The orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See include titles,

chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order (distinction), order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic Military order (religious society), military orders of the ...

s, distinctions and

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

s honoured by 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 episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

, with 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 the fount of honour, for deeds and merits of their recipients to the benefit of the Holy See, 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 ...

, or their respective communities, societies, nations and the world at large. Some of these honours are defunct or currently dormant, while some are still actively conferred.

Chivalric orders

''Papal orders of knighthood'' or ''Pontifical orders of knighthood'' are orders of knighthood bestowed in the name of the Pope of the Catholic Church by his authority as head of the Holy See and sovereign of the

Vatican City State 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 ...

. Historically, membership in these orders was either conferred by Papal bulls not signed by the Pope or by apostolic letters signed by the Pope himself. Since the reforms of these orders in the beginning of the 20th century, the diplomas have been signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State. The Papal Orders of Knighthood comprise five orders awarded directly by the Holy See and two others which it 'recognises and supports': the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

and the

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

. (The term ''equestrian'' in this context refers to the nature of these orders as knightly - conferring knighthood on members - derived from the Equestrians ( Equites), a social class of Ancient Rome.) *

Supreme Order of Christ The Supreme Order of Christ ( it, Ordine Supremo del Cristo) was the highest order of chivalry awarded by the pope. According to some scholars, it owes its origin to the same Order of Christ of the Knights Templar, from which came the Order of ...

(no members as of 31 July 1993) *

Order of the Golden Spur 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 ...

(no members as of 23 April 2019) *

Order of Pius IX The Order of Pope Pius IX ( it, Ordine di Pio IX), also referred as the Pian Order ( it, Ordine Piano), is a papal order of knighthood originally founded by Pope Pius IV in 1560. Currently, it is the highest honor conferred by the Holy See (bein ...

Order of Saint Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

Order of Saint Sylvester 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 o ...

Of the papal orders, the highest and most infrequently awarded is the

; the second order is the equally rare

; the third is the

; the fourth is the

; and the fifth is the Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr. *The awards of the Orders of Christ and the Golden Spur are made at the express wish of the Pope in consultation with the Cardinal Secretary of State. *Awards of the Order of Pius IX (or Pian Order) are made to

heads 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 ...

and senior members of their household at the time of official visits to the Holy See, to senior members of diplomatic missions accredited to the Vatican, and exceptionally, to those who have particularly served the Pope or the Holy See, at the discretion of the Cardinal Secretary of State. *Awards of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great and the Order of Saint Sylvester are generally made on the recommendation of diocesan bishops, with the support of the

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 ...

Supreme Order of Christ

Tracing its origins to the dissolution of the Knights Templar, the Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ was established in 1319 in the Kingdom of Portugal and recognised by the Papal bull ''Ad ea ex quibus'' of 15 March 1319 of Pope John XXII. Some historians claim that under the terms of ''Ad ea ex quibus'', the Popes instituted the right to award the membership of the Order themselves, though its text does not explicitly treat of this right. The position of the

is that the

is the head of every religious order, and thus he can grant admission to these orders without the permission of their

superiors general A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while th ...

. The awarding of the Pope of the

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 ...

'' brought the Papacy and the

Crown of Portugal A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

into conflict on several occasions, as the King of Portugal believed himself to be the only legitimate ''

fons honorum The fount of honour ( la, fons honorum) is a person, who, by virtue of his or her official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry on other persons. Origin During the High Middle Ages ...

'' of the Order. Protests regarding this conflict were made to

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 ...

as late as 1825. During a reorganisation of the Papal orders in 1905, Pope Pius X rendered the

as the most senior Papal honour. On 15 April 1966, in the Papal bull ''Equestres ordinis'',

Pope 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 State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

limited the award to

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

heads of state in commemoration of significant events that the

personally attended. The most recent presentation of the Order was to Frà

Angelo de Mojana Fra' Angelo de Mojana di Cologna (13 August 1905, Milan, Italy – 18 January 1988, Rome, Italy) was an Italian nobleman and List of Princes and Grand Masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Mi ...

, 77th

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

and Grand Master of the

, in 1987. The last living member of the Order was

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Baudouin of Belgium, who died in 1993.

Order of the Golden Spur/Militia

The second highest Papal order is the

, also denominated the "Order of the Golden Militia". There is a lack of clear historical evidence of its foundation, but it is certain that ''it is the oldest of the Papal Orders''. Broad authority to grant the Order diminished its prestige, and led

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 ...

to place the Order under the patronage of the Order of St. Sylvester in 1841. As part of this reorganization, the Pope limited the ability to grant the Order and revoked the appointments of those who were not granted it by

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 ...

