Код да Винчи

Chapter 37

           Theybeganextendingcredittobankruptroyalsandcharginginterestinreturn,therebyestablishingmodernbankingandbroadeningtheirwealthandinfluencestillfurther.

           Bythe1300s,theVaticansanctionhadhelpedtheKnightsamasssomuchpowerthatPopeClementVdecidedthatsomethinghadtobedone.WorkinginconcertwithFrance’sKingPhilippeIV,thePopedevisedaningeniouslyplannedstingoperationtoquashtheTemplarsandseizetheirtreasure,thustakingcontrolofthesecretsheldovertheVatican.InamilitarymaneuverworthyoftheCIA,PopeClementissuedsecretsealedorderstobeopenedsimultaneouslybyhissoldiersallacrossEuropeonFriday,October13of1307.

           Atdawnonthethirteenth,thedocumentswereunsealedandtheirappallingcontentsrevealed.Clement’sletterclaimedthatGodhadvisitedhiminavisionandwarnedhimthattheKnightsTemplarwerehereticsguiltyofdevilworship,homosexuality,defilingthecross,sodomy,andotherblasphemousbehavior.PopeClementhadbeenaskedbyGodtocleansetheearthbyroundingupalltheKnightsandtorturingthemuntiltheyconfessedtheircrimesagainstGod.Clement’sMachiavellianoperationcameoffwithclockworkprecision.Onthatday,countlessKnightswerecaptured,torturedmercilessly,andfinallyburnedatthestakeasheretics.Echoesofthetragedystillresonatedinmodernculture;tothisday,Fridaythethirteenthwasconsideredunlucky.

           Sophielookedconfused.«TheKnightsTemplarwereobliterated?IthoughtfraternitiesofTemplarsstillexisttoday?»

           «Theydo,underavarietyofnames.

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