuit:
The legal move by the Spanish group comes follows the unprecedented step by the Vatican towards the rehabilitation of the group when last October it released copies of parchments recording the trials of the Knights between 1307 and 1312.The papers lay hidden for more than three centuries having been “misfiled” within papal archives until they were discovered by an academic in 2001.
Apparently, the Knights hope the suit will help improve their reputation, sullied by age-old accusations of worshipping Satan, denying Jesus, and practicing sodomy. It seems more likely that they’ll have a new accusation added to the list: filing frivolous and unsuccessful lawsuits.
Knights Templar heirs in legal battle with the Pope [Daily Telegraph via NPR]
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Comments
awesome. maybe they should join God as an interested party. oh, and first.
Mega points for noting the "prescription" distinction. Kash, you would be worshipped as a cajun goddess in my home parish. A cock fight in your honor would be held in every night for a fortnight.
--Signed, Louisiana lawyer guy.
Why am I so thirdsty?
There are 10 paragraphs in this post. There are 10 words in the headline. There are 6 crosses in the picture. Clearly this post is sending a coded message ... perhaps about the Sang Real?
There are 10 paragraphs in this post. There are 10 words in the headline. There are 6 crosses in the picture. Clearly this post is sending a coded message ... perhaps about the Sang Real?
"The legal move by the Spanish group comes follows the unprecedented step by the Vatican towards the rehabilitation of the group when last October it released copies of parchments recording the trials of the Knights between 1307 and 1312."
the prescriptive period was equitably tolled in this case.
anyone know if you have to undergo a drug test for a federal judicial clerkship?
100 euros is now worth150 USD?
Yikes.
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"We are not trying to cause the economic collapse of the Roman Catholic Church, but to illustrate to the court the magnitude of the plot against our Order," said a statement issued by the self-proclaimed modern day knights.
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They want 100B Euros, but it's not about the money...
...unless I'm misunderstanding what it means to "recognise the seizure of assets worth 100 billion euros."
Also, Assassin's Creed is a sweet video game
5: Go ask WILSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They're citing documents misfiled 300 years ago? I'm thinking you won't be doing the research for this one on Lexis or Westlaw.
when did their cause of action arise?? when the property was taken away? or when the heirs found that it was taken away wrongly??
This is kind of interesting, but if they are looking for some money would it not be easier to just say they were fondled by a priest (The church is more used to dealing with those suits by now)??
Maybe the prescriptive period tolled, but this sucker is almost almost certainly subject to peremption. (look it up).
Guys in my high school appropriated countless pastures, mills and other commercial ventures belonging to the knights all the time. It was no big deal.
Sovereign immunity unless Spain has a law like the Foreign Terrorism Act in the U.S.
We don't "toll" prescription, we "suspend" or "interrupt" it.
Kash, seriously, I've nammed my pirogue after you.
--Louisiana lawyer guy.
The clue is found on Arcticbeacon.com and strunk.ws along with links to be disclosed.
After the monarchs ceased control over the masons in 1717 everything went down hill. The Pope decreed a Bull in 1738 that any Catholic found a Mason would be excommunicated and after that was used as the extortion controlling device to subvert everything good. Extortion in most law systems is a crime except in those run by the Pope.
The lawyer class serves who?