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Papal
Orders
Servants
of Christ
and
Temporal
Defenders
of
Faith |
The
orders of chivalry granted by the Vatican to both Catholic and
non-Catholics include the Order of St. Sylvester, the Order of St.
Gregory the Great (Military and Civil Divisions), and the Order of
St. Pius IX. These orders are granted as a personal gift of the Pope,
through the Secretariat of State. His Holiness is the supreme
authority of all Papal orders.
Nominations
are made in one of several fashions, including nomination of a
candidate through a local Ordinary, nomination by another Prelate, or
direct act of the Holy Father himself.
The
gift of a Papal knighthood is not an end, but rather an obligation
to continued service through the vocation of knight. Membership
in these orders is for life. The Papal Orders comprise the Papal
Army, though today this role is more honorary and ceremonial. The
knights have the responsibility of protecting the physical person of
the Holy Father when necessary, and may be called upon to serve as an
honor guard for His Holiness or other bishops around the world.
Papal
knights serve as a visible reminder of the Church temporal and have
the duty to help preserve the temporal framework in which the Church
spiritual can thrive. They are to serve as role models to their
communities and parishes, and in this capacity encourage continued
loyalty to the local Ordinary and to the Holy Father.
Each
order has its own distinctive insignia and uniform according to the
rank of the member. The Supreme Order of Christ and the Order of the
Golden Spur come only in one rank, while the others come in ranks of
Knight Grand Cross (the highest), Knight Grand Officer, Knight
Commander, and Knight. The insignia and/or uniform may be worn at
special Church functions and at social functions.
Though
the role of those holding Papal Decorations has changed over the
years, those who are Papal Knights and Nobles still have an important
role to play in Church and society today. They are the temporal
defenders of the faith.
IN
MEMORIAM IOANNIS
PAVLI
II P.M.
Christian
Orders of Chivalry
In
addition to the orders of the Vatican, there exist many Christian
orders of chivalry. These are, in some cases, independent entities.
In most cases, though, they are granted by an Imperial or Royal
House, reigning or formerly reigning. These comprise the great
knightly orders of Europe.
There
also exist religious confraternities, which are covered under the
Religious Orders section, but which often have a chivalric nature or
history to them.
Christian
knights have the further responsibility of maintaining the temporal
framework for the Church, just as the members of the Papal orders.
They are to be role models and leaders in their nations, communities,
and parishes.
Religious
Orders
Religious
orders are orders for professed religious, e.g., monks, nuns,
sisters, friars. Some well-known examples of these orders are the
Franciscans, the Benedictines, and the Marians. Members of these
orders serve in a spiritual capacity rather than a temporal one.
While some orders cloister their members, some also function in the
community, serving the poor, etc.
There
are also a number of religious confraternities and
archconfraternities. These are Catholic orders with varying degrees
of independence and varying purposes. Most seem to maintain charity
as one of their principle goals. Members are generally called
Confrères (gentlemen) or Consoeurs (ladies). The
confraternities may gen-erally be identified by their habit, which
typically includes a distinctive mozzetta. The mozzetta is the
shoulder cape also worn by Bishops and Cardinals. The mozzetta of a
confraternity is in a color and often has a cross distinctive to that
confraternity. It is worn over a cassock or similar garment.
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