Joshua Bennett
There are numerous Catholic knighthoods, also known as fraternal organizations, that exist today. These include the Knights of Columbus, Knights of St. John, Knights of the Cross, Knights of Father Mathew, and Knights of the Blessed Sacrament. While these groups may use the title of knighthood, they are not armed military groups and do not engage in physical combat. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta and The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem are two orders that trace back to the crusades and are still recognized by the Vatican.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic knighthood orders that were purely military | 6 |
| Examples of purely military knighthood orders | Knights Templars, Orders of Christ, Montesa, Aviz, Calatrava, Alcántara |
| Number of Catholic knighthood orders that were military and hospitaler | 4 |
| Examples of military and hospitaler knighthood orders | Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, Teutonic Order, Order of St. James of Compostela |
| Number of Catholic knighthood orders that were purely hospitaler | 3 |
| Examples of purely hospitaler knighthood orders | Orders of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, of the Holy Ghost, Our Lady of Ransom |
| Most important of the lesser regular orders | Knights of Livonia |
| Secular orders in Great Britain | Orders of Bath, Garter, Thistle, St. Patrick, St. Michael, St. George |
| Secular orders in Austria and Spain | Order of the Golden Fleece |
| Secular orders in Piedmont | Order of the Annunziata |
| Fraternal organizations whose titles denote knighthood | Knights of Columbus, Knights of St. John, Knights of the Cross, Knights of Father Mathew, Knights of the Blessed Sacrament |
| Papal orders of knighthood | Supreme Order of Christ, Order of Pius IX, Order of St. Gregory the Great, Order of St. Sylvester, Order of the Golden Militia or Spur, Order of the Holy Sepulcher |
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What You'll Learn
The Knights Templar
The Templars' mission was to protect Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, but they also carried out military operations and assumed greater military duties during the 12th century. They became defenders of the Crusader states and were known as highly skilled and fearless warriors. The Templars were often the advance shock troops in key battles of the Crusades, charging into enemy lines ahead of the main army on their warhorses. One of their most famous victories was in the Battle of Montgisard in 1177, where 500 Templar knights helped to defeat Saladin's army of more than 26,000 soldiers.
The Templars were endorsed by the Catholic Church and became a favoured charity throughout Christendom. They received money, land, businesses, and noble-born sons from families eager to support the fight in the Holy Land. With their growing wealth and influence, they also established a prosperous network of banks and gained enormous financial influence. The Templars were known for their austere code of conduct and distinctive style of dress, which included a white habit with a red cross.
Despite their success, the Templars faced opposition from rival orders and critics who rejected the idea of a religious military order. In 1307, King Philip IV of France had many of the order's members in France arrested, tortured, and burned at the stake. Under pressure, Pope Clement V disbanded the order in 1312, but some Templar knights, properties, and assets were absorbed into other orders. The abrupt disappearance of the original Knights Templar gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive in popular culture.
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The Sovereign Military Order of Malta
The SMOM traces its roots back to the Knights Hospitaller, a chivalric order founded around 1099 by Blessed Gerard in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of St. John, led by Blessed Fra Gerard, became a lay religious order in the second half of the 11th century. The SMOM is one of the oldest institutions of Western and Christian civilization and has been a religious order since 1113, when it was recognized by Pope Paschal II.
The SMOM is led by an elected prince and grand master, who resides in the Magistral Palace in Rome's historical centre. The order has a similar structure to state governments but includes specific features associated with its nature as a lay religious order. It is one of the largest landowners in Italy, and its properties are exempted from certain Italian fiscal jurisdiction. The SMOM has diplomatic relations with 114 states, including the Holy See, and official relations with five other states and the European Union. It has permanent observer status at the United Nations.
The SMOM is active in 130 countries, carrying out medical, social, and humanitarian projects. It facilitates its humanitarian activities through its diplomatic relations and has collaborated with other mutually-recognized Orders of Saint John. For example, the SMOM is a major donor to the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem, operated by the Most Venerable Order of Saint John. The SMOM's military corps, wearing Italian uniforms, has provided medical support to the Italian Army since 1909 and operates with the Italian Army in both wartime and peacetime.
