PONTIFICAL ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD
The Pontifical Orders of Knighthood, in contrast with the other
ecclesiastical orders heretofore mentioned, are directly dependent on
the Pope and membership in them is bestowed by the Holy See. They are,
in decreasing order of rank, the Order of Christ, the Order of the
Golden Spur, the Order of Pius, the Order of Saint Gregory the Great,
and the Order of Saint Sylvester, Pope.
That of the Order of Christ can with certainty trace its origin back to
the age of chivalry; and in all probability that of the Golden Spur. The
last three, in their present status, are of more recent date, the Order
of Pius and of St. Gregory being founded in the last century, whereas
the present order of St. Sylvester was established in the beginning of
this century.
All of them are secular orders of merit, even though the ritual of
investiture followed by the Order of Christ contains some elements that
are reminiscent of the ancient religious order from which it descends.
All matters concerning the bestowal, registration, legislation and
description of emblems, badges and uniforms of the pontifical orders are
handled by the chancery of the orders of knighthood which functions
under the “Secretaria a Brevibus Apostolicis Literis,” a section of the
Papal Secretariate of State.
The very exclusive Orders of Christ and of the Golden Spur have only one
degree, that of knights. The other three, at present, consist of three
degrees or classes of which the second class is subdivided: (1) Grand
Cross Knights; (2) Commanders with plaque and Commanders; (3) Knights.
The first wear the cross of the respective order hanging from the grand
cordon, that is to say a large ribbon in the colors of the respective
orders passing from the right shoulder over the breast to the left side
of the body. Besides, the members of this class are entitled to the
_plaque_, an ornamental brooch in the form of a radiating star
surrounding the emblem of the order to be worn on the chest. The knights
commanders wear the cross of the order on a ribbon around the neck; the
first degree commanders are entitled to a _plaque_ of minor dimensions;
those of the second degree do not enjoy this privilege. The class of the
knights wear the cross on a small ribbon pinned on the left chest of the
uniform or suit.
To the question why the Papacy bestows these decorations, the answer is
given by a Pope who certainly disapproved of any vanity or show but who
nevertheless recognized the value of such decorations, namely St. Pius
X. In the preamble to the Brief _Multum ad excitandos_ (Feb. 7,
1905)[30] in which he reorganized the Orders of Christ, of the Golden
Spur and of St. Sylvester, the holy pontiff makes this statement:
“Multum ad excitandos ad egregia facinora hominum animos, praemia
virtuti reddita valent, quae dum ornant egregios bene de re sacra vel
publica meritos viros, ceteros exemplo rapiunt ad idem laudis honorisque
spatium decurrendum.” And his predecessor, Pius IX, in the Brief
_Romanis Pontificibus_ (June 17, 1847),[31] declared that orders of
knighthood “are not instituted to encourage vanity and ambition, but
solely to reward virtue and outstanding merits.”[32]
THE SUPREME ORDER OF CHRIST
MILITIA DOMINI NOSTRI JESU CHRISTI
Saint Pius X in his Brief _Multum ad excitandos_, mentioned above,
decreed that the Supreme Order of Christ is to be considered the highest
ranking of all Pontifical Orders. It looks almost like an ironical twist
of history when we recall that the highest decoration granted by the
Pope at the present day proves to derive from a religious order which
one of the Pope’s predecessors suppressed in the fourteenth century.
The Order of Christ was founded in the year 1318, but since it is a
continuation—under a different name—of the Order of the Templars, it
goes as far back as 1119. In all probability this makes the Order of
Christ the oldest order of knighthood in the world. We say, in all
probability, for there is quite a controversy about the prior antiquity
of the Order of the Temple or that of the Hospital. The most likely
answer seems to be that the Order of the Hospital antedates the former
by a few years, inasmuch as the Hospitallers were organized in the year
1112. However, at first they were an order of charity and only gradually
did they develop into a military order during the reign of the second
master, Raymond du Puy (1120-60), whereas the Templars were organized
from the outset as a military order. For that reason the Temple can be
said to be the prototype of all orders of knighthood.
