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:''NOTE: While a great deal of the material below is repeated in many articles and books written by journalists, much information about the Solar Temple remains unverified. There were few official documents and no official spokespersons that can document the beliefs and practices of this Neo-Templar splinter group. Ex-member accounts can be contradictory, as their statements are often based upon Hearsay from other members, or are allegations that were never responded to by the members of the group. The group received little publicity until after the tragedy which killed most, if not all, of its leaders.'' '''The only information presented below is that which is generally undisputed.''' NEO-TEMPLAR GROUPS The Solar Temple is among a number of contemporary groups that perceive themselves as fulfilling the tradition of the Knights Templar . The Templars were a Christian Order of "warrior monks", authorized by the Pope following the First Crusade . They were originally formed to provide protection for the masses of Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, but they soon developed many banking functions as a side effect of keeping the pilgrim's valuables under their protection. As a result of their financial dealings they became rich, and were soon a target of jealousy as a result. They eventually ran afoul of Philip IV Of France , who attempted to blackmail them into funding his unsuccessful war with England, and when this failed he had all members in France arrested and burned. In the aftermath the Pope, residing in the French city of Avignon at the time and thus dependent on the goodwill of the French king, disbanded the order, and in doing so released a number of generally ridiculous claims of heresy to discredit them. Claims that the Templars had amassed various treasures or knowledge are now widespread, including the Holy Grail , the head of Baphomet , proof of the survival of the historical Jesus after the Crucifixion and/or marriage to Mary Magdalene . Neo-Templar groups are those which claim to share some kind of connection to the original Templars, which may be either an actual or esoteric connection. Some may purport to have knowledge of the mysterious treasure. Some historians allege that the Solar Temple originates with French author Jacques Breyer who established a ''Sovereign Order of the Solar Temple'' in 1952 . In 1968 , a schismatic order was renamed the ''Renewed Order of the Solar Temple'' (ROTS) under the leadership of French right-wing political activist Julien Origas . Some reports have claimed that Origas was a Nazi SS member during World War II . FORMATION OF THE SOLAR TEMPLE One of the founders of the Solar Temple was Luc Jouret ( 1947 - 1994 ). Born in the Belgian Congo , he was educated in Medicine at the ''Université Libre'' in Brussels , graduating in 1974 . He specialized in Homeopathy . Jouret, who had interests in Freemasonry , the Albigenses and Cathars , as well as many New Age theories, and eventually became a member of ROTS. He was also said to have been a member of the Far Right '' Parti Communautaire Européen ''. After Origas died in 1983 , Jouret became the presiding ''Grand Master'' of ROTS. The group splintered one year later. Another of the founding members was Joseph Di Mambro ( 1926 - 1995 ). Di Mambro was part of a Rosicrucian organization called AMORC (Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis), from 1956 to 1970 . Di Mambro, who had been trained as a clock maker and jeweler, became interested in esoteric religions at an early age. He was arrested on swindling charges which prompted his resettlement in Switzerland. The precise relationship between the two founders is unclear. Most accounts suggest that Jouret had already formed the Solar Temple and later "absorbed" Di Mambro's ''Foundation Golden Way'', a similar group. Others suggest that the two formed the Solar Temple together when ROTS was splitting up. In any event, the two convinced their followers that Jouret and Di Mambro were members of the 14th Century Christian Order of the Knights Templar during a Previous Life , and that Di Mambro's daughter Emanuelle was "the cosmic child", and that she was the result of a Virgin Birth . She would lead them after death to a planet which was said to orbit around the star Sirius , but in order to do so they would have to die in a fire, as was prophesied for the end of the world. DOGMA AND BELIEFS OF THE SOLAR TEMPLE According to "Peronnik" (a pseudonym of temple member Robert Chabrier) in his book, "Pourquoi la Résurgence de l'Ordre du Temple? Tome Premier: Le Corps (Why a Templar Revival? Vol. One: The Body) of Jesus as a solar god-king and furthering a unification of all Christian churches and Islam . There were Solar Temple Lodges in Morin Heights and St-Anne-de-la-Pérade in Quebec , Canada , as well as in Australia , Switzerland, Martinique and other countries. The Temple's activities were a mix of early Protestant Christianity , mixed with a New Age philosophy and Homeopathic Medicine , using variously adapted freemasonic rituals. Jouret was interested in attractive, wealthy and influential members, and it was reputed that several affluent Europeans were secret members of the group. There were press reports that executives of Quebec 's Hydro-Québec were building dams at the behest of Jouret, in order to provide electricity for a Quebecois colony that would exist after the group's prophesied Doomsday event. STRUCTURE OF THE OTS According to the literature of the OTS, the central authority was the ''Synarchy