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The Knights of Columbus
The order has grown significantly since its inception, and as of August 2024, there were over 2.1 million Knights of Columbus worldwide, with the majority in North America. The organization has a presence in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, and Poland, among others. They operate through local councils, with nearly 200 councils on college campuses and more than 50 military councils on bases worldwide.
In addition to their charitable work, the Knights of Columbus offers insurance benefits to its members and their families, providing financial security and peace of mind. They also actively participate in the political arena, advocating for policies that align with Catholic values and social teachings. The organization has a wholly owned insurance company and provides various financial services to the Catholic market.
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The Teutonic Order
In 1197, the death of the Hohenstaufen emperor Henry VI disrupted plans for an expedition to Palestine. Consequently, German crusaders decided to return home, creating a gap that led to the militarization of the fraternity. It transformed into a religious order of knights under monastic and military rule, similar to the Templars. The Teutonic Knights received privileges from Popes Celestine III and Innocent III, along with land grants in the kingdom of Jerusalem, Germany, and other territories. Innocent III bestowed upon them the right to wear a white habit with a black cross in 1205.
Under the leadership of Grand Master Hermann von Salza (1210-1239), the Teutonic Knights expanded their activities from the Middle East to eastern Europe. Their first endeavour in this region began in Hungary in 1211, where they were invited by King Andrew II to protect the Transylvanian borderland against the Cumans. Despite their initial success, the knights' excessive demands led to their expulsion from Hungary in 1225.
Subsequently, the Teutonic Knights turned their attention to Prussia, where they assisted Konrad I of Masovia in settling a frontier. Together with Konrad's forces, they pushed back the Prussian raids and began conquering and Christianizing the region. Through treaties, the Order established the independent State of the Teutonic Order and continuously added conquered territories to it. The Order's major residences and states of development included Acre, Marienburg (modern-day Malbork, Poland), Mergentheim, Württemberg, and Vienna. Today, the Teutonic Order survives as a purely hospital order in Vienna.
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The Knights of Saint John
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller, is a Catholic military order founded in the 12th century in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The order arose at the height of the Cluniac movement, a reformist endeavour within the Benedictine monastic order that sought to strengthen religious devotion and charity for the poor.
The Knights Hospitaller were formed following the establishment of a hospital in Jerusalem dedicated to John the Baptist. Benedictine monks cared for sick, poor, or injured Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. The hospital was initially founded by merchants from Amalfi in the 11th century and was later expanded by Emperor Charlemagne in 800. It was destroyed in 1009 by the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, along with three thousand other buildings in Jerusalem.
The Order of Saint John was militarized in the 1120s and 1130s, hiring knights that became known as the Hospitallers. Under its own papal charter, the organization became a military religious order tasked with the care and defence of the Holy Land. They fought in the Crusades until the Siege of Acre in 1291, after which they operated from Rhodes and later Malta, where they administered a vassal state under the Spanish viceroy of Sicily.
The Knights Hospitaller were one of the smallest groups to have colonized parts of the Americas, briefly holding four Caribbean islands in the mid-17th century before turning them over to France in the 1660s. During the Protestant Reformation, the order became divided as commanderies in northern Germany and the Netherlands converted to Protestantism and separated from the Catholic main stem.
Today, five organizations continue the traditions of the Knights Hospitaller and mutually recognize each other: the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg of the Chivalric Order of Saint John, the Order of Saint John in the Netherlands, and the Order of Saint John in Sweden.
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Frequently asked questions
There are two Catholic Knightly Orders that trace back to the Crusades and are still recognized by the Vatican: The Sovereign Military Order of Malta and The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
There are three types of Catholic Knightly Orders: military, military and hospitaller, and purely hospitaller.
Some examples of Catholic Knightly Orders that are purely military include the Knights Templar, Orders of Christ, Montesa, Aviz, Calatrava, and Alcántara.
Some examples of Catholic Knightly Orders that are both military and hospitaller include the Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, the Teutonic Order, and the Order of St. James of Compostela.
Yes, there are several modern Catholic fraternal organizations that use the title of knighthood, such as the Knights of Columbus, Knights of St. John, and the Knights of the Blessed Sacrament.