Although the leaders of the first Crusade had defeated the infidels in
the Holy Land and captured Jerusalem, July 15, 1099, still many bands of
Saracens were left which held several mountain strongholds and were
roving around the countryside, harassing the Christian pilgrims on their
way to the holy places. In view of this state of affairs, Hugh de Payns,
a knight from Champagne, in 1119, twenty years after the capture of
Jerusalem, gathered around him in that city seven companions and formed
with these knights a religious community. In contrast with the ordinary
religious groups, this community had a special character, for the
knights not only took the usual vows of obedience, poverty and chastity,
but they added a fourth vow of a decidedly military nature. In virtue of
this vow the knights became a kind of transport troops, providing the
Christian pilgrims with police escort. Later, the vow assumed a more
general character, namely that of defending the Holy Land. The knights
called themselves _Milites Christi_, soldiers of Christ, but because
their first Convent was a part of the palace of the king of Jerusalem,
which was supposed to have been built close by the place where once
Solomon’s temple stood, they became traditionally known as the Knights
of the Temple, or the Templars.
In the first few years of their existence, they followed the Augustinian
rule, but later adopted a rule written for them by St. Bernard of
Clairvaux, the great promoter of the second crusade and admirer of the
Templar’s ideal. This rule was based on the rule of the Cistercians but
adapted to the way of life of the knights. Because of this connection
with St. Bernard’s order, the knights wore over their armature a white
mantle to which Pope Eugenius III added a red cross. The members of the
Temple were divided into three classes: the knights, the
sergeants-at-arms and priests who acted as chaplains for the order.
In the space allotted it is not possible to discuss in detail the
development, the activities and the decline of the Templars. They proved
themselves real heroes in the battles against the enemies of the Cross,
although at times they were imprudent and reckless, and needlessly
sacrificed their men. Occasionally, they were in arms against their
Christian brothers, especially the Hospitallers of St. John. They had
the reputation of being proud, even to the point of arrogance. Great
wealth they accumulated, but—unlike the Hospitallers—they were little
engaged in works of charity and thus left themselves open to charges of
selfishness and greed as launched against them by their enemies.
After the fall of Acre (1291) the Templars gave up the fight against the
Crescent. The Knights of St. John kept on fighting at sea while the
“Soldiers of Christ” (Knights Templar) retired to Western Europe, and
became bankers as well as financial administrators of kings and
merchants.
These financial enterprises—so different from the original objectives as
envisaged by St. Bernard—did not last long. Twenty-one years after they
had left the Orient, the Templars were suppressed on April 3, 1312, by
Pope Clement V who acted under pressure from the French king Philip the
Fair. The merits of the trial, in which the charges against the Templars
were weighed is still a matter of debate among historians, the majority
of whom, however, believe that these charges were false in general.
There is the curious note that the Pope in his formula of suppression
stated that the act of extinction was not to be taken as a condemnation
of the Templars; also, that Philip the Fair had the last Grand Master,
Jacques de Molay, burned at the stake (March 18, 1314), before the three
cardinals whom the Pope had ordered to investigate his case had a chance
to bring the trial to an end. It is true, nonetheless, that the Order of
the Templars outlived its usefulness for the Church—except in Portugal
and Spain.[33]
That exception was to have far-flung consequences. The Templars in
Portugal and Spain had not become mere bankers, but still lived up to
the purpose for which they were founded, namely the fight against the
infidel. Hence, King Denis I of Portugal—husband of St. Elizabeth—and
James II of Aragon were quite satisfied with the services of the
Templars in their countries and refused to believe the charges of
idolatry and heresy brought against them. They therefore failed to obey
the directives of the papal decree of suppression. Of course, they could
not possibly allow the Templars to continue under their old name, for
such a flagrant act of disobedience might well have merited
excommunication. In their countries, they allowed the Templars to
reorganize as a new military order of knighthood. Thus the Order of
Christ came into existence in Portugal (1318) and the Order of Our Lady
of Monteza in Spain; the latter was used for the defense of the coastal
areas against the Saracens.[34]
One year after King Denis had established the Order of Christ and had
assigned them the defense of Algarvia, a portion of his kingdom then
threatened by the Moors, the Pope gave his blessing to the “new”
institution. John XXII, successor of Clement V, in the Constitution _Ad
ea, e quibus_ of March 14, 1319[35] gave the approbation, stipulating
that the Knights of Christ should assume the rule of the Cistercians—as
the Templars had done—but, in addition, should follow some of the
customs then in vogue in the Order of Calatrava. Besides, the Pope gave
them all the properties of “the erstwhile Order of the Temple” (_Ordo
quondam Templi_).
