How did a band of nine knights dedicated to guarding pilgrims to the Holy Lands (and who had taken a vow of poverty) become so influential so fast? - With the backing of the Cistercian Abbott Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard, later to be St. Bernard was, in the early part of the twelfth century, the principle spokesman of Christendom and was often referred to as "the Second Pope" (the real pope being Pope Honarious II). He

when Benedictine monks wishing to perform a more strict form of observance broke from the Abbey of Cluny to form their own order. In 1112 CE, at the age of 21, Bernard entered the newly formed Cistercian order and very soon became the Abbott of Clairvaux.

Bernard was said to be an excellent speaker & writer who devoted many sermons to the Biblical book, "The Song of Songs, which many believe was penned by King Solomon himself. Bernard had an absolute devotion to the virgin Mary and was responsible for having her established as the mother of God and the Queen of Heaven within the Catholic Church (1).

Bernard lived his life to the letter of the Cistercian order's rules. These rules were later to be incorporated into the Templar's Rule of Order, which the Council of Troyes asked Bernard, at the age of 28, to create for the Templars. He did this and much more, as Bernard soon became the orders chief spokesman and through his letter "In Praise of the New Knighthood" was responsible for recruiting many men to the order.

In Praise Of The New Knighthood was a letter to his good friend Hugues de Payens, then Grand Master of the order, that was instrumental in propelling the Templars forward in history as the most known of the monastic warriors.