of the Temple'', whose membership was secret. Its top 33 members were known as the ''Elder Brothers of the Rosy Cross'' (an alternative name for the Rosicrucians ), and were headquartered in Zürich , Switzerland. The Council of the Order formed Lodge s which were run by a Regional Commander and three Elders. Progression in the Order was by levels and grades, with three grades per level - the levels being ''The Brothers of Parvis'', ''The Knights of the Alliance'' and the ''Brothers of the Ancient Times'' in ascending order. There were many organizations associated with the OTS including the ''International Archedia Sciences and Tradition'', ''Archedia Clubs'', ''Menta Clubs'', ''Agata Clubs'' and ''Atlanta Clubs'', all of which offered the teachings of Luc Jouret both to the general public and privately to OTS members. The Lodges had Altars , rituals and costumes. Members were initiated at each stage of advancement in ceremonies which included expensive purchases, jewelery, costumes, Regalia , and the payment of Initiation fees. During ceremonies, members wore Crusade r-type robes and were to hold in awe a Sword which Di Mambro said was an authentic Templar artifact, given to him a thousand years ago in a previous life. THE SOLAR TEMPLE IN QUEBEC In 1986 Jouret and Di Mambro moved to the Canadian province of Quebec , establishing a chapter of the ''Order of the Solar Temple'' near Montreal and Quebec City . They bought a chalet complex in Morin Heights , complete with indoor pool, along with a center in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Quebec . Jouret also brought some other of his loyal followers from Switzerland. The group believed that there was going to be a coming Global Catastrophe . Jouret declared that "the world would soon be engulfed in warfare and famine. Only Quebec would be spared…" A "giant concrete nuclear air-raid shelter" was built in the centre to protect them during the predicted calamity. Di Mambro also owned several luxury properties in Australia , France , Switzerland , Martinique and elsewhere in Canada which were used for Solar Temple activities. He also married a lady named Dominique Bellaton. The couple produced Emmanuelle, their alleged "virgin birth" daughter, whom the members of the group believed would lead them to Sirius . By the early 1990s , several members of the group had left, with various complaints. Jouret had been arrested for stockpiling Firearms illegally in Quebec, and his doomsday predictions did not seem to be panning out. MASS MURDERS AND SUICIDES: ''LEAVING THE PLANET, DESTINATION: SIRIUS'' In October 1994 Tony Dutoit's infant son (Emmanuel Dutoit), aged three months, was killed at the group's centre in Morin Heights , Quebec. The baby had been stabbed repeatedly with a wooden stake. It is believed that Di Mambro ordered the murder, because he identified the baby as the Anti-Christ described in the Bible. He believed that the Anti-Christ was born into the order to prevent Di Mambro from succeeding in his spiritual aim. A few days later, Di Mambro and twelve followers performed a ritual Last Supper . A few days after that, apparent mass Suicide s and Murder s were conducted at two villages in Switzerland, and at Morin Heights — 15 inner circle members committed suicide with poison, 30 were killed by bullets or smothering, and 8 others were killed by other causes. Many of the bodies when found were drugged, possibly to prevent the members from objecting. The buildings were then set on fire by timer devices, purportedly as one last symbol of the group's purification. In western Switzerland , 48 members of a sect died in another apparent mass Murder-suicide . Many of the victims were found in a secret underground Chapel lined with mirrors and other items of Templar symbolism. The bodies were dressed in the order's ceremonial robes and were in a circle, feet together, heads outward, most with plastic bags tied over their heads; they had each been shot in the head. It is believed that the plastic bags were a symbol of the ecological disaster that would befall the human race after the OTS members moved on to Sirius. It is also believed that these bags were used as part of the OTS rituals, and that members would have voluntarily worn them without being placed under duress. There was also evidence that many of the victims in Switzerland were drugged before they were shot. Other victims were found in three ski chalets; several dead children were lying together. The tragedy was discovered when officers rushed to the sites to fight the fires which had been ignited by remote-control devices. Farewell letters left by the believers stated that they believed they were leaving to escape the "hypocrisies and oppression of this world." A mayor, a journalist, a civil servant and a sales manager were found among the dead in Switzerland. Records seized by the Quebec police showed that some members had personally donated over $1 million to the cult's leader Joseph Di Mambro. There was also another attempted Mass Suicide of the remaining members which was thwarted in the late 1990s . All the suicide/murders and attempts occurred around the dates of the Equinox es and Solstice s in some relation to the beliefs of the group. . He was once again cleared on December 20. {Link without Title} It is believed that The Solar Temple group continues to exist, with thirty surviving members in Quebec at the St-Anne-de-la-Pérade center, with from 140 to 500 members remaining worldwide. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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