Order of Christ (Portugal)

For the Brazilian branch of the order, see Order of Christ (Brazil). For the Papal branch of the order, see Supreme Order of Christ.
Order of Christ
(Ordem Militar de Cristo)
Emblem of the Order
Award of Portuguese Republic
Type Honorific Order
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Ribbon Red
Eligibility Portuguese and foreign military personnel
Awarded for Outstanding military merit
Status Currently awarded
Grand Master President of the Portuguese Republic
Established 1319 (founded)
1789 (secularized)
Precedence
Next (higher) Order of the Tower and Sword
Next (lower) Order of Aviz
Decorations of the Order

The Military Order of Christ (Ordem Militar de Cristo), previously the Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Ordem dos Cavaleiros de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo), was the former Knights Templar order as it was reconstituted in Portugal after the Templars were abolished on 22 March 1312 by the papal bull, Vox in excelso, issued by Pope Clement V.[1][2] The Order of Christ was founded in 1319,[3][4] with the protection of the Portuguese king, Denis I, who refused to pursue and persecute the former knights as had occurred in all the other sovereign states under the political influence of the Catholic Church.

Heavily swayed by Philip IV of France, Clement had the Knights Templar annihilated throughout France and most of Europe on charges of heresy, but Denis revived the Templars of Tomar as the Order of Christ, largely for their aid during the Reconquista and in the reconstruction of Portugal after the wars. Denis negotiated with Clement's successor, John XXII, for recognition of the new order and its right to inherit the Templar assets and property.

History

The order's origins lie in the Knights Templar, founded circa 1118. The Templars were persecuted by the king of France and eventually disbanded by the pope in 1312. King Dinis I of Portugal created the Order of Christ in 1317 for those knights who survived their mass slaughter throughout Europe.[5] In Portugal, the Order of Christ accumulated great riches and power during the Age of Discoveries.

In 1789, Queen Maria I of Portugal secularized the order.[5] In 1910, with the end of the Portuguese monarchy, the order was extinguished. However, in 1917, the order was revived, with its Grand Master to be the President of Portugal. The Military Order of Christ, together with the Military Orders of Aviz and of St. James of the Sword, formed the group of the "Ancient Military Orders", governed by a chancellor and a council of eight members, and appointed by the President of the Republic to assist him as Grand Master in all the order's administrative matters. The Order can be conferred for outstanding services to the Republic on military officers, and, despite its name, on civilians (including foreigners as well as Portuguese citizens) and on members of: Parliament or other branches of government, the diplomatic corps, the Courts of Justice, the Civil Service, and other public authorities.[6]

Grades and Badges

The Order of Christ, as awarded by the Portuguese government today, comes in five classes:[7]

Insignia

Bars of the Military Order of Christ

Grand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Knight

People associated with the Order of Christ

Star and riband of a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Christ

Locations associated with the Order of Christ

Entities using the cross of the order in their insignia

See also

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. 

  1. ↑ Robert Ferguson (26 August 2011). The Knights Templar and Scotland. History Press Limited. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7524-6977-5.
  2. ↑ Jochen Burgtorf; Paul F. Crawford; Helen J. Nicholson (28 June 2013). The Debate on the Trial of the Templars (1307–1314). Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 298. ISBN 978-1-4094-8102-7.
  3. ↑ Matthew Anthony Fitzsimons; Jean Bécarud (1969). The Catholic Church today: Western Europe. University of Notre Dame Press. p. 159.
  4. ↑ Helen J. Nicholson (1 January 2004). The Crusades. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-313-32685-1.
  5. 1 2  "Order of the Knights of Christ". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
  6. ↑ "ANTIGAS ORDENS MILITARES". Bem-vindo a pagina oficial do Grao-Mestre das Ordens Honorificas Portuguesas (in Portuguese). Presidência da República Portuguesa. Retrieved 21 March 2013. External link in |work= (help)
  7. 1 2 3 4 "GRAUS E INSÍGNIAS DA ORDEM MILITAR DE CRISTO". Bem-vindo a pagina oficial do Grao-Mestre das Ordens Honorificas Portuguesas (in Portuguese). Presidência da República Portuguesa. Retrieved 21 March 2013. External link in |work= (help)

Bibliography

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