The vicissitudes of the Order of Christ in Portugal do not concern us
here. Suffice it to say that they followed the usual pattern. The
knights assisted the kings in their fight against the Moors, had their
inevitable quarrels about jurisdictions and possessions and lost their
religious character before the close of the 15th century. In 1499
Alexander VI freed them from their solemn vows and allowed them to
marry. Eventually, the Order of Christ, like the other military orders
in Portugal, became an order of merit. When the Republic was proclaimed
in 1910, the order was abolished, but was re-established in 1918, with
the President of the Republic assuming the office of grand master.
Of more importance is that the Order of Christ entered into an intimate
relationship with the papacy. When John XXII approved the Order of
Christ, he did so with the proviso that the Holy See had the right to
appoint knights of that order. This regulation has been interpreted in a
two-fold way. Some historians hold that there was originally only one
order of which the Pope was the real head and that the kings of Portugal
were his hereditary lieutenants in that kingdom. Others, however,
believe that ever since 1319 there were two distinct Orders of Christ,
one Portuguese and one Pontifical. The fact is that the Popes, since the
time of John XXII, have conferred the knighthood of Christ. Besides, the
Popes introduced a new element in the concept of knighthood. Instead of
creating the knights by the usual ceremony of dubbing, the Pope
appointed them by “letters patent,” that is to say by issuing a decree
whereby he conferred the rights and privileges of the knighthood upon
those he designated. The purpose of the papal Order of Christ was the
defense of the interests of the Holy See. It was throughout most of its
history quite exclusive.
Pope St. Pius X in the Brief _Multum ad excitandos_ decreed not only
that the Order of Christ is the highest Pontifical order of knighthood
but also specified with greater precision its insignia and the uniform
of the members. The former consists in a red Latin cross surrounding a
white cross and surmounted by a crown, pending from a double golden
chain, an ornamental brooch, called the “plaque” or star and a sword.
The uniform consists of a red tunic, white trousers and a white mantle.
The Pontifical Order of Christ consists of one class only: membership is
reserved mostly to sovereigns and heads of state. In the year 1954 there
were, according to the _Annuario Pontificio_, only five Knights of the
Order of Christ in the world.
Although the Pontifical Order of Christ is an order of merit, its
ancient religious origin is reflected in the fact that its members must
be Catholic, and also in its ritual of investiture. After receiving the
apostolic Brief of nomination (letters patent), the new knight presents
himself with two witnesses before a cardinal of his choice or, if that
is not possible, before the bishop of his diocese to whom he shows the
Brief. He promises obedience to His Holiness the Pope and recites the
profession of faith, whereupon the presiding dignitary invests him with
the collar of the order.
ORDER OF THE GOLDEN SPUR
MILITIA AURATA
In the Middle Ages, the spur was the symbol of knighthood, and in that
sense all knights could be said to belong to the “Order of the Spur.”
When the Order of the Golden Spur was established is unknown. Pope St.
Pius X in his Brief _Multum ad excitandos_ maintains that it is among
the oldest orders of knighthood and refers to the tradition which would
have Pope St. Sylvester (314-35) the founder: “Neminem latet Ordinem
Militiae auratae, sive ab aureo calcari, inter vetustissimos jure esse
enumerandum: Constantino enim Magno Imperatore, Silvester PP. I sanctae
memoriae decessor Noster, auctor illius fuisse dicitur.” Be that as it
may, the Pope expresses regret that in the course of time “the order has
lost its ancient splendor and dignity because of human weaknesses and
the vicissitudes of the times.”
In the 16th century, for one thing, the right to confer this knighthood
was no longer reserved to the Holy See. In 1539 Paul III Farnese
(1534-49) granted high dignitaries of the papal court and the Roman
princely families the privilege of conferring the Golden Spur. From that
time on the order was so freely bestowed that it fell into disrepute.
To make matters worse, one of the Medici Popes, Pius IV (1559-65),
decreed that membership of the Golden Spur entailed automatically the
personal title of Roman Count for the titulary and hereditary nobility
for his descendents. All this depreciated not only the distinctiveness
of the Order of the Golden Spur but also of the Roman nobility.
Additional confusion was created when the Knights of the Golden Spur
began to wear the coveted eight-pointed white cross of the Knights of
the Order of Jerusalem. Pope Benedict XIV by a Brief of Sept. 7, 1747,
abolished this abuse and ordered that the badge of the Order of the
Golden Spur be an octagonal gilded cross with a small spur hanging from
it.
