Updated: 31 March, 2008

Vatican

• The Papal Orders   Guy Stair Sainty

• Orders, Decorations and Medals of the Vatican Megan Robertson

   
• Pontifical Decorations The Catholic Encyclopedia

• The Order of Pius (Ordo Pianus, or Ordine Piano) was instituted on 17th June 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The Order is named after Pope Pius IV who in 1559 instituted an older "Ordo Pianus" which only existed for a few years. The Order was re-organised on 7th February 1905 by Pope Pius X. Its present construction dates from 25th December 1957, and is the work of Pope Pius XII. The Order may be conferred as a reward for personal services to the Pope and the Papacy. The Order has four classes, with the 3rd class being divided into two degrees. The ribbon of the Order is blue with two red border stripes. (Ref: Orders, Medals and Decorations of Britain and Europe by Paul Hieronymussen)

• Pope gives honour to Galway-born Nun (Cross for Church and Pontiff' awarded to Sister Sarah Clarke) (Dec 01)

• Papal honour for former sex slave A woman forced to become a sex slave for the Japanese military during World War II has become the first Australian to receive the second highest Papal honour. South Australian Jan Ruff-O'Herne was presented with the Papal honour of Dame Commander of the Order of St Sylvester at a benediction service in Adelaide's St Francis Xavier's Cathedral. (Dec 02)

• Médailles du Vatican In French - Military-photos.com Dec 03

• Medals of the Vatican Sydney B. Vernon

• Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Holy See Antiques A to Z

• Local man receives papal medal Marian Bojsiuk has been awarded the Benemerenti medal from Pope John Paul II. The papal honor is given to those who have shown exemplary service to their church, family and community. Bojsiuk earned the medal after more than a decade of service to St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church, where he has volunteered hundreds of hours completing church repairs and upgrades. sun-herald.com 01 Jan 04

• Pope's award honours devoted parish worker A Whitley mother-of-three who is the "loving and guiding hand" of her parish has been awarded the highest honour made to a lay member of the Catholic church. Teresa Poole was presented with the Bene Merenti medal on the personal authority of Pope John Paul in recognition of her hard work in the Whitley parish of Christ the King. icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk 20 Jan 05

• Papal honour for Swinford woman Mrs Margaret (Peggy) Bishop, a parishoner of Our Lady of Gillingham RC Church in Ingram Road, Gillingham, Kent, was presented with a Benemerenti medal which was sent by the Pope for her long and devoted service. The honour, which translates as ‘Well Deserving’ is awarded by the Pope to show the Church’s official appreciation. westernpeople.ie 23 Mar 05

• Couple among last to receive Medal from Pope John and Veronica Burden received the Bene Merenti Medal. nwemail.co.uk 2 Apr 05

• