There is no doubt that the Pope did not come down firmly in defense of the Templars. However, recent discoveries in the Vatican records show that the Pope found the Templars innocent of the charges of heresy. The Templars were a celibate monastic order, sworn to voluntary poverty, but also dedicated to military prowess. There aren’t many Christians today with that kind of dedication.
Information exonerating the Templars has been held in the Vatican archives, for 700 years. It wasn't lost, it was held in secrecy.
And, to what purpose? Secrecy seems to have been creating problems for the Vatican, regarding controversial matters within the hierarchy, for a very long time. It's certainly not a recent development.