The Knights Templar, a religious order established in Jerusalem in 1118, grew in power during the Crusades, and became a formidable military and political force in Europe in the 12th and 13th century. In the early 14th century, under pressure from the French monarchy, Pope Clement V forcibly suppressed the order.

In an article Dr. Lina Pavanelli questioned the reasons for which John Paul II received nourishment from a feeding tube “only” starting on March 30, 2005, three days before his death. Pavanelli said the Pope clearly needed this treatment earlier. She claimed the Pope chose not to receive adequate nourishment in order to weaken himself and die in a sort of “assisted suicide.” Vatican officials told the Associated Press that the Pope did in fact use a feeding tube before March 30 but that it was not made known officially until that day. They pointed out Pavanelli has not had access to the Pope’s medical records and that her accusations are based merely on media reports. Father Thomas Williams told CBS News that euthanasia “is the intentional acceleration of the death of a person. And, I think, to allege that they intentionally accelerated Pope John Paul's death is really farfetched.