A meeting of the Knights Templar of Croatia and Slovenia took place in Medjugorje during the last week-end of January 2008. This was one of their regular meetings, which usually takes place once or twice a year. The Knights Templar, together with all the postulants, were involved in this spiritual formation. The meeting was organised by the Slovenian delegation, led by the Great Prior, Mr. Martin Zen. Croatia was represented by the Great Prior for Croatia, Mr. Krunoslav Matijević-Klobučar and other Knights Templar, all of whom were active participants in the seminar.
Krunoslav Matijević-Klobučar declared: The Knights Templar adore Jesus Christ and venerate the Mother of God, so it is natural for them to organise their meetings in a variety of well known shrines. This particular seminar lasted three full days. We assisted at Holy Mass and climbed Apparition Hill. Furthermore, as is the tradition, the Knights Templar are obliged to offer stipends for Holy Masses for all deceased Knights Templar and for their priors, and this also was done in Medjugorje. The Knights also offer financial support to the church, for all the needy. The Croatian Prior and some of the Knights availed of this occasion to establish contact with the parish priest of Medjugorje. The objective was to announce the future arrival of other delegations from around the world, who are interested in visiting Medjugorje in an organised fashion. An additional intention was to prepare the ground for the spreading of the ideas of the Knights Templar throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina in the near future.
The Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem was founded in Croatia as a citizens Association and as an Order. Its goal is the promotion of Christian ecumenism and research and the restoration of material artefacts of the Knights Templar from the Middle Ages in Croatia and in the surrounding countries. According to its Constitution, the Order is described as “an initiatory and philantropical lay order of Christian knights”. (More about it: www.templari.hr, www.templiers.org/templiers-eng.php)
