Leaving aside the issue of this call for an apology - I find that trivial.
Does anyone have any opinion, on the issue of Templar survivance? Do you think that they did survive, in what form, or had any lasting impact?
Priory de Sion - Switzerland. What is the symbol on the Swiss flag?
Difficult call. I know some fled to Switzerland where their renowned financial abilities survive to this day. A few may have gone to Britain and blended in among monastics. I would not be surprised if some returned to the Holy Land, surrounding areas or even further east.
I don't think the Freemasons have any actual lineage to them, but that is just my opinion. Ironically, I don't know why they would want to claim the lineage since the Templars were Catholic.
The skull which the Templars were accused of worshipping has been theorized to be the relic of St. John the Baptist which they obtained in a prior journey in the Holy Land. Baphomet is thought to be an anagram for something, not a demonic entitiy.
I doubt any group today could claim actual lineage.
I don't think any of the Templars survived. But what did survive - and what was a threat to church and state - was their knowledge of the lost teachings of Jesus. Their use of his teachings on alchemy, personal Christhood and the science of the spoken word resulted in their manifesting material and spiritual wealth that was the envy of the powers that were.
Unfortunately those teachings exist in very few places today in pure form. They have been watered down into New Age mumbo-jumbo or hijacked by Satanists, and is thus rejected as a result of the poisoned well strategy.
True, over time the Templars were infiltrated by corrupt men which was partly the cause of their persecution. But ever since Christ died his Teachings have been distorted or suppressed by those who did not want this teaching to get to the masses: That Christ was an example of what we could do, not the exception. He gave teachings on how to contact the divine source within and true soul liberation, which has nothing to do with orthodox docrines empahsizing sin, guilt and vicarious atonement. The Templars found these teachings and put them to use. Unfortunately, Westerners, myself included, do not have the self-discipline to use the lost teachings.
I am not so much interested in the history of their politics but moreso the esoteric spiritual means they used to achieve their wealth. Only akasha holds the true record of their political history.
I would be in favor of some sort of apology - if only to give some recognition to the group that has influenced western civiization more than any other as we know it, yet has been ignored by orthodox historians, precisely for the reasons above.