“However, according to Prof Frale, study of the document shows that the knights were not heretics as had been believed for 700 years.
In fact she says “the Pope was obliged to ask for pardons from the knights... the document we have found absolves them”. “
Why would the Pope have asked for the Templars to pardon him?
You wrote:
“Why would the Pope have asked for the Templars to pardon him?”
Did he ask? All I saw was this: “In fact she says “the Pope was obliged to ask for pardons from the knights... the document we have found absolves them”.“
So according to Frale says he was obliged to? According to Frale or according to custom? As is typical for the drive by media, this article blows in terms of detail. I can’t tell from that what Frale means. There is this, however:
“However, according to Prof Frale, study of the document shows that the knights were not heretics as had been believed for 700 years.”
“In fact she says “the Pope was obliged to ask for pardons from the knights... the document we have found absolves them”.”
Thus, it may have been that the pope realized they were NOT heretics and was obliged to ask for pardon for their convictions earlier for heresy. That still doesn’t mean that Clement doubted that they were guilty of heresy or other crimes when those supposed crimes were first revealed to him. Also, it was common to ask pardon of those who were condemned. Executioners, for instance, often asked pardon of those they were going to execute.