At long last Pope Gregory XVI took the reformation of the Golden Spur in
hand—a reformation which proved to be quite radical. In a Brief _Cum
hominum mentes_ of Oct. 31, 1841,[36] the Pope practically suppressed
the Order of the Golden Spur and established in its place the Order of
St. Sylvester, presumably the founder of the old order. In remembrance
of the latter, the Pope decreed that the accompanying title of the new
order be _Militia Aurata_. The Pope reserved the right of conferring
this new knighthood to the Holy See exclusively, revoking all delegated
rights once given by his predecessors and abolished the privilege of
conferring nobility. The membership of the order was reduced to 150
commanders and 300 knights and confined within the Papal States.
In 1905 another radical change occurred in the history of the Golden
Spur. Pope St. Pius X by the Brief _Multum ad excitandos_ separated the
Order of the Golden Spur from that of St. Sylvester, making them two
distinct orders from that time on.
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma
of the Immaculate Conception, the restored _Militia Aurata_ was put
under the protection of the Immaculate Mother of Christ. Moreover, Pius
ordered that the gilded cross of the order should in its centre carry a
medal with a crowned monogram of Mary. This cross hangs from a trophy
which in turn is attached to a red ribbon with white edgings to be worn
around the neck. The knights also wear a plaque in the form of a silver
star on which the same cross and medal are superimposed; their uniform
is a red tunic and black trousers.
Pope Pius emphatically reiterated that membership does not entail
personal nobility and still less hereditary nobility. The order
comprises only one class, namely that of knights. The number of knights
may not exceed 100, “lest the honor be decreased by too large a number,”
as the Brief states. Actually, in 1954, there were only ten Knights of
the Golden Spur in the entire world. This knighthood is conferred upon
men, “qui vel armis, vel scriptis, vel praeclaris operibus rem
catholicam auxerint, et Ecclesiam Dei virtute tutarint, aut doctrina
illustraverint.” Membership is not limited to Catholics; the sentence
just quoted leaves sufficient room for the candidacy of non-Catholics,
inasmuch as they, too, may help the cause of Catholicism, as in signing
a concordat with the Church or by giving freedom to the Catholic
missions. In fact, four out of the ten existing knights are
non-Catholics: one Greek Orthodox and three Mohammedans, among them the
Shah of Iran.[37]
THE ORDER OF PIUS
ORDO PIANUS
The Order of Pius is the third in rank of the Pontifical Orders of
Knighthood. It was erected by Pope Pius IX by the Brief _Romanis
Pontificibus_, and was called after the founder, but also to honor the
memory of Pius IV (1559-65) who in 1559 had instituted an Ordo Pianus.
Since the latter had ceased to exist in the course of time, the order
established by Pius IX could not be considered a continuation of it.
However, the Pope stated specifically that he wished to “revive the
ancient appellation introduced by his predecessor.”
The order consisted of two degrees: knights of the first and knights of
the second class. At the moment of nomination, they received title to
personal nobility; in the case of the knights of the first class, the
title was transmissible to their sons. The decoration of the order is an
eight-pointed blue star surrounding a medal with the inscription “Pius
IX” and “Virtuti et Merito”; the reverse bears the date of the
foundation of the order, 1847. The decoration hangs from a blue ribbon
with red edgings. The uniform is blue. The knights of the second degree
were to wear the emblem on the left chest, those of the first degree had
the privilege to wear it hanging from a blue ribbon around the neck. The
latter could also wear a silver emblem similar to the badge but of
larger dimensions on the left chest; only, however, after obtaining the
special and expressed authorization of the Holy See.
Several of the stipulations made by Pius IX were changed within the next
hundred years. One might speak of these changes as the story of the
_minutiae_ of an order of knighthood. In the first place there was the
plaque. Two years after the founding of his order, Pius IX issued at
Gaeta, in exile, the Brief _Cum hominum mentes_ (June 17, 1849), wherein
he ordered that from that date on all knights of the first class enjoyed
the privilege of the emblem, but that a special permission of the Holy
See was needed to wear a jewelled emblem. Moreover, knights of the first
class should no longer wear the star of the order pendent from a collar
around the neck, but from the grand cordon. This rule made them Knights
of the Grand Cross.
By the Brief _In ipso_ of Nov. 11, 1856, issued from the palace of the
Quirinal, Pope Pius IX extended the number of degrees to three: (1)
Knights of the Grand Cross, wearing the grand cordon emblem; (2) Knights
of the Second Class or Commanders, wearing the collar; (3) Knights of
the Third Class, wearing the emblem on a small ribbon on the chest.
