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Greetings,
Here's the information we were able to find about your group's name "The Templars of Antioch" and your proposed badge, which we blazoned "A maltese cross gules surmounted by on a hand sable fimbriated Or, a chi-rho Or."
As you most likely knew, "Templars of Antioch" is a reasonable historical name for a group of Templars from Antioch. However, we're fairly sure that this name would be returned by the College of Arms because it makes reference to a specific, important historical organization.
Our members had different opinions on whether it is either appropriate or "SCA-legal" to name your group after the Templars at all. You can use a name without registering it, and in some cases this is a reasonable solution to problems with a name. In your case, some Academy members thought that you shouldn't use "Templars" under any circumstances. Others thought it would be perfectly reasonable. To sum up, we're not sure whether you could, or should, pass any name which refers to the Templars. The Academy doesn't deal with SCA legal issues, but we think that it's imperative that you get more opinions on whether you can (or should) register this name. I have forwarded your original letter to the "mkheralds" mailing list, which is designed to deal with questions of this sort. You will receive copies of the discussion.
If you do decide to keep the name "Templars," we recommend that you use the badge of the Templars--a "Latin cross formy gules." Different groups of Templars didn't have different badges, so if the members of your group are claiming to be members of the Knights Templars, then they would use the Latin cross formy. Because this is a fieldless badge, it could be placed on any background color.
Because the "Latin cross formy gules" was used by the Knights Templars, it is protected by the SCA. You can use it without registering it, although (as we said) we have some questions about whether this would be appropriate.
The "Maltese cross gules" is the badge of the Knights Hospitallers, and it was never used by the Knights Templars. After the Templars were suppressed there were some attempts to assimilate them into the Knights Hospitallers, and this is why the Maltese cross and the Templars are connected. However, this association was created only after the Templars were officially eliminated as an order. (1)
Arval Benicouer, Pedro de Alcazar, Evan da Collaureo, Rouland Carre, Margaret MacDuibhsidhe, Lindorm Eriksson, Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte, and Talan Gwynek contributed to this letter.
We hope this has been helpful, and that we can continue to assist you.
In service,
Alan Fairfax
Academy of S. Gabriel
(1) Seward, D. "The Monks of War"