. In 1905 Pope Pius X separated the Order from the Order of St. Sylvester, establishing it as 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 ...

. He also limited the number of knights to one hundred. A Papal bull of 1966 further limited it to Christian sovereigns and heads of state. That bull also denominated it the "Order of the Golden Militia", but the ''

Annuario Pontificio The ''Annuario Pontificio'' (Italian for ''Pontifical Yearbook'') is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Catholic Church. It lists the popes in chronological order and all officials of the Holy See's departments. It also provides names ...

'' lists it under two names, both as the "Order of the Golden Spur" and as the "Order of the Golden Militia".

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Jean (Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano; 5 January 1921 – 23 April 2019) was the Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000. He was the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg of French agnatic ...

was the last living knight of the Order.

Order of Pius IX

The third highest Papal order is the

, founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The

is the highest Papal order currently awarded. There previously existed an Order of Pian Knights, founded in the 16th century, which later fell into abeyance. It is not related to this order. The

is the first of the Papal Orders, by order of precedence, to include different grades. The highest grade is the

Collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...

, followed by the

Grand Cross Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand ...

, Commander with Star, Commander, and Knight. The Order may be presented to non-Catholic Christians and to non-Christians.

Order of Saint Gregory the Great

The fourth highest Papal order is the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great.

established the order on 1 September 1831 by the

''Quod summis''. It is awarded in four classes, with military and civil divisions. It was initially founded to reward meritorious civic or military service to 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 ...

. Through the reforms of 1905, the Order was modified so that the classes paralleled those of the

, excluding the collar. The Order is currently awarded for conspicuous service to the

, without regard to religious affiliation. These awards are typically given premised on recommendations from bishops or Papal nuncios for specific services rendered to the

. Membership in the Order of St. Gregory the Great does not carry the religious obligations of the military orders, making it the preferred award of merit for individual service to the

. Since 1994, women have been appointed as "dames" in the same classes as men.

Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr

The fifth highest Papal order is the

Order of St. Sylvester Pope and Martyr 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 P ...

. In 1841,

reformed the

as an order of merit, with recipients appointed by

. This reformed order was known as the "Order of St. Sylvester and the Golden Militia". The reforms of 1905 resulted in the separation of that order into the Order of St. Sylvester and the

. The Order of St. Sylvester is presented in the same classes and grades as the

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

, and is typically awarded to recognize and reward members of the laity for active service in the

apostolates An apostolate is a Christian organization "directed to serving and evangelizing the world", most often associated with the Anglican Communion or the Catholic Church. In more general usage, an apostolate is an association of persons dedicated to the ...

. It may also be presented to non-Catholics.

Orders under the protection of the Apostolic See

The term Papal Orders of Knighthood officially includes the Equestrian

Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

, a religious order of chivalry, as it is under the direct protection of the Pope, who is sovereign of the order, and which has a Cardinal as Grand Master. The Order is headquartered in the

. Several military religious orders were established at the time of, and since, the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

. Of these only the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the Order of Malta are recognised by the

Apostolic See An apostolic see is an episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the apostles of Jesus or to one of their close associates. In Catholicism the phrase, preceded by the definite article and usually capitalized, refers to the ...

: The

is a sovereign order of chivalry. The Order and the

exchange ambassadors. The

is not Sovereign of the Order nor does he appoint members to the ranks of knighthood. He is, however, the first to be informed following the election of the Grand Master and appoints a Cardinal Protector of the Order. The Grand Master, a lay professed religious, ranks as a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and his accorded the title ''Eminent Highness and Prince''.

Order of the Holy Sepulchre

The

traces its founding to the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic r ...

, although not as an organised crusading order but an association of knights. After the fall of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

in 1182, it remained an order of chivalry. In 1489, Pope Innocent VIII suppressed the Order and ruled that it was to be merged with the Knights Hospitaller. In 1496, Pope Alexander VI restored the independence of the Order, decreed that the Order would no longer be governed by the office of Custodian, and further decreed that the senior office of the Order would henceforth be raised to the rank of "Grand Master", reserving this title for himself and his successors. In 1847, Pope Pius IX reorganized the Order and placed it under the direct protection of the

. In 1949, Pope Pius XII decreed that the Grand Master of the Order would henceforth be a cardinal appointed directly by the Pope, who would remain Sovereign of the Order. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is '' ex officio'' Grand Prior of the Order, while the lay head is the Governor-General. The present Cardinal Grand Master is

Fernando Filoni Fernando Filoni (born 15 April 1946) is a cardinal prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He was Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2011 to 2 ...

succeeding

Edwin Frederick O'Brien Edwin Frederick O'Brien (born April 8, 1939) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been a cardinal since 2012 and headed the Order of the Holy Sepulchre from 2011 to 2019. O'Brien served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of ...

