Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr ( la, Ordo Sancti Silvestri Papae, it, Ordine di San Silvestro Papa), sometimes referred to as the Sylvestrine Order, or the Pontifical Order of Pope Saint Sylvester, is one of five
orders of knighthood
An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concept ...
awarded directly by the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
as
Supreme Pontiff
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
and head of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and as the
Head of State
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
of
Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
. It is intended to honor Roman Catholic lay people who are actively involved in the life of the church, particularly as it is exemplified in the exercise of their professional duties and mastership of the different arts.
History
This Order was at one time united with the
Order of the Golden Militia
The Order of the Golden Spur ( it, Ordine dello Speron d'Oro, french: Ordre de l'Éperon d'or), officially known also as the Order of the Golden Militia ( la, Ordo Militia Aurata, it, Milizia Aurata), is a papal order of knighthood conferre ...
.
Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...
in his ''
motu proprio
In law, ''motu proprio'' (Latin for "on his own impulse") describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term ''sua sponte'' for the same concept.
In Catholic canon law, it refers to a do ...
'' of 7 February 1905, entitled ''Multum ad excitandos'', divided the Sylvestrine Order into two Orders of Knighthood, one retaining the name of St. Sylvester and the other taking the ancient name of the Order, i.e. Order of the Golden Militia, or Order of the Golden Spur.
[Rock, P.M.J. "Pontifical Decorations." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 9 November 2022
It is intended to honor Roman Catholic lay people who are actively involved in the life of the church, particularly as it is exemplified in the exercise of their professional duties and mastership of the different arts. It is also conferred on non-Catholics and in the UK current recipients include prominent Anglicans, Muslims and Jews. The Knights of Saint Sylvester retain the privilege of riding a horse inside Saint Peter's in Rome.
[
Awards of the Order are generally made on the recommendation of ]Diocesan
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
s or of Apostolic Nuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...
s (nominations may be made by parish priests to their bishop for his consideration). Awards are also granted on recommendation of the Papal Secretary of State. In 1994 Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
extended membership in the Order to ladies as well as gentlemen.[
]
Regulations of Gregory XVI
Prior to the year 1841 it was known as the ''Militia of the Golden Spur'' or ''Golden Militia'', and though it is not historically established who among the many supposed founders is the true one, yet it undoubtedly is the oldest and, at one time, was one of the most prized of the papal orders. Faculties granted to the Sforza
The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. They acquired the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti family in the mid-15th century, Sforza rule ending in Milan with the death of the last mem ...
family, to the College of Abbreviators, and to bishops assistant at the throne to create Knights of the Golden Militia resulted in lavish bestowal and diminished prestige of the decoration.
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
in his Papal Brief
A papal brief or breve is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a papal bull.
History
The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugene IV (3 Marc ...
of 31 October 1841, entitled ''Quod hominum mentes,'' retained the ancient name of the Order and placed it under the patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
of St. Sylvester
Pope Sylvester I (also Silvester, 285 – 31 December 335) was the bishop of Rome from 31 January 314 until his death. He filled the see of Rome at an important era in the history of the Western Church, yet very little is known of him. The acco ...
(one of its alleged founders). He withdrew all faculties to whom and by whomsoever given, and forbade the use of the title or the decoration to all knights created by any means other than a Papal Brief. To restore the Order to its ancient glory and splendour, he limited the number of Commanders to 150 and knights to 300 (for the Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
only), and appointed the Cardinal of Apostolic Briefs as Chancellor of the Order, with the duty of preserving the name, grade, number and date of admission of each knight.
Pope Gregory divided the Order into two classes:
*''Commander'' wore a large-sized decoration suspended at the neck, on a wide ribbon.
*''Knight'' wore a small-sized decoration on the left side of the breast, on a smaller ribbon.
