OSMTH Armenian Grand Priorate after Cilician King Levon The Magnificent
Discover the Spiritual Heritage of Armenian Knighthood
OSMTH Armenian Grand Priorate after Cilician King Levon The Magnificent
About our Great Priorate
Who we are
OSMTH Armenian Grand Priorate after Cilician King Levon The Magnificent was originally established in Armenia in 2012 and operates as a full-fledged member of OSMTH International (see more at http://www.osmth.net/index.htm).
OSMTH National Priorates currently operate in more than 40 countries.
Our Grand Prior - H.E. Dr. Bagrat Lalayan, KGCTJ
About Templars
In 1118, after the first crusade in Jerusalem, the Congregation, founded by pious French knights, gained fame in the Holy Land in the heroic battles against the enemies of the Christian faith and European civilization.
Our History
The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple in Jerusalem is a traditional Christian, ecumenical, chivalrous, cosmopolitan, independent, non-political international organization, governed by long-established rules of:
- St. Bernard;
- The Chart of Transmission, written on February 13, 1324 by the 23rd Grand Master, Johannes F. Larmenius Consecrated/ratified by all Grand Masters who succeeded him;
- General Charter adopted at the General Assembly in Versailles in 1705;
- Charter of 1947 (Protocol of December 27, 1946);
- Magisterial Council decisions.
The principles, which each member of the Order is willing to openly and willingly obey and implement for the benefit of society, are the following:
- Preserve our Christian faith, our Holy Church, our Christian civilization.
- Maintain the Christian presence and influence in the Holy Land to promote its expansion throughout the world.
- Support and serve all those, who oppressed, poor, sick, as well as to encourage and promote Christian humanitarian missions and charity.
- Protect those, who unjustly accused.
- Contribute to the moral and caring strengthening of the Order.
In addition to the significant topics of its traditional title, the Templars’ Order is equally involved in the study of monuments and archives, their restoration and preservation. At the same time, the Order promotes research on history, heraldry, genealogy, philosophy, religion, and its past, as well as its current title, and concern.
The knights of the Armenian Cilicia shoulder to shoulder with the French temple-crusaders defended their Homeland’s borders and rights, their faith, and the life of Christians.
The Sovereign Military Congregation of the Temple in Jerusalem (OSMTH) has nothing to do with Freemasonry.
Our Order is not a secret society, a sect or an esoteric structure. Our doors are open to any Christian who comes with good thoughts, regardless of race, nationality, social origin, professes the Christian or other Christian faith of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Orthodox, Catholic, Monophysite, Lutheran) and ready to support the spread of the Word of the Lord.
About Cilicia
From early antiquity, the Armenian people developed a rich and distinctive culture on the great highland plateau extending from eastern Asia Minor to the Caucasus. On that crossroad, they interacted on many levels with civilizations of the Orient and Occident.
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, or New Armenia and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia was an Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia.
Located outside the Armenian Highlands and distinct from the Kingdom of Armenia of antiquity, it was centered in the Cilicia region northwest of the Gulf of Alexandretta.
In 1198, with the crowning of Levon the Magnificent (1150-1219) of the Rubinyan dynasty, Cilician Armenia became a kingdom.
In 1194–1195, when he was planning to receive the title of king, he instituted a union of the Armenian church with Rome. With the signing of the Act of Union, his coronation proceeded without delay. He was consecrated as king on 6 January 1198 or 1199, in the Church of Holy Wisdom at Tarsus. His accession to the throne of Cilicia as its first Armenian monarch heralded into reality not merely an official end to Cilicia's shadowy umbilical connection to the Byzantine Empire, but also a new era of ecclesiastical co-operation with the West. A skilled diplomat and wise politician, Leo established useful alliances with many of the contemporary rulers; he also gained the friendship and support of the Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights by granting considerable territories to them.
Situated at the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, Cilicia was conquered by the Persian Achaemenians, Alexander the Great, and the Seleucids of Syria in the pre-Christian era. It came under Armenian rule for the first time during the reign of Tigran the Great in the first century B.C. Centuries later, the waves of westward migrations after the collapse of the Bagratuni kingdom in Greater Armenia culminated in the establishment of the kingdom of Cilician Armenia in the twelfth century.
In 1226, the crown was passed to rival Hethumyans through Levon’s daughter Isabella’s second husband, Hethum I. As the Mongols conquered vast regions of Central Asia and the Middle East, Hethum and succeeding Hethumyan rulers sought to create an Armenian-Mongol alliance against common Muslim foes, most notably the Mamluks. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the Crusader states and the Mongol Ilkhanate disintegrated, leaving the Armenian Kingdom without any regional allies. After relentless attacks by the Mamluks in Egypt in the fourteenth century, the Cilician Armenia of the Lusinyan (Lusignan) dynasty, mired in an internal religious conflict, finally fell in 1375.
Since 1342 until 1458 Cilician Crown was carried by Lusignan Dynasty. And last King - Leo V, ruled during 1374 - 1375 and was buried in Paris's Saint Denis Basilica.
Armenian Cilicia experienced a brilliant cultural era known as the Silver Age, with major advances in science and medicine, theology and philosophy, astronomy and musicology, art and architecture. Despite its successes, however, the Armenian kingdom, caught in the geopolitical contests among the major powers of the time, finally fell to the invading Mamluk armies in 1375. Nevertheless, Armenian life in Cilicia, as across the historic homeland, continued under Ottoman rule for four centuries, until the calamitous events from the late nineteenth century to the genocidal years from 1915 to 1922 ended the Armenian presence there.
Membership
How to join us
Concluding and general provisions on the principles of the Order that should guide the Templar Knights in accordance with the age-old tradition.
Investiture into our Order is a great honor and brings with it great responsibility. The history of our Order for almost a thousand years is filled with examples of heroic service to our Lord and the spirit of service in fulfilling the mission of the Order today is no less important. Indeed, circumstances around the world call for a renewed dedication to our Mission.
God is calling a new generation of Knights Templar today. Being a Knight Templar means living a life of purpose and meaning and by taking a stand for what is right in our families, community and nation. It means being part of an ancient holy order that has been around for 900 years. Being a Knight Templar is not a remnant of the past, it is a way of life.
It will not be easy, but the transformation into a Knight Templar will change your life. The Armenian Priory of the Knights Templar is looking for upstanding Christians who want to become exceptional and contribute to Fatherland in charitable activities, protecting Humanity and Christian values all around. The reward of Knighthood in this ancient and storied Order awaits you. Do you dare to try?
The monetary costs, compared with spiritual, are minimal, but Knights and Dames are called to great commitment to a purpose bigger than themselves. It is only for those of true faith who are serious about the vows of Knighthood.
Membership in our order suppose entrance and monthly fees, as well as clothing cost.
We believe in transparency so our financial books are open to all of our members. This is how you can be sure the Order exists to serve God and our mission and is not out for financial gain.
For more information on how to join us, click on “Become a Member” button below, simply fill out the lines and upload Application file, so after evaluation, our Grand Resourcer will contact you for initial meeting and further interview(s) arrangements.
Some of the conditions required to be admitted to the Order:
- Having turned 21 years-old,
- To have traditional sexual orientation,
- Having at least secondary education,
- Being Professing Christian, belonging to Armenian Apostolic Church, and/or other traditional Christian confession (Catholic or Ortodox),
- Having integrity, virtues and the preparation of a true Knight or Dame.