Pope Pius X in his Brief _Multum ad excitandos_ reintroduced the famous
emblem and instituted an intermediary degree by dividing the commanders
into two classes: those with the emblem and those without.
Finally, Pope Pius XII in the Brief _Litteris suis_ issued at St.
Peter’s, Nov. 11, 1939,[38] abolished the title to nobility of all
knights to be nominated in the future. In giving the reason for this
rule, the Pope reiterated the words of his predecessor, namely that the
order was not instituted to encourage vanity and ambition, but only to
reward personal merit.
ORDER OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT
ORDO GREGORIANUS
In the United States probably the best known of all the Pontifical
Orders of Knighthood is the Order of St. Gregory, although it was
originally instituted to honor the citizens of the erstwhile Papal
States. When the energetic general of the Camaldulese became Pope under
the name of Gregory XVI (1830-46), the Papal States were frequently
troubled with political uprisings. In suppressing these rebellious
movements, the Pope was aided not only by Austrian troops but also by
many of his own faithful subjects.
To honor those who had distinguished themselves in the defense of the
temporal power of the Holy See, Gregory erected an order of knighthood
which he named after the first Pope who bore his own name, Saint Gregory
I (590-604), and who is considered by several historians as the real
founder of the temporal power of the Popes. However, the Brief _Quod
summis quibusque_, issued at St. Mary Major (Sept. 1, 1831), whereby
Gregory XVI erected this new pontifical order, does not restrict its
membership explicitly to his own subjects, but extends it to those
persons who have shown “incontrovertible loyalty to the Holy See,” and
to those who have distinguished themselves by their virtue and piety, by
their social position, by the zeal evidenced in fulfilling high office,
or, in general, by the excellent reputation in which they are held.
The Pope decreed that the emblem of the order should be an eight-pointed
red cross, having a little white medal in the center engraved with a
picture of Saint Gregory the Great, the reverse of the medal carrying
the motto _Pro Deo et Principe_. The cross hangs from a red ribbon with
yellow borders, the colors of the order.
As originally instituted the order consisted of four degrees: (1) the
Knights Grand Cross of the first class, who wore the cross on the grand
cordon, and who were also entitled to wear a large cross in the form of
a jewelled star on the chest; (2) Knights Grand Cross of the second
class, who wore the same large ribbon but only a small single plaque on
the left chest; (3) Knights Commanders whose cross hung from a ribbon
around the neck; (4) Knights who wore the cross on the left chest.
In the Brief _Cum amplissimo honorum_, issued at St. Peter’s, May 30,
1834, Pope Gregory reduced the order to three degrees. The two degrees
of Knights Grand Cross were combined and the right to wear a jewelled
emblem required special permission from the Holy See. This decree also
specified the maximum number of Knights of St. Gregory for the residents
of the Papal States. The Knights Grand Cross should be no more than 30,
the Commanders no more than 70, the Knights no more than 300. However,
the Pope reserved the right to nominate also persons residing outside
the Pontifical States; the number of these nominees was unlimited.
There are two classes of Gregorian Knights, a civilian and military.[39]
The difference is that the former wear 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
Knights of St. Gregory. The green uniform was later prescribed by Pope
Pius IX.
THE ORDER OF SAINT SYLVESTER, POPE
This order—as we saw previously—was instituted by Pope Gregory XVI in
1841 to replace the Order of the Golden Spur, but since the name of
“Militia Aurata” was perpetuated, the order was spoken of as a
combination of the two. In 1905 Pope St. Pius X “separated” the two
orders and made the Order of Saint Sylvester the lowest ranking of the
Pontifical Orders of Knighthood.
The order has three degrees, the second being subdivided into two
classes: Knights of the Grand Cross; Knight Commanders with and without
emblem; simple Knights. The emblem is an eight-pointed white cross with
a medal of St. Sylvester in the center, the reverse side of the medal
bearing the dates 1841-1905 in Roman figures to commemorate the order’s
founding by Gregory XVI and its renovation by St. Pius X. The emblem is
a silver star with the cross of the order superimposed. The colors of
the grand cordon, collar and ribbon on which the cross hangs, according
to the different degrees, are three bands of red and two of black. The
uniform of the order is black.
THE PAPAL DECORATIONS
The decorations bestowed by the Holy See at the present time are the
Cross “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” and the medal “Benemerenti.” These
decorations do not confer knighthood upon the recipient, but are medals
of honor (_distintivi di onore_) given to both men and women who merit
public token of gratitude from the Pope for their services. The
conferring takes place by means of a diploma issued from the
Secretariate of State.
_Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice_
Pope Leo XIII instituted this cross by the Apostolic Letter _Quod
singulari Dei concessu_ of July 17, 1888,[40] to commemorate the
fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Originally it
was intended to reward those persons who had distinguished themselves in
organizing the Vatican exposition in which were exhibited the gifts
which Leo had received from every part of the world on the occasion of
his golden jubilee. Later, the bestowal was extended to those who were
eminent in their devotion toward the Church and the Papacy. The cross
was initially issued in three degrees, gold, silver and bronze; Pope St.
Pius X in 1908 decreed that the cross should come only in gold. The four
arms of the cross are decorated with a comet and in between the arms are
found four lilies: these embellishments are meant to recall the coat of
arms of the Pecci family from which Leo derived. In the center of the
cross is placed a medal bearing the bust of the founding Pope with the
inscription “Leo XIII, P.M. Ann. X” (the tenth year of Leo’s
pontificate). The medal bears on the reverse side the tiara and the
papal keys with the inscription “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.” On the
reverse side of the arms of the cross are found these words “Prid. Cal.
Ian. 1888.” The cross hangs from a red, white, and yellow ribbon, to be
worn on the left chest.
_Benemerenti_
This is the name of a series of medals issued by several Popes in order
to reward distinguished services at special occasions. Pius VIII was the
first to grant such a Benemerenti medal. The practice was continued by
Gregory XVI in 1831 when he had a medal coined to reward those of his
subjects who had shown themselves particularly faithful to the Pope
during that troublesome year. Pope Pius IX did the same in gratitude to
the soldiers who fought for him during the revolution of 1848 and 1849.
St. Pius X, too, issued in 1910 a Benemerenti medal which was preferably
granted for military services. A special medal is given to the Palatine
guards after some years of faithful service. Pius XI created a
Benemerenti medal to remunerate persons as well as groups who
distinguished themselves in the organization of the Holy Year 1925 and
of the missionary exhibition which was held in the Vatican in the same
year.
Besides these special medals there is a Benemerenti medal of a more
general character. It comes in gold, silver and bronze and it bears the
effigy and the name of the reigning Pope, and on the reverse side a
crown of laurel and the letter “B” (“Benemerenti”). The medal hangs from
a yellow ribbon edged with white, to be worn on the left chest.
Hardly an institution in the world today has the equivalent of honors
parallel to that of the Roman Catholic Church. In an age when initiative
and ability tend to become lost in the overwhelming social changes that
are so universal, these honors stand out as another instance of the
timelessness of that Church. They salvage values and ideals from the
past. Chivalry is more than romance; it is one of the graces of human
dignity. Those who would spurn the past cannot build the future. These
honors are enshrined in a morality and code that is rooted in the love
and charity of Christ made visible through human compassion and effort.
They envision the kingdom of heaven as their perspective quite in the
way of the parable Our Lord so earnestly preached when He tenderly
uttered the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
ILLUSTRATIONS
MILITARY ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD
[Illustration: Teutonic Order
Black cross with white borders, black ribbon.]
[Illustration: Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Red cross of Godfrey de Bouillon, military trophy, black ribbon.]
[Illustration: Order of Malta
Grand Cross of Professed Bailiff: White cross, crown, military
trophy and black ribbon with two gold designs, representing crown of
thorns.]
[Illustration: Order of Calatrava
Red Cross fleury.
Order of Alcantara
Green cross fleury.
Order of Monteza
Red Cross and black fleur-de-lis.]
[Illustration: Order of Santiago
Lily-hilted sword in red.]
PONTIFICAL ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD
[Illustration: Order of the Golden Spur
Gold cross with golden spur pendent from it, white medal, military
trophy, red ribbon bordered with white.]
[Illustration: Order of St. Gregory
Civil division: red cross, blue medallion, golden crown, oak leaves,
red ribbon with orange borders.]
[Illustration: Order of St. Sylvester
White cross on gold rays, medal of St. Sylvester, ribbon with five
strands, three red, two black.]
[Illustration: Order of Christ
White Latin cross, imposed on red cross, crown, military trophy and
golden chain.]
[Illustration: Order of Pius
Eight-pointed blue star, white medallion, rays of golden flames,
blue ribbon bordered with red.]
PONTIFICAL DECORATIONS
[Illustration: Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
Gold cross, fleur-de-lis, medal with image of Leo XIII, purple
ribbon with white and yellow line on each border.]
