The Lateran Cross ( it, Croce Lateranense) is a medal for recognition of merit. It was bestowed by the

Cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

of the

Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

with authorisation of

the Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic see, apostolic episcopal see of the ...

History

The Lateran Cross was commissioned by Pope

Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

, and instituted on February 18, 1903. The distinction was created as a recognition of merit, and is named in honor of the

Basilica of St. John in Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Initially, it was awarded for donations regarding the restoration of the Lateran Basilica. The distribution of the award was continued after the completion of the restoration process.

Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

ended the awarding of the Lateran Cross in 1977.

Appearance

The decoration consists of a

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a ''crucifix'' and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

displaying the image of St. John the Evangelist on the right, St. John the Baptist on the left, St. Peter at top, and

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

at the bottom. Christ the Redeemer is displayed at the center of the cross. The reverse side of the cross is engraved with the names, in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, of each saint depicted (''Joanes'', ''Batis'', ''Petrus'', ''Paulus''), as well as the symbol of Christ (P and X inside a circle). A button located above the cross is inscribed with the phrase: ''Sacrosancta lateranensis ecclesia - omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput'' (The sacred and holy church of the Lateran - the mother and the head of all of the churches of the city and the world). The medal has been crafted in a number of designs: with or without an adjoining circle, as well as a solid medal with a cross in relief. The accompanying ribbon is red with blue stripes along the sides. Lateran Cross Type 1 in Bronze, obverse and reverse.jpg, Papal Lateran Cross (1st design) in Bronze Croce lateranense.jpg, Papal Lateran Cross (2nd design) in Gold

Recipients

Notable individuals who received this honor include: * Aaron Bradshaw Jr. (

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 ...

) * Max Corvo (

) * Vincent James Scamporino, United States, OSS. *

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 ...

(

) * Władysław Drapiewski (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

) * Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea (

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

) * Wolfgang Mayer-König (

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

) * Constancio C. Vigil (

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

) *Antonio Conticelli (USA)

References

* ''Storia Illustrata'', n. 248, July 1978. Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. {{DEFAULTSORT:Papal Lateran Cross Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See Awards established in 1903 Recipients of the Papal Lateran Cross 1903 establishments in Vatican City 1977 disestablishments in Vatican City