British Templars want apology from pope

HERTFORD, England, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A group of British Templars, claiming ties to the medieval Knights Templar, wants the Vatican to apologize for its suppression of the order.

Ben Acheson, a member of the modern group, told The Times of London Pope Benedict XVI should make a formal apology.

A book to be released next week publishes documents discovered a few years ago in the Vatican archives. They revealed that Pope Clement V found that the Templars -- an order founded to protect Christians making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem -- were cleared of heresy.

"The word 'sorry' is conspicuous by its absence," Acheson said. "But basically, they have said we were absolved, which is an historic admission. For me, that makes it all the more astonishing that the tortures and executions were allowed to continue. For me, that is why the apology is still the missing piece of the puzzle."

Clement apparently allowed the king of France, who wanted to appropriate the Templars' wealth, to continue with the persecution. Jacques de Molay, the order's grand master, was burned at the stake in Paris.