[Illustration: Benemerenti Medal
Gold, silver or bronze medal with image of reigning Pontiff, yellow
ribbon edged with white.]
[Illustration: Lateran Cross
Gold or silver cross, medallions of the Saviour, St. Peter, St.
Paul, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle, red ribbon with
two blue stripes.]
FOOTNOTES
[1]_The American Ecclesiastical Review_, XXXVII (1907), 497-503, carried
an article by Joseph J. Murphy under the title, “Pontifical
Decorations,” as they were reorganized by Pope Pius X. In the same
volume (pp. 324-26) a correspondent criticized the Pope for being
“exceedingly lavish in his bestowal” of knighthood and other such
honors and he felt that the spirit of a republican community “is
entirely against their bestowal.” Three years later (“Roman Curial
Honors and American Republican Sentiment,” _AER_, XLII [1910],
341-44), another (or the same?) correspondent expressed the
conviction that the Papal appointments to “knights, marquises,
monsignori and the like ... are entirely out of place in America and
even contrary to the spirit of our people, if not also to the letter
of the Constitution.” In both cases the editor’s equivocal comment
left no doubt that he wished to run with the hares and hold with the
hounds, and his statement that “such decorations as go with these
titles are of much the same character as the secret society emblems
and titles used in our numerous American fraternities” was, if not
startling, at least amusing.
[2]Pio Paschini, “Ordini Equestri,” _Enciclopedia Cattolica_, IX, col.
252.
[3]Cf. Wm. F. Stadelman, “The Royal Order of the Saint Esprit” (_AER_,
LIV [1916], 641-61). There was an older Order of the Holy Ghost,
established in Naples in 1352 by Louis of Taranto, but it hardly
survived the death of its founder. Cf. Stadelman, “The Knights of
the Holy Ghost of the Good Intention” (_AER_, LIV [1914], 652-69).
[4]F. Giraud, _Le Bienheureux Gérard_ (Aix, 1919); Carlo Guarmani, _Gli
Italiani in Terra Santa, reminiscenze e ricerche storiche_ (Bologna,
1872), pp. 28-29. E. J. King, _The Knights Hospitallers in the Holy
Land_ (London: Methuen, 1939, p. 20), says that the theory that
Gerard’s surname was Tonce or that he hailed from Tonco is based on
“the error of some copyist of a Latin text, who seeing the words
‘Gerardus tunc’ mistook the adverb for a surname.”
[5]See C. Fedeli, _L’ordine di Malta e le scienze mediche_ (Pisa, 1913);
Hans Karl von Zwehl, _Ueber die Caritas im Johanniter-Malteser Orden
seit seiner Gründung_ (Essen: Fredebeul und Koenen, 1929); Edgar
Erskine Hume, _Medieval Work of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John
of Jerusalem_ (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1940).
[6]For a description of the provincial organization of the Hospitallers
see Elizabeth Wheeler Schermerhorn, _On the Trail of the
Eight-pointed Cross_ (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1940).
[7]A. Bosio, _Les vies des Saints de l’Ordre de St. Jean de Jéruzalem_
(Paris: Baudoin, 1631); Mathieu de Goussancourt, _Martyrologe des
Chevaliers de St. Jean, dits de Malte_, 2 vols. (Paris: F. Noel,
1643).
[8]E. Rossi, _Riassunto storico del S. M. Ordine San Giovanni in
Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta_ (Rome, 1926); C. Bottarelli-M.
Monterisi, _Storia politica e militare del Sovrano Ordine di S.
Giovanni di Gerusalemme_, 2 Vols. (Milan, 1940); Giacomo C. Bascapé,
“Historic Summary of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of
Jerusalem and Malta,” in: _The Official General Roll of the Grand
Magistery_ (Milan: Ciarrocca, 1949), pp. 17-61.
[9]For this period see Edwin J. King, _The Knights Hospitallers in the
Holy Land_ (London: Methuen, 1930).
[10]Hans Prutz, “Die Anfänge der Hospitaler auf Rhodes,”
_Sitzungsbericht der Königlichen Bayerischen Akademie der
Wissenschaften_, Jg. 1908, Abh. 1.
[11]Giacomo C. Bascapé, _L’ordine Sovrano di Malta e gli Ordini Equestri
della Chiesa nella storia e nel diritto_ (Milan, 1941).
[12]Michel de Pierredon, _Histoire politique de l’Ordre Souverain des
Hospitaliers de Saint-Jean de Jéruzalem, dit de Malta, depuis la
chute de Malte jusqu’à nos jours_ (Poitiers: Imprimérie du Poiton,
1926).
