Knights Templar - Papal Guardians

What if apart from their other activities the Knights Templar saw part of their mission as not only the protection of the pilgrims but also the protection of God's representative on Earth in the Pontiff.

How does this effect the history of Europe and the rest of the world with the Templars being considered the right hand of the Pope?

What does the Pope do now that he doesn't necessarily have to rely on the good will of the European royal houses to maintain his claim to being the head of the Roman church?

Do the swiss guard get butterflied away?

Lets discuss?
 
I don't think the various royal families would take too kindly to the KTs becoming even more powerful than they were during the 12th and 13th centuries.

You might see serious invasions of Italy by France to displace the templars way before Phillip's contrived destruction of the Knights in the early 14th century.

The elite of europe wouldn't be happy without controlling who was on the Throne of St. Peter.
 
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