Knights, guilds and lay societies
Militia Templi and modern self-styled Templar groups
Militia Templi · Militia of the Temple · Ordo Militiae Christi Templique Hierosolymitani · Poor Knights of Christ · Milizia del Tempio · self-styled Knights Templar orders · neo-Templar orders
Founded 1979Militia Templi is a PRIVATE association of the lay faithful, erected under canons 299 and 321 to 326 by Decree n. 24 of the Archbishop of Siena on 8 September 1988 (civilly recognized in Tuscany on 21 September 1979). It is NOT a papal order of knighthood, NOT a religious institute, NOT a third order, and NOT a continuation of the medieval Templars, who were suppressed at the Council of Vienne in 1312. Every other self-styled Templar order has no Catholic recognition of any kind.
Worth some persistence
Email request. Unclear; the Militia states it is supported by member contributions, donations, and its own activity, with no figure published.
Write to enrollThis first letter is an introduction rather than an application. A thirty-day period of reading the Rule follows before you may formally ask for admission.
For North or South America the stated first step is emailing nap.militiatempli@gmail.com with a brief introduction, after which the 30-day period of meditating on the Rule begins before you may formally ask for admission.
Members have a portal to sign in to.
Read this entry before trusting anything calling itself a Templar order. The Holy See's Secretariat of State reaffirmed on 10 October 2026 that beyond its own five orders it recognizes and protects only the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, that it attaches no value to knighthood diplomas or insignia issued by unrecognized organizations, and that it considers the use of churches and chapels for their so-called investiture ceremonies inappropriate. That covers the great majority of groups selling Templar knighthoods. Militia Templi is the one real exception, and it is a narrow one: founded at Poggibonsi near Siena in 1979 by Count Marcello Cristofani della Magione, it does not claim descent from the medieval order but takes up St. Bernard's rule for the Templars as a way of life. Members pray the Divine Office, study Christian chivalry, support pilgrims and Christians in the Holy Land, and wear a white habit with a red octagonal cross. Its own FAQ is careful and honest: lawfully erected as a private association of the lay faithful, with canonically approved Rule and Constitutions and certain indulgences granted by the Pope, but expressly not a papal order of knighthood.
What you promise
A Catholic who frequents the sacraments and is in good standing, confirmed by a letter from your pastor. Candidates spend 30 days meditating on the Rule from first contact before they may ask for formal admission, then assemble a portfolio (sacramental records, a formal resume, the pastor's letter, a letter from a wife, fiancee, or girlfriend supporting the vocation if applicable, a letter stating why you want to join, and a signed declaration that you are not involved in any secret society such as Freemasonry and can support your family financially), then sit a formal interview, after which the Preceptoral Council or Commandery votes. The whole process normally takes several months. A novice must serve a three-year novitiate and be at least 21 before profession or investiture. Members take promises of obedience, and professed knights make solemn profession of the three evangelical counsels plus a fourth promise of public witness to the faith. Membership is incompatible with other associations of the faithful that take vows or promises of obedience, though the Knights of Columbus is permitted as long as the Militia vocation comes first. Clergy may join only as chaplains.
What the Church attaches
Its Rule and Constitutions have canonical approval from the Archbishop of Siena, and John Paul II granted in perpetuity a series of indulgences for the principal moments of a knight's life on 13 September 1989. The general prelate, who handles spiritual and doctrinal formation, is named every three years by the Archbishop of Siena. The Rule requires common recitation of Vespers, with the daily breviary obligatory for professed knights. The Order's seat is the Castello della Magione at Poggibonsi, a Romanesque building that genuinely belonged to the Templars until 1312.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.