, on 8 December 2019.

Sovereign Military Order of Malta

The Order of Malta also traces its history to the late 11th century, but it first became a religious military order by a bull of

Pope Paschal II Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...

of 1113. The Grand Master is elected by the Council Complete of State of the Order and serves for life or until abdication. Before a person elected as the Grand Master takes the oath of office, the Pope must be informed of the election. The Pope also appoints the Cardinal Patron and a prelate of the Order.

Defunct/dormant orders

Order of Saint Cecilia Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

Order of Saint John of the Lateran Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Order of Saint Sylvester and the Militia Aurarta Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Order of the Moor Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Knights of Pius A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

Other Catholic chivalric orders

Historically, many military orders and other

s were founded in association with the Holy See. Most of them became extinct, were suppressed, or merged with contemporary chivalric orders. Some of them survived under the protection of the Holy See as in the list above. A few of them remained as patrimony of dynastic royal houses. Some of these dynastic orders of knighthood were recognised as Roman Catholic by Papal bulls of the Holy See, and although they are no more affiliated with or protected by the Holy See, some of them are still exclusively designated for Catholics. In response to a proliferation of self-proclaimed chivalric orders claiming recognition from the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy See's Secretariat of State issued a statement clarifying that "other than its own Equestrian Orders ..the Holy See recognises and supports only the

..and the

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

". All other

self-styled chivalric order A self-styled order or pseudo-chivalric order is an organisation which claims to be a chivalric order, but is not recognised as legitimate by countries or international bodies. Most self-styled orders arose in or after the mid-18th century, and m ...

s, the statement continued, "whether of recent origin or mediaeval foundation, are not recognised by the Holy See" and "the Holy See does not guarantee their historical or juridical legitimacy, their ends or organisational structures... to prevent the continuation of abuses which may result in harm to people of good faith, the Holy See confirms that it attributes absolutely no value whatsoever to certificates of membership or insignia issued by these groups, and it considers inappropriate the use of churches or chapels for their so-called 'ceremonies of

investiture Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian k ...

'." The

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

is no longer an order of chivalry, but is a purely religious order within the Roman Church. The Teutonic Order was founded as a hospital brotherhood in 1190 in Acre, Israel. In 1198, the Order became a religious military order of chivalry. However, since 1929 it has been a purely religious order of priests, brothers and sisters, with a category of 12 honorary knights and an unlimited number of associates, known as ''Marianer''. Its headquarters is in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

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 ...

. The current

Grand Master of the Teutonic Order The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (german: Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens; la, Magister generalis Ordo Teutonicus) is the supreme head of the Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the grand master of other military orders and the superi ...

Frank Bayard Frank Bayard (born 11 October 1971) is a German Catholic Church, Catholic priest and 66th Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. Early life After completing an apprenticeship as a banker at Deutsche Bank, Ba ...

Other distinctions

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice

The medal was established in 1888 and is awarded by the Pope to members of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and laity for service to the Catholic Church and the Pope. Until 1996, it was the highest Papal decoration that could be awarded to women.

Benemerenti medal

The Benemerenti Medal is awarded by the Pope to members of the clergy and laity for service to the Catholic Church. The tradition can be traced back to the 18th century.

Jerusalem Pilgrim's Cross

The Jerusalem Pilgrim's Cross was established in 1901. It is an honour awarded in the name of the Pope as a recognition of merit to pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Golden Rose

The Golden Rose is a gold ornament. Recipients have included churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military figures, and governments.

Defunct/dormant distinctions

* Blessed sword and hat * Medal of Military Merit *

Fidei et Virtuti The Cross Fidei et Virtuti, also referred to as Cross of Mentana, was a decoration for military merit bestowed by the Holy See during the Italian unification. History The cross was instituted by Pope Pius IX on 14 November 1867 after the victory ...

Pro Petri Sede The Medal Pro Petri Sede, also referred to as Castelfidardo Medal, was a Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See, decoration for military merit bestowed by the Holy See in the Second Italian War of Independence during the Italian unificati ...

Lauretan Cross The Lauretan Cross was a decoration for recognition of support to the Holy House of Loreto in 1888. It was bestowed by the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Loreto with authorisation of the Holy See. History The Lauretan Cross was supposed ...

Peter's Advocacy Cross Peter's Food Service is a Bedwas, Wales based baker and supplier of pies, pasties, slices, sausage rolls and factored products into retail, food service, catering and hospitality outlets across the United Kingdom. Today it is one of the largest em ...

