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At Temple Mount in Jerusalem, destiny
completes its circle for Fredrick Tonna Black, a young Maltese lawyer
working as a volunteer with Souffrance Internationale. There, a holy site
for Christian, Jew and Muslim, he pours out his book, meant to release
his angst; a story of love, family ties, treachery, lust, murder and
heroism... The same qualities are mirrored in the 14th century saga
as revealed in A Templar's Chronicles.
George Gregory Buttigieg has created two
worlds, seven centuries apart and masterly links them Besides 14th century
Templars, he also studies 21st century “Templarism” and offers a
philosophical model to enhance both its credibility as well as its
academic status. The result is a heady admixture where truth and fiction
rub shoulders and history and the future inter-react with kaleidoscopic
fascination.
Knight Templars, Knight Hospitallers and Freemasons are brought together
in a story which is so realistic that there are those who suspect that it
actually did happen. The author maintains it is pure fiction, but who
knows……
This book consists of two stories, two
seemingly unconnected but most dramatic stories separated by a seven
hundred year span. The Chapters alternate and the fourteenth century tale
is printed on parchment colour-like paper – the effect is impressive.
What are these tales about? Well, the 14th century saga is a collection of
diary – like entries by a number of people the first and chief of which is
the old chronicler, himself a Templar in his sixties- Jean Jacques de St.
Georges. He witnesses the arrest of his brethren under the infamous
Philippe IV’s orders – a catastrophe which stains the very soul of the
Kingdom of France. But, after de St Georges come other chroniclers down
the line unto the last one – the Hospitaller Grand Master Emanuel Pinto de
Fonseca in Malta. So the Chronicles commence in 1306 in the Island of
Cyprus - home to Templar and Hospitaller, after the loss of the Holy Land
– and finish in 1762 in the Island of Malta. Buttigieg makes a case for
the defense of the Templars from the accusation of heresy and the
collective apostasy. He also hints at an interesting theory linking
freemasonry with the Templar lore although his is a very careful,
circumspect and prudent hypothesis than many others of its kind.
The modern story, occurring in Malta in 2007 is a fascinating and adroit
web which embroils a Maltese freemasonic lodge into a
Propaganda-due like situation and also has a number of equally intriguing
sub-plots. Although the author, as he states, is not a freemason, he seems
greatly au fait as he rambles around delicate lodge matters. A practising
Catholic, Buttigieg is still not on the attack of the Brotherhood but
rather, without judgement or prejudice, he launches his lodge into a dark
situation, which is more than plausible. Yet, there is no invective thrown
at the Brotherhood and Buttigieg is known to be a deep objective student
of Freemasonry as his extensive library on the subject would witness to. This
book has been read and even dissected by many freemasons around the world
and has been much appreciated for an objective evaluation in the face of
the author stating that on the basis of his religion he never accepted
membership.
Yet the modern story also speaks of other matters. The loose life of the
dissolute Vivian Jane Atlay Simpson, a character which still charms and
elicits pity, the brilliant almost uncanny detective Pawlu Bonello, Fr
Rafel, exorcist and a humble monk beloved by the whole Island, the Tonna
Black Family…..It is a wonderful tapestry of love, hate, betrayal,
heroism, lust and religion superimposed on the freemasonic theme.
Wonderfully original yet realistic.
Much praise has been heaped on this book, both within and
outside of Malta. The real author (there is also a pretend author for the
book – Frederick Tonna Black) George G Buttigieg peeps out in a crucial
and final comment at the very end of the book which may have been missed
by many who greatly appreciated this work. Buttigieg heads it with the
title A Knight Hospitaller’s Comments about the Knight Templars.
These vital few pages seem to have attracted less attention than the story
by the many who have read the book. Here, we have a modern day genuinely
invested Knight of the Hospital (as well as an Ambassador of the Republic
of Malta to this Order in Rome) talking about the Order of the Temple
which was suppressed in the early fourteenth century! What he says about
the Templars and modern day freemasonry is of particular importance and
has created much curiosity about George Gregory Buttigieg, his views and
his opinions by savants of the subject matter. His proposed theory of
Speculative Neo – Templarism has deeper implications than initially
obvious. For in accepting such a proposal, Masonic Templarism would per
force shed one skin and wear another. If understood and appreciated, the
implications of the former – sociological, religious and esoteric - are
apt to raise many a brotherhood eyebrow in the higher degrees of the
Craft.
