The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...

, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See. The honor is bestowed upon

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

men and women (and certain notable non-Catholics) in recognition of their personal service to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

and to the Catholic Church, through their unusual labors, their support of the Holy See, and the examples they set in their communities and their countries.

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 honored 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 honor that had been conferred on them, by unswerving fidelity to God and to the sovereign Pontiff. The awarding of the Order of St. Gregory the Great presents no particular obligations on the recipients toward the Catholic Church – except for the general ones stated above.

Insignia

An eight-pointed

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...

, the insignia of the order, bears a representation of

St. Gregory Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...

on the obverse and on the reverse the motto ("For God and Ruler"). The cross is suspended from a red and gold ribbon. In

ecclesiastical heraldry Ecclesiastical heraldry refers to the use of heraldry within Christianity for dioceses, organisations and Christian clergy. Initially used to mark documents, ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people and dioceses. ...

, laymen awarded the high rank of Grand Cross can display a red and gold ribbon surrounding the shield in their personal

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in i ...

, but the recipients of the lower ranks place an appropriate ribbon below the shield. The difference between the civilian and military insignia is that the former group wears the cross hanging from a green crown of laurel, whereas the latter group wears the cross hanging from a trophy of arms.

Vestments and accoutrements

A green uniform was later prescribed by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

. 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:

Notable members

Knight/Dame Grand Cross

* Sir George Bowyer, 6th Baronet, Knight Grand Cross *

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

Sir Peter Cosgrove, 2013, Knight Grand Cross, Governor-General of Australia * João Carlos Saldanha de Oliveira Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha, Knight Grand Cross of the First Class * Rodrigo Augusto da Silva, Knight Grand Cross of the First Class * George Forbes, 7th Earl of Granard, Knight Grand Cross * Johno Johnson, 2015, Australian politician *

Frank Hanna III Frank J. Hanna III is an American entrepreneur, merchant banker and philanthropist. He was one of three entrepreneurs profiled in the Acton Institute and PBS documentary film '' The Call of the Entrepreneur''. Hanna has been described as "one ...

, American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Knight Grand Cross *

Gilbert Levine Sir Gilbert Levine, GCSG (born January 22, 1948) is an American conductor. He is considered an "outstanding personality in the world of international music television." He has led the PBS concert debuts of the Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Phi ...

, 2016, American conductor, Knight Grand Cross * Alice von Hildebrand, 2013, Dame Grand Cross *

Frederick Blakeney Frederick Joseph Blakeney (2 July 191316 June 1990) was an Australian public servant and diplomat. Blakeney joined the Commonwealth Public Service in the Department of External Affairs in 1946. His first post as head of mission at an overseas ...

, 1964, Australian diplomat, Knight Grand Cross * Charles von Hügel, 1852, Knight Grand Cross * Count Christopher de Paus (1930)''

Acta Apostolicae Sedis ''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'' ( Latin for "Acts of the Apostolic See"), often cited as ''AAS'', is the official gazette of the Holy See, appearing about twelve times a year.Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ...

'' 22 (1930) * Duke Carl Ludvig Fouché d'Otrante (1930) *

Dina Kawar Dina Kawar ( ar, دينا قعوار) is a Jordanian diplomat who since June 2016 has served as Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United States. Ambassador Kawar also served as the Permanent Representative of Jordan to the Unite ...

, previous ambassador of Jordan to France * Count

Charles Woeste Charles, Count Woeste (26 February 1837 – 5 April 1922), was a Belgian Roman Catholic politician of German descent. He was born in Brussels, the son of Edouard Woeste, who was of Prussian descent who became a naturalized Belgian on 15 January ...

* Count

Hippolyte d'Ursel Count Marie Hippolyte Adrien Ludovic d'Ursel (Brussels, 17 November 1850 – 9 December 1937) was a Belgium, Belgian politician and historian. Family A cadet (genealogy), cadet member of the Ursel family, he was a grandson of Charles-Joseph, 4th ...

* Count

Léo d'Ursel Léon (Léo) Leopold Marie count d'Ursel Bruxelles, (7 August 1867 - Bettignies, France – 26 June 1934) was a Belgian diplomat. Family He was the youngest son of Léon, the 5th duke of Ursel and his wife Madelein d'Harcourt. In Paris he mar ...

, ambassador * Baron Henry Delvaux de Fenffe, 1921, Governor of Liège *

J. L. P. Roche Victoria Chevalier John Ladislaus Pitchaiya Roche Victoria (b. 26 September 1894 - d. 15 October 1962) was an Indian politician from Tuticorin belonging to the Indian National Congress. He was from a wealthy and eminent Paravar family and was also a bus ...

, 1952, Indian politician

Knight/Dame Commander with Star

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...

, 1998, American entertainer (convert to Catholicism) *

Francis Martin O'Donnell Francis Martin O'Donnell, GCMM, GCEG, KC*SG, KM, KCHS, KCMCO, (born in 1954), an Irish citizen, has served abroad as an international diplomat in senior representative positions with the United Nations until retirement, and later with the S ...