Regulations of Pius X
The Order currently has four classes.["The Papal Order of Saint Sylvester", The Christian Knighthood Information Center]
/ref> In order of seniority they are:
*''Knight / Dame Grand Cross'' (GCSS) – wears a large cross suspended from a broad ribbon (sash) over the right shoulder across the breast to the left hip, along with the breast star
**''Knight / Dame Commander with Star'' (KC*SS / DC*SS) – wears the star of the Order on the lower left breast
*''Knight Commander''(KCSS / DCSS) – wears a smaller cross suspended by the ribbon of the Order encircling the neck. ''Dame Commander'' wears the same cross suspended from a bow on the left breast. This class is divided into two categories:
*''Knight / Dame'' (KSS / DSS) – wears the smallest cross on a ribbon attached to the left breast of the tunic.
Each recipient may illustrate their Papal knighthood with post nominal lettering as seen above.
Insignia
The current ''decoration'' or ''cross'' of the Order is a gold cross of white enamelled surface, in the centre of which is impressed the image of St. Sylvester, surrounded by a blue enamelled circle bearing the inscription in letters of gold ''SANC. SYLVESTER P. M.'' On the obverse, in the centre, are the Papal tiara
The papal tiara is a crown that was worn by popes of the Catholic Church from as early as the 8th century to the mid-20th. It was last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963 and only at the beginning of his reign.
The name "tiara" refers to the entire h ...
and crossed keys with the date of the Order's restoration under Gregory: MDCCCXXXXR, and that of the Pius X renovation, MDCCCCV, impressed in characters of gold upon a blue circle.
The ''ribbon'' of the decoration is black silk with three narrow red stripes.
The ''star'' or ''badge'' is the cross of the Order attached to a silver star.[
]
Uniform
The official ''uniform'' is a black coat ornamented with one row of gilt buttons, black velvet, gold-embroidered collar and cuffs, black gold-striped trousers, a bicornered cocked silk (bicorne
The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, which ...
) hat with a cockade of the papal colors to which is added a white plume when worn by a Knight Grand Cross, a black plume when worn by a Commander, and a sword. Knights Grand Cross wear a sash and a badge or star on the left side of the breast; Commanders wear a cross around the neck; and Knights wear a smaller cross on the left breast of the uniform. The uniform is considerably more embroidered for the higher ranks and white gloves are usually worn.
Heraldry
In ecclesiastical heraldry, laypersons awarded the rank Grand Cross display a blue enamelled circle bearing the inscription in letters of gold SANC. SYLVESTER P. M around the shield in their coat of arms, while other ranks place an appropriate ribbon below the shield.
Obligations
Papal knights and dames do not have any specific obligations by virtue of their having been given the personal honour of membership in an Order. However, it is customary for them to be invited to participate in major events of their diocese, such as the consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
of bishops, the ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
of priests, and the introduction of a new bishop into his diocese. On such formal occasions they would wear the uniform of the Order.
Notable members
*Archduke Otto von Habsburg
Otto von Habsburg (german: Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, hu, Ferenc József Ottó Róbert Mária Antal Károly Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Lajos Gaetan ...
, Crown Prince of Austria and Hungary and former MEP.
*Oskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler (; 28 April 1908 – 9 October 1974) was a German industrialist, humanitarian and a member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and amm ...
, German industrialist and Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...
, Knight Grand Cross.
* Ken Harada, Japanese envoy to the Holy See, into the order.
*William Joseph Donovan
William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat, best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the Bur ...
, U.S. Army Major General and father of the CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
, Knight Grand Cross.
*Frans Seda
Franciscus Xaverius Seda (4 October 1926 – 31 December 2009), popularly known as Frans Seda, was an Indonesian finance minister in the early days of Suharto's presidency. He also served as a minister during the final days of Indonesia's foundin ...
, Minister Transportation of Indonesia, Knight Grand Cross, 1964
*George Borg Olivier
Giorgio Borg Olivier, ( mt, Ġorġ Borg Olivier) (5 July 1911 – 29 October 1980) was a Maltese statesman and leading politician. He twice served as Prime Minister of Malta (1950–55 and 1962–71) as the Leader of the Nationalist Party. H ...
, Prime Minister of Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, Knight Grand Cross.
*George, Duke of Mecklenburg
George, Duke of Mecklenburg (german: Georg Herzog zu Mecklenburg; – 6 July 1963) was the head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1934 until his death. Through his father, he was a descendant of Emperor Paul I of Russia.
Early life
He wa ...
, head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
The House of Mecklenburg, also known as Nikloting, is a North German dynasty of Slavic origin that ruled until 1918 in the Mecklenburg region, being among the longest-ruling families of Europe. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909–2004), fo ...
, Knight Grand Cross
*Karl August, 10th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
, title = Prince of Thurn and Taxis
, image = Karl August, Prince von Thurn und Taxis.jpg
, caption =
, reign = 13 July 1971 – 26 April 1982
, reign-type = Period
, predecessor = Franz Joseph
, su ...
, German Prince, Knight Grand Cross.
* Joseph Flores, Governor of Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
.
*Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
, KBE, entertainer.
*Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala
Maharajah Sir Jagatjit Singh Sahib Bahadur (24 November 1872 – 19 June 1949) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Kapurthala in the British Empire of India, from 1877 until his death, in 1949. He ascended to the throne of ...
Maharaja of Khapurthala.
* Sir Burton Hall Chief Justice of The Bahamas and Justice of the UN International Court at The Hague, Knight.
*Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan ( ar, صدر الدين آغا خان, , 1933 – 2003) was a statesman and activist who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1966 to 1977, during which he reoriented the agency's focus beyond ...
, Knight Commander.
* Charles Delporte, Belgian artist, Knight.
*Shūsaku Endō
was a Japanese author who wrote from the rare perspective of a Japanese Catholic. Internationally, he is known for his 1966 historical fiction novel ''Silence'', which was adapted into a 2016 film of the same name by director Martin Scorsese. ...
, Japanese author.
*Arthur Schneier
Arthur Schneier (born March 20, 1930) is an Austrian-American rabbi and human rights activist. Rabbi Schneier has served for over 50 years as the Senior Rabbi of New York City’s Park East Synagogue. While being honored with the Presidential Citi ...
, Austrian-American Holocaust survivor, rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
and activist.
*Lorenz Weinrich
Lorenz Hubert Weinrich (born 20 August 1929) is a German historian.
Life
Weinrich was born in Salzwedel, Altmark. He started studying history and classical philology at Freie Universität Berlin in 1948, and he earned his doctoral degree in ...
, German historian, Knight Commander with Star.
*Martín Marciales Moncada
Martín Marciales Moncada, known as Martín Marciales, hijo (January 18, 1912 – March 6, 2001) was a Venezuelan visionary, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He critically contributed to the development of the city of San Cristóbal during the 2 ...
, Venezuelan philanthropist, Knight.
*Austin Mardon
Austin Albert Mardon, Ph.D. (born 25 June 1962) is an author, community leader, and advocate for mental health. He is an assistant adjunct professor at the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta. In the mid 80's, he foun ...
, Canadian author, community leader, and advocate for the disabled.
*Catherine Mardon
Catherine Mardon is a Canadian writer, activist, and lawyer.
Biography
Catherine Mardon was born in Oklahoma, but spent many years living in St. Petersburg, Florida. She currently lives in Canada. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of ...
, Canadian author, activist, and lawyer.
* Count Maurice de Patoul
Count Maurice de Patoul (1875-1965) was a Belgian Dignitary at the court.
Born as son of Léon de Patoul (1852-1926) and Countess Marie-Victorine d'Auxy de Launois (1851-1911). He was the Grand Marshall of king Albert of Belgium. Grace to Mgr. Cl ...
, Grand Marshall of the Royal Court.
*Count Pierre Ryckmans, Governor-General of the Belgian Congo.
*Ludwig Pollak
Ludwig Pollak (14 September 1868, Prague – circa October 23, 1943, Auschwitz concentration camp) was an Austro-Czech classical archaeologist, antiquities dealer, and director of the Museo Barracco di Scultura Antica in Rome.
