(Pictured above left, Fernando de Sousa Fontes & above right, former Grand Prior of Spain, Joseph Juan Buixeda)

I believe it’s important we not try to cover up the past of the Templars so that we can learn from their mistakes.

Fernando de Sousa Fontes (Pictured above left) was the Grand Master of the OSMTH.org until 1995 (The OSMTH.org left his order in November, 1995, due to his corruption) and Fontes is still Grand Master of his own OSMTH.net today.

Just one example of Fontes’s corruption entails his former Grand Prior of Spain, Joseph Juan Buixeda (pictured above right). In the Grand Conclave that the OSMTH.net held in Germany in 2009, Fontes and all his Grand Priors met for their Council Meeting. When Grand Prior Joseph Juan Buixeda walked into the room, he was shocked to see that there was already someone sitting in the seat designated to the “Grand Prior of Spain.” Grand Prior Joseph had been the Grand Prior of Spain for over ten years. Fontes turned red with embarrassment and explained that there were now two Grand Priors of Spain and asked if Grand Prior Joseph Juan Buixeda could kindly sit somewhere else. The rules of Fontes’s Order specified only one Grand Prior per nation. Grand Prior Joseph Juan Buixeda was furious and walked into the hall until the man in his seat was removed form the room.

According to Grand Prior Joseph Juan Buixeda, he could imagine what had happened and later confirmed that Grand Master, Fernando de Sousa Fontes, had taken a bribe and, contrary to his own Order’s rules, sold the seat of “Grand Prior” of Spain to a second person.

This wasn’t the first this time this had happened, Fernando de Sousa Fontes was known to sell ranks and titles in the order without merit. In fact, although the rules of the Order set forth only one Grand Prior per country at a time, Fernando de Sousa Fontes had accepted bribes to appoint several concurrent Grand Priors in many countries (“Grand Prior” is supposed to be the title for the one national leader in each country). For example, Fontes has accepted bribes to appoint six simultaneous Grand Priors in France, five in Spain, two in the United States twice (simultaneous U.S. Grand Priories in ’64 & again in ’95), two in Scotland, and two in Serbia. Each of these Grand Priors, being lead to believe they would be the only leader of their nation, had to pay a small fortune to de Sousa Fontes for that position only to discover Fontes was reselling that position to others!

You can read about more corruption that Fernando de Sousa Fontes was involved in concerning the USA at this link: https://www.theknightstemplar.org/forums/topic/fontes-versus-smotj-osmth-kti/