Order of St. Gregory the Great

For the monastic order, see Sylvestrines.
Order of St. Gregory the Great
Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni
Knight Commander's cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (1841)
Awarded by Holy See
Type Order of knighthood, award (honour) of the Holy See (but not of the Catholic Church).
Motto PRO DEO ET PRINCIPE
Status Bestowed by authority of the Pope as a monarch (the Holy See) and temporal sovereign (the head of the Vatican City State)
Sovereign His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Grades (w/ post-nominals) Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the First Class
Knight/Dame Commander with Star
Knight/Dame Commander
Knight/Dame
Former grades Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Second Class
Established 1 September 1831
Precedence
Next (higher) Order of Pius IX
Next (lower) Order of St. Sylvester
Ribbon bar of the order

The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great (Latin: Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni, Italian: Ordine di San Gregorio Magno), was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.

It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See. The order is bestowed on Catholic men and women (and in rare cases, non-Catholic men[1]) in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See and the Church, unusual labours, support of the Holy See, and the good example set in their communities and country.

The Order has four classes in civil and military divisions:

Its motto is Pro Deo et Principe (For God and Prince).

Contents

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.[2]

This honour has no particular obligations to the Church, except for the general ones stated above.

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" (For God and Prince). 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.[3]

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.

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:

Knight Knight Commander Knight Commander with Star Knight Grand Cross

Privileges

Knights Grand Cross of the Order are entitled to be addressed with the style His/Her Excellency in front of their name.[4]

Notable members

See also

References

  1. ^ LA Times archive
  2. ^ "The Pontifical Order of Saint Gregory the Great". Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain website. Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain of Piux IX, Saint Gregory and Saint Sylvester. http://www.papalknights.org.uk/order-gregory.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02. 
  3. ^ 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. 
  4. ^ Satow, Ernest Mason, Sir - A Guide to Diplomatic Practice
  5. ^ http://www.nndb.com/honors/001/000102692/ accessed September 14, 2007
  6. ^ Converts to Rome by Gordon Gorman 1885
  7. ^ "Count John A. Creighton Dead: Nebraskan Who Founded Colleges Was Enobled by the Pope," New York Times. February 8, 1907. Retrieved 1/22/08.
  8. ^ Converts to Rome by Gordon Gorman 1885
  9. ^ Diccionario bibliographico portuguez, 1859, p. 342
  10. ^ LA Times Archived Article
  11. ^ Converts to Rome by Gordon Gorman 1885
  12. ^ LA Times Archived Article
  13. ^ Gallantry magazine online accessed January 31, 2008
  14. ^ LA Times Archived Article
  15. ^ Fürstin Gloria von Thurn und Taxis erhält päpstlichen St.-Gregorius-Orden, Bistum Regensburg.
  16. ^ Charles von Hügel by Anatole von Hügel

External links

Papal Orders
Holy See protected Orders