Order of St. Gregory the Great
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The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great was established on September 1, 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election. The Order has four classes in civil and military divisions:
- Knight Grand Cross of the First Class
- Knight Grand Cross of the Second Class
- Commander
- Knight
Of the five pontifical orders of knighthood in the Catholic Church, it is the highest honor that a layman can attain. The order is bestowed on Catholic men (and in rare cases, non-Catholic men[1]) in recognition of their service to the Church, unusual labors, support of the Holy See, and the good example set in their communities and country.
The Order's motto is Pro Deo et Principe.
Contents |
[edit] History and Appointment
The inaugural brief states, in part, that "gentlemen of proven loyalty to the Holy See who, by reason of their nobility of birth and the renown of their deeds or the degree of their munificence, are deemed worthy to be honoured by a public expression of esteem on the part of the Holy See". The end of the brief states that they must progressively maintain, by continued meritorious deed, the reputation and trust they had already inspired, and prove themselves worthy of the honour that had been conferred on them, by unswerving fidelity to God and to the sovereign Pontiff.
This honor has no particular obligations to the Church, except for the general ones stated above.
[edit] Insignia
An eight-pointed cross, the insignia of the Order, bears a representation of St. Gregory on the obverse and on the reverse the motto "Pro Deo et Principe". It is suspended from a red and gold ribbon. In ecclesiastical heraldry, laypersons awarded the rank Grand Cross display a red and gold ribbon surrounding the shield in their coat of arms, while other ranks place an appropriate ribbon below the shield.[2]
[edit] Vestments and Accoutrements
The difference between the civilian and military costumes is the former wears the cross hanging from a green crown of laurel, whereas the latter have the cross hanging from a trophy. It is interesting to note that neither of the two documents issued by Gregory XVI says a word about a special uniform for the Knight of St Gregory. A green uniform was later prescribed by Pope Pius IX. The uniform contains a black beaver-felt hat decorated with black silk ribbons, silver metallic twisted rope, buttons and black ostrich feathers. The jacket, made of green wool, is trimmed with silver metallic thread, and has a tail, nine yellow metal buttons in the front and three buttons on the cuffs and is lined with black satin. Finally, the costume contains suspenders, several yellow and red rosettes, white leather gloves, and a short sword with a handle made of mother of pearl with a medallion of the order at the end.
[edit] References
- ^ LA Times archive
- ^ Noonan, Jr., James-Charles (1996). The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church. Viking, p.196. ISBN 0-670-86745-4.