* Lateran Cross

Titles and honours

Political titles

Of ecclesiastical or religious authorities

* " Sovereign of the State of Vatican City": Supreme Pontiff of the

(by Papal supremacy; see Papal coronation); ''

'' * Papal styles, i. e.,

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...

s: ** His Holiness *

Prince of the Church The term Prince of the Church is today used nearly exclusively for Catholic cardinals. However, the term is historically more important as a generic term for clergymen whose offices hold the secular rank and privilege of a prince (in the widest s ...

: ** Prince-primate ** Prince-bishop, especially one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra (1278–) **

Prince-abbot A prince-abbot (german: Fürstabt) is a title for a cleric who is a Prince of the Church (like a Prince-bishop), in the sense of an ''ex officio'' temporal lord of a feudal entity, usually a State of the Holy Roman Empire. The territory ruled ...

** Prince-provost ** Prince-Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (originally established as

Prince of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors o ...

in 1607) *Royal titles: *** ''Incomplete'' ** Royal styles, i. e.,

s: *** Hereditary royal styles: **** "Apostolic Majesty" or "Apostolic King":

Kings of Hungary The King of Hungary ( hu, magyar király) was the ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 (or 1001) to 1918. The style of title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (''Apostoli Magyar Király'') was endorsed by Pope Clement XIII in 175 ...

**** " Most Catholic King (Queen)":

Kings of Spain This is a list of Spanish monarchs, that is, rulers of the country of Spain. The forerunners of the monarchs of the Spanish throne were the following: * Kings of the Visigoths * Kings of Asturias * Kings of Navarre * Kings of León *Kings of G ...

**** "

Most Christian King The precise style of List of French monarchs, French sovereigns varied over the years. Currently, there is no French sovereign; three distinct traditions (the Legitimist, the Orleanist, and the Bonapartist) exist, each claiming different forms of ...

": Kings of France **** "Most Faithful Majesty" or "Most Faithful King":

Kings of Portugal This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the nea ...

*** Personal royal styles: **** " Defender of the Faith":

King Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...

, but Pope Paul III revoked it upon his

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

, and his wife Queen Catherine of Aragon in her own right; and

King James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and dur ...

**** "Protector and Defender of the Christian Faith" : King James IV of Scotland

Noble

* Papal nobility ''in se'': **

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

** Marquis ** Baron

Clerical

* Hierarchy of the Catholic Church **

Ecclesiastical address Ecclesiastical titles are the formal styles of address used for members of the clergy. Catholic Church Latin Church clergy * Pope: ''Pope (Regnal Name)''; ''His Holiness''; ''Your Holiness''; ''Holy Father''. * Patriarch of an autonomous/parti ...

Lay members

* Papal Household **

Grand Master of the Sacred Apostolic Hospice The Grand Master of the Sacred Apostolic Hospice ( it, Gran Maestro del Sacro Ospizio) or Quartermaster-General of the Sacred Palaces is a hereditary official of the Pontifical Household. The title and office became hereditary on June 28, 1808, wh ...

** Princes Assistant to the Pontifical Throne ** General Counsellor of the State of Vatican City **

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

of the

Papal Swiss Guard The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; la, Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; it, Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; german: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; french: Garde suisse pontificale; rm, Guardia svizra papala) is ...

** Counsellors of the State of Vatican City **

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the

Pontifical Academy of Sciences The Pontifical Academy of Sciences ( it, Pontificia accademia delle scienze, la, Pontificia Academia Scientiarum) is a Academy of sciences, scientific academy of the Vatican City, established in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. Its aim is to promote the ...

Gentlemen of His Holiness A Papal Gentleman, also called a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting d ...

** Procurators of the

Apostolic Palace The Apostolic Palace ( la, Palatium Apostolicum; it, Palazzo Apostolico) is the official residence of the pope, the head of the Catholic Church, located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Papal Palace, the Palace of the Vatican and t ...

s **

Attaché In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accord ...

s of the Papal Antechamber ** Those in the personal service of the Pope ** Aide de Chambre **

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of the Hall of the Papal Antechamber

References

Sources and external links

*
Orders, Decorations and Medals of the Vatican
by Megan Robertson (at Medals of the World website)
''The Knights of The Holy See''
by Alessandra Malesci Baccani, Office of the Knighthood of Honors and Heraldic, official website of the Italian government *

Kay Ehling The name Kay is found both as a surname (see Kay (surname)) and as a given name. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a feminine name, often a short form of Katherine or one of its variants; but it is also used as a first name in its own r ...

und Jörg Ernesti: Glänzende Propaganda. Kirchengeschichte auf Papstmedaillen. Herder, Freiburg/Basel/Wien 2019, {{Decorations by country