Biography
He is per ...
, Czech-born Art historian, museum director in Rome, Knight Commander.
* Dewan Bahadur Chevalier Ignatius Xavier Pereira, Ceylonese businessman and politician, Knight Commander.
*Stanislav Zachar Stanislav and variants may refer to:
People
*Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.)
Places
* Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine
* Stanislaus County, Cali ...
, Slovak builder, co-founder of Matica Slovenska, Knight, 1928.
* John Charles Buckley, Irishman
The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been co ...
who served in the army of the Papal State in the 1860s.
* Jan Count Dobrzenský z Dobrzenicz, 50th Grand Master of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, Knight, 2016.
* Charles Columbe, Author and papal historian, Knight Commander.
*Kento Masuda
is a Japanese composer and recording artist. He is a voting member of The Recording Academy, and his work has been described as "one of this world's artistic treasures." As an exclusive player for KAWAI pianos, Masuda is the sole player of the on ...
, Japanese composer and recording artist.
* Anthony Bailey, inter-faith campaigner, Knight Grand Cross.
* General Sir Richard Lawson, Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe, Knight Commander.
* Professor David Khalili, art collector, Knight Commander.
*Mahmoud Khayami
Mahmoud Khayami, CBE, KSS, GCFO (7 January 1930 – 28 February 2020) was an Iranian industrialist and philanthropist of French nationality.
Life
Mahmoud Khayami was born in 1930 in Mashhad, Persia where he attended elementary and high scho ...
, businessman and interfaith campaigner, Knight.
*Don Maclean
Don Maclean (born 1942/1943) MBE KSS is an English actor and comedian, who appeared on the BBC television series '' Crackerjack'' with Michael Aspel, Peter Glaze and Jan Hunt in the 1970s.
Born in Birmingham, he attended Clifton Road Schoo ...
, entertainer, Knight.
*Peter Obi
Peter Gregory Obi (born 19 July 1961) is a Nigerian businessman and politician who served as governor of Anambra from March to November 2006, February to May 2007, and from June 2007 to March 2014. In May 2022, he became the Labour Party can ...
, Politician, Businessman.
*Lorenzo Balbi, Maltese philanthropist.
National Associations
There are National Associations of Papal Knights in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
, Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, as well as Diocesan Associations such as those in Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
See also
*Papal Orders of Knighthood
The orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See include titles, chivalric orders, distinctions and medals honoured by the Holy See, with the Pope as the fount of honour, for deeds and merits of their recipients to the benefit of the Holy ...
References
Bibliography
*Rock, P.M.J. (1908
Pontifical Decorations
''The Catholic Encyclopedia
The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...
'', New York, Robert Appleton Company
*Moroni, ''Diz''., XI, 6 sqq.; XVIII, 210 sqq.; XLIX, 81 sq q.; LXIV, 91 sqq.; LXVIII, 238 sqq.
*Giobbio, ''Lezioni di diplomazia ecclesiastica'' (Rome, 1899), Part I, lib. I, cap. x, art. iv, 514 sqq.
*André-Wagner, ''Dict. de Droit Canonique'', III, 83, 501; IV, 361
*Battandier, ''Ann. Pont. Cath''., 1901, 483 sqq.; 1902, 468 sqq.; 1908, 646 sq. For a list of knights of all the decorations see Ann. for 1905. 1907, and 1908; ''Pii IX P. M. Acta'', Part I, 43 sq., 195 sq.; IV, 391 sq.
*Bernasconi, ''Acta Gregorii papæ XVI'', 48; III, 179 sq.; ''Analecta Ecclesiastica'' (Rome, 1905), 99 sq.; 1907, 189; ''Leonis XIII Pont. Max. Acta'' (Rome), VIII, 259, 282; XXI, 74
External links
Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain
Star of Order of St Sylvester
{{Orders of Italian States before unification
Awards established in 1841
1841 establishments in the Papal States
Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See