[13]E. Nasalli Rocca di Corneliano, “Lineamenti dell’organizzazione
regionale e della funzione assistenziale dell’Ordine,” in: _Studi in
onore di C. Calisse_ (Milan, 1939).
[14]For an excellent survey in five languages of the division, degrees,
emblems and uniforms of the order see Rudolf Prokopowski, _Ordre
Souverain et Militaire Jéroselymitain de Malte_ (Vatican City:
Éditions “Ecclesia,” 1950).
[15]See for membership of the order: _The Official General Roll of the
Grand Magistery_ (Milan: Ciarrocca, 1949).
[16]A. Visconti, “La sovranità dell’Ordine di Malta nel diritto
italiano,” _Rivista di diritto privato_, VI (1936), 195-205.
[17]_AAS_, XXXV (1953), 765-67.
[18]_Codex juris canonici_, can. 4 and 5; can. 25-30; can. 63-79.
[19]One of the most extensive collections in the United States dealing
with the Knights of Malta is to be found in the Library of The
Catholic University of America. The collection was assembled by Mr.
Foster Stearns who in 1955 entrusted it to The Catholic University.
The Library has prepared a catalog classifying the 281 titles which
include imprints from 1480 to the present day.
[20]For the history of the Teutonic Order, see Arbogast Reiterer, O.T.,
_Das Deutsche Kreuz, Geschichte des Deutschen Ritterorders_ (Graz,
1922).
[21]E. Joachim, _Die Politik des letzten Hochmeisters in Preuszen,
Albrecht van Brandenburg_, 3 Vols. (Publikationen aus dem K.
Preuszichen Staatsarchive, 1892-1895).
[22]M. Guillamas, _De los Ordenes militares de Calatrava, Santiago,
Alcantara y Montesa_ (Madrid, 1852).
[23]An interesting account on the vows and obligations of the Spanish
Military Orders can be found in: Alonso Peñafiel y Araugo,
_Obligaciones y excellentias de los tres ordenes militares Santiago,
Calatrava y Alcantara_ (Madrid: Diego Dias de la Carrera,
1643)—Microfilm in the Library of Congress.
[24]_AAS_, XXXV (1953), 625-56.
[25]Guido A. Quarti, _I Cavalieri del Santo Sepulcro di Gerusalemme_
(Milano: Enrico Gualdoni, s.d.).
[26]Pierre Verduc, _La vie du bienheureux Théodore de Celles,
restaurateur du très-ancien ordre canonial militaire et hospitalier
de Ste-Croix_ (Périgneux, 1681), pp. 40-42; 79-101; Odoardo
Fialetti, _Degli habiti delle religioni con le armi e breve
descrizione loro_ (Venezia, 1626).
[27]_ASS_, XL (1907), 324-25.
[28]_Statuto dell Ordine Equestre del Santo Sepolcro de Gerusalemme_
(Rome: Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1950).
[29]Albert de Mauroy, _La croix de Jérusalem et son origine_ (Rome,
1914).
[30]_A.S.S._, XXXVII (1904-1905), 565-71.
[31]_Pii P.M. IX Acta_, I, 1, (Rome, 1854), 43-45.
[32]F. Guigue de Champvans de Farémont, _Histoire et législation des
ordres de chevalerie, marques d’honneur et médailles du Saint-Siège_
(Paris, 1932); M. Gorino, _Causa, titoli nobiliari e Ordini equestri
pontifici_ (Turin, 1933); S. Felice y Quadremy, _Ordenes de
Caballeria Pontificias_ (Mallorca, 1950).
[33]Cf. G. Mollat, _Les Papes d’Avignon_, 9th ed. (Paris, 1950), pp.
562-65.
[34]According to a tradition among Free Masons, a number of French
Templars went into hiding and formed a lodge of masonry.
[35]_Bullarium Romanum_, IV (Rome, 1644), 277-84.
[36]_Acta Gregorii PP., XVI_, III (Rome, 1903), 178-80.
[37]_Annuario Pontificio_ (1954), p. 998.
[38]_A.A.S._, XXXII (1940), 41.
[39]_Notificatio Cancellariae Ordinum Equestrium_ (_A.S.S._, XXXVII
[1905]), 565.
[40]_Acta Leonis XIII_, VIII (1889), 259.
Transcriber’s Notes
—Silently corrected a few typos.
—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.
—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.