A WORD WITH THE AUTHOR
On a more personal note the author had started and abandoned
repetitively this successful novel many years prior to its publication.
He felt that the subject matter dealing with freemasonry was far too
delicate to write a book about in a small, still fiercely Catholic
country. Until the very publication and its acclaim, George G Buttigieg
was very wary of how his book would be received both by the Masonic and
the non-Masonic world.
“ One has to be careful not to hurt sentiments,” George stated, “ in
small countries like Malta, the inevitable question which would be asked
is ‘What’s the author’s agenda!?’ In my case there was absolutely no
secret Agenda – just the pleasure of writing. However when you are a
somewhat public figure you have to be doubly careful. As a person often
appearing as guest on the media in this and that TV programme, even more
if you are an official diplomat of your country, you really and truly
must be responsible and careful On one side the freemasons could feel
somewhat irritated by my publishing my views on the Masonic aspect of
Templarism, about which I put forward my own theories, on the other hand
as a Catholic, even more as Malta’s Councillor to the Holy see, writing
about freemasonry maybe interpreted negatively.
George G Buttigieg is the Republic of Malta’s Ambassador to the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta as well as a Councillor to the Holy
See and one appreciates his reticence in publishing material which may
be potentially interpreted wrongly.
One day, when returning from a diplomatic mission with my dear friend
Antonio Ganado, son of the famous Herbert Ganado (author of ‘Rajt Malta
Tinbidel’ ) I casually mentioned my book which had lain for years in my
laptop computer. He immediately said that he will refer me to Malcolm
Miller, owner of Miller Publications. Sure enough in a few days time I
was sitting in Malcolm’s office, briefly describing the plot. He
immediately said that he wanted to publish it! I thought that one had to
submit a chapter or two and a synopsis to these publishers. Malcolm
repeated that he wanted the book and before I could blink, Alex Farrugia,
Malcolm’s right man, tied me down to the end of September – a couple of
months away- to produce the finalised script. I went home to find that
my book was far from being finalised although the whole story was
crystal clear in my mind.
The Summer 2005 was a nightmare. In my consulting rooms in the evening,
in my office at home after work, at hospital in St Luke’s Hospital,
wherever I had ten minutes of quiet… I slaved on perfecting, polishing,
changing parts of the book and re-confirming facts and dates. My wife
and I stayed in whole week-ends. Here, I salute and thank my wife
Annabelle, for her patience and kindness in not giving way to an
irresistible temptation to hurl me and my computer out of the library
window! Once the book was completed, I took a solemn oath never again to
accept such a crazy challenge! From then on any publication would be
worked on at leisure and no vain promises made to any publisher.
The book was immediately received very well. I was delighted that not
only did I give no offence to anyone but in fact both masons and
non-masons sent me message of congratulations, which are still pouring
in. I have been asked to deliver lectures on the Order of the Temple as
a historical fact as well as on my theory of speculative neo-Templarism
– of greater interest to those attuned to the arcane and Materia
Masonica. Although the book was published in Malta, it became readily
available anywhere via Amazon.com and I have received messages and
e-mails from numerous countries within and outside of the European
Union!
A number of offers for fascinating projects resulted from this book. I
can honestly say that if I financially afford to stop working as an
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist as well as a University Senior Lecturer
in Medicine, I would love to take up writing full time with a special
interest in Templar and related lore.
I am currently working on a follow up to Of Craft and Honour and
although ideas pour in and torture me by the second, earning my daily
bread and butter limits my writing time severely. However I enjoy it
tremendously as it is a work of love. I am also working on a collection
of short stories and poetry to be published –God willing – in 2008. We
shall see, seeing that man proposes many things but finally it is God
who disposes along His divine plan.
MM11/2007 |
