Knights of Christ 

AKA Order of the Knights of Christ 

Sometime after 13 October 1307 the Knights Templar who were located in Portugal changed their name to the Knights of Christ.  They then concentrated on exploring the seas.

Vasco de Gama was a Knight of Christ.

Prince Henry the Navigator was a Grand Master of the Knights of Christ.

The ships of the Knights of Christ flew the familiar red pattee cross.

Christopher Columbus flew the same flag on his three ships when he "discovered" the new world, so he may have been a member of the Knights of Christ.  He was married to the daughter of a former Knight of Christ and had access to her father's charts and diaries. (See "Rule by Secrecy" page 308)

The Knights of Christ seems to have been formed by the Knights Templar in Portugal, after they escaped arrest by the King of France and Pope Clement V, with the blessing of King Alfonso IV, who became their first Grand Master. (See "The Templar Pirates" page 41-42)

It is said by some that the Knights of Christ were responsible for slavery in Europe and later in America.  See "Secret Societies of America's Elite" page 4.