Christian Culture Time for Prayer from the Earth to the HeavensAshley Davidoff TheCommonVein.net Templar HeritageThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), also known as the Order of Solomon’s Temple, the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order, one of the most wealthy and popular of the Western Christian military orders. They were founded in 1119, headquartered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church by such decrees as the papal bull Omne datum optimum of Pope Innocent II, the Templars became a favored charity throughout Christendom and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were amongst the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades. They were prominent in Christian finance; non-combatant members of the order, who made up as much as 90% of their members, managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom. They developed innovative financial techniques that were an early form of banking, building a network of nearly 1,000 commanderies and fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land, and arguably forming the world’s first multinational corporation.The Templars were closely tied to the Crusades; no longer able to secure their holdings in the Holy Land, support for the order faded. Rumours about the Templars’ secret initiation ceremony created distrust, and King Philip IV of France, while being deeply in debt to the order, used this distrust to take advantage of the situation. In 1307, he pressured Pope Clement to have many of the order’s members in France arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and then burned at the stake. Under further pressure, Pope Clement V disbanded the order in 1312. The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the “Templar” name alive into the present day.AuthorMi_cris (pixabay.com)Courtesy Needpix.com First and last letters of the Greek alphabet and the symbol of GodFrom wikiAlpha (Α or α) and omega (Ω or ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and a title of Christ and God in the Book of Revelation. This pair of letters is used as a Christian symbol,[1] and is often combined with the Cross, Chi-rho, or other Christian symbols. Praying Hands by Albrecht Dürer Christians in prayerWiki To pray over an individual while laying hands on them is a form of faith healing in Christianity. The Talisman of Charlemagne, also a reliquary, said to have been found on his body when his tomb was openedWiki Christian talisman (Breverl), 18th centuryWolfgang Sauber – Own workWiki A cross necklaceHannahJoe7Edelstahlkreuz am HalsbandWiki Heart Symbolizes spiritual and emotional essence love, Christianity Sacred Heart, often wrapped in a crown of thorns on the chest of Christ, . Links and References Wiki TCV Christian Culture Signs and Symbols