Insignia of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great

The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.

It is one of the five pontifical orders of knighthood in the Catholic Church. The order is bestowed on Catholic men and women (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 has four classes in civil and military divisions:

• Knight / Dame Grand Cross of the First Class (GCSG / DCSG)
• Knight / Dame Commander with Star (KC*SG / DC*SG)
• Knight / Dame Commander (KCSG / DCSG)
• Knight / Dame (KSG / DSG)

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

[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" (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.^[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] Privileges

Members of the order have no privileges, except the right of riding on a horse inside the Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, a right that has not been exercised for a very long time.

[edit] Notable members

• Walter Annenberg, created TV Guide^[3]
• Sir George Bowyer, 6th Baronet, Knight Grand Cross.^[4]
• Patrick Burns, 1914, Canadian rancher, meat magnate, and senator
• Matt Busby, manager of Manchester United
• Charles, Count of Limburg Stirum, Knight Grand Cross.
• John A. Creighton, 1898, businessman and philanthropist in Omaha.^[5]
• John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute^[6]
• Leo Crowley, 1929 director FDIC
• Rodrigo Augusto da Silva, Knight Grand Cross of the First Class - Brazilian Senator, Minister and author of the Golden Law of 1888.
• Roy E. Disney, 1998^[7]
• George Forbes, 7th Earl of Granard, Knight Grand Cross.^[8]
• Hector P. Garcia, Mexican-American Civil Rights Leader
• Bob Hope, 1998, convert to Catholicism ^[9]
• Myles Keogh, 1861 Professional Soldier served in Papal War, American Civil War and Plains Indian Wars
• Leon Klenicki, 2007, rabbi who advocated interfaith relations
• Kenneth Langone, investment banker, co-founder of The Home Depot
• Gilbert Levine, 1994, American conductor
• Ricardo Montalbán,^[10] 1998, actor
• Maurice Gerard Moynihan, 1959, Secretary of the Government of the Irish Free State and Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland
• Rupert Murdoch, 1998^[11]
• Francis Martin O'Donnell, 2007, retired former UN representative, Ambassador and Knight of Malta
• Frank Patterson, 1984, noted Irish tenor.
• John J. Raskob, financial executive and businessman (DuPont, General Motors); built the Empire State Building
• Paul Salamunovich, 1969, American choral conductor and expert on Gregorian chant
• Jimmy Savile, 1990, English Radio DJ and Broadcaster.
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 2006, American, founder of the Special Olympics
• Thomas Stonor, 7th Lord Camoys, 2006, Knight Grand Cross, First Roman Catholic Lord Chamberlain since the English Reformation
• Charles von Hügel, Knight Grand Cross ^[12]
• Roger Wagner, American choral conductor
• Mordecai Waxman, 1998, Prominent rabbi in the Conservative movement

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain
• Photograph
• Catholic Knighthood article from Time Magazine, Jun. 25, 1928, reporting an award of the Order of St. Gregory the Great