, 2007, Ambassador and Knight of Malta, previously in UN service for 32 years * G. K. Chesterton, 1934, English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic (convert to Catholicism) *

Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis Gloria of Thurn and Taxis (''Mariae Gloria Ferdinanda Joachima Josephine Wilhelmine Huberta''; born Countess Gloria von Schönburg-Glauchau, 23 February 1960) is a German socialite, businesswoman, Catholic activist, and artist. Through her marria ...

, 2008, Dame Commander with Star * Albert Gubay, 2011, founder of Kwik Save supermarket chain and Total Fitness

Knight Commander and Dame Commander

Ignazio Jacometti Ignazio Jacometti (16 January 1819 in Rome – 22 April 1883 in Rome) was an Italian sculptor. He was a professor of sculpture at the Accademia di San Luca. Biography He was born the third of five children to Antonio and Anna Maria Lang. His fami ...

, sculptor, appointed by

. * Charles Poletti, 1945, Governor of New York, Army officer in charge of post World War II civil affairs in Italy *

Maurice Gerard Moynihan Maurice Gerard Moynihan, (14 December 1902 – 21 August 1999) was an Irish economist and civil servant who served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland from 1960 to 1969. He was also a co-drafter of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, S ...

, 1959, Secretary of the Government of the

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and Governor of the

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* John J. Raskob, American financial executive and businessman (DuPont, General Motors); financed the building of the

Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from " Empire State", the nickname of the ...

* Paul Salamunovich, 1969, American choral conductor and expert on

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe dur ...

. *

Roger Wagner Roger Wagner, KCSG (January 16, 1914 – September 17, 1992) was an American choral musician, administrator and educator. He founded the Roger Wagner Chorale, which became one of America's premier vocal ensembles. Early life Wagner was born in ...

, by

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, American choral conductor *

Saunders Lewis Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis) (15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist, supporter of Welsh independence and was a co-found ...

, 1975, Welsh nationalist politician, founder of Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru and prominent figure in Welsh-language literature (convert to Catholicism) * Sir

Jimmy Savile Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile (; 31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English DJ, television and radio personality who hosted BBC shows including ''Top of the Pops'' and '' Jim'll Fix It''. During his lifetime, he was well kno ...

OBE, 1990, English

radio DJ A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...

and television presenter-broadcaster (In 2012, after Savile's death, an annulment of the honour was requested by the

Archbishop of Westminster The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the metropolitan of the Province of Westminster, chief metropolitan of England and Wales and, as a matter of custom, is elected presid ...

. This was declined on the basis that the life honour died with the individual.) *

Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was ...

, 1990, Brazilian modernist architect * Nikkyō Niwano, 1992, Japanese Buddhist practitioner who founded and the Buddhist organization Risshō Kōsei Kai. * Roy E. Disney, 1998 *

Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...

, 1998, Australian-American publisher and media entrepreneur * Mordecai Waxman, 1998, Rabbi (

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generati ...

) *

James O'Donnell (organist) James Anthony O'Donnell (born 15 August 1961) is a British organist, choral conductor and academic teacher. He was master of music at Westminster Cathedral in London from 1988 to 2000 and made recordings with the cathedral choir; their record ...

, 1999, organist and Master of the Choristers,

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

* Hendrik Samuel Houthakker, 2003, Knight Commander with Silver Star, Member of Nixon's

Council of Economic Advisers The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is a United States agency within the Executive Office of the President established in 1946, which advises the President of the United States on economic policy. The CEA provides much of the empirical rese ...

, husband of

Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka (February 28, 1923 – June 7, 2014) was a Polish philosopher, phenomenologist, founder and president of The World Phenomenology Institute, and editor (from its inception in the late 1960s) of the book series, ''Analecta ...

. * Carlo Emanuele Ruspoli, 3rd Duke of Morignano, 2004 *

John Hume John Hume (18 January 19373 August 2020) was an Irish nationalist politician from Northern Ireland, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the recent political history of Ireland, as one of the architects of the Northern Ire ...

, 2012, Northern Irish politician and co-recipient of the 1998

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolo ...

* Sir

Patrick Duffy Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'', where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie, and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (pla ...

, 2017, British politician *

Lilianne Ploumen Elisabeth Maria Josepha "Lilianne" Ploumen (; born 12 July 1962) is a Dutch politician and activist who served as Leader of the Labour Party from January 2021 until April 2022. She had been a member of the House of Representatives since 2017, a ...

, 2017, Dutch politician

Knight/Dame

* Walter Annenberg, who created ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

'' *

Thomas Bodkin Professor Thomas Patrick Bodkin (21 July 1887 – 24 April 1961) was an Irish lawyer, art historian, art collector and curator. Bodkin was Director of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin from 1927 to 1935 and founding Director of the ...

, lawyer, art historian, art collector and curatorUnlabelled press clipping of contemporary obituary, in Royal Birmingham Society of Artists archives * Joanna Bogle, 2013, British Roman Catholic writer and broadcaster *

Phyllis Bowman Phyllis Joyce Bowman, Order of St. Gregory the Great, DSG (14 March 1926 – 7 May 2012) was a British journalist and anti-abortion, anti-euthanasia (pro-life) campaigner. Early life and career Bowman was born on 14 March 1926 in Bournemouth, ...

, 1996, British journalist and pro-life campaigner *

Henry Cooper Sir Henry Cooper (3 May 19341 May 2011) was a British heavyweight boxer, best remembered internationally for a 1963 fight in which he knocked down a young Cassius Clay before the fight was stopped because of a cut eye from Clay's punches. C ...

, 1978, champion heavyweight boxer (convert to Catholicism) *

John A. Creighton John Andrew Creighton (October 15, 1831 – February 7, 1907) was a pioneer businessman and philanthropist in Omaha, Nebraska who founded Creighton University. The younger brother of Edward Creighton, John was responsible for a variety of instituti ...

, 1898, businessman and philanthropist in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...

John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, (12 September 1847 – 9 October 1900) was a landed aristocrat, industrial magnate, antiquarian, scholar, philanthropist, and architectural patron. Succeeding to the marquisate at the age ...

* Ralph Downes, 1970, English organist, organist of the

London Oratory The London Oratory ("the Congregation of the Oratory of St Philip Neri in London") is a Catholic community of priests living under the rule of life established by its founder, Philip Neri (1515-1595). It is housed in an Oratory House, next to ...

, organ teacher and organ designer (including organ of the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I li ...

London) *

Jude Patrick Dougherty Jude Patrick Dougherty (July 21, 1930 – March 6, 2021) was an American philosopher, Dean Emeritus of the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, and Editor-in-Chief for 44 years of '' The Review of Metaphysics''. Personal ...

, 1999, American philosopher, Dean Emeritus of the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America * Bambang Soegeng, Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army * Emanuele Luigi Galizia, Maltese architect and civil engineer
Sofele Kakala
1986, renowned Polynesian composer of secular and liturgical music *

Joe Gladwin Joseph Gladwin (22 January 1906 – 11 March 1987) was an English actor, best known for his roles as Fred Jackson in Coronation Street, Stan Hardman in Nearest and Dearest, and Wally Batty in the world's longest-running sitcom, ''Last of the ...

, British actor and comedian * Sheilagh Kesting, 2016, former Moderator of the General Assembly of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

and former Ecumenical Officer of the Church of Scotland * Ilyas Khan, British businessman and philanthropist, Chairman of Leonard Cheshire Disability * George Malcolm, English choral conductor, harpsichordist and organist; former Master of the Music,

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The site on which the cathedral stands in the City o ...

Colin Mawby Colin Mawby KSG (9 May 1936 – 24 November 2019) was an English organist, choral conductor and composer. From 1961 he was Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, then from 1981 he was the choral director at Radio Telefís Éireann. He comp ...

, 2006, English choral conductor and composer former Master of the Music,

* John A. McCone, 1955, US Industrialist, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and former head of the Atomic Energy Commission *

George Menachery George Menachery is a professor, anthropologist, indologist, and historian of Syro-Malabar Church and of Kerala. He is the editor of the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India and the Indian Church History Classics.On 27 Oct. '22 he was besto ...

, 2008, Editor of the St Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India and Director of the SARAS, philanthropist *

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, former Deputy Supreme Knight of the

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* Patrick Millen, 1991, New Zealand public servant *

Ricardo Montalbán Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG (; ; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became known for performances in a var ...

, 1998, Mexican actor * Paul Victor Obeng, 2009, Ghanaian mechanical engineer and statesman * Isabel Piczek, 1998, artist *

Joseph Ryelandt Joseph Ryelandt (7 April 1870 – 29 June 1965) was a Belgian classical composer. He is known for sacred vocal music, including several oratorios and masses. His oeuvre catalog, which lists 133 opus numbers, includes symphonies, masses, an opera, ...

, Belgian composer *

Jovan Sundečić Jovan Sundečić ( Serbian Cyrillic: Јован Сундечић; 24 June 1825 – 19 July 1900) was a Serbian poet, priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church and a secretary to Prince Nikola I of Montenegro. He is most famous for writing lyric ...

, 1886,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

n Orthodox priest and Montenegrin official *

Ann Widdecombe Ann Noreen Widdecombe (born 4 October 1947) is a British politician, author and television personality. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone and The Weald, and the former Maidstone constituency, from 1987 to 2010 and Member of the ...

, 2013, British politician * Michael Williams, 2001, English actor

Citations

General and cited references

External links

Association of Papal Orders in Great BritainPhotograph
article from ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

'', 25 Jun 1928, reporting an award of the Order of St. Gregory the Great {{Orders of Italian States before unification 1831 establishments in the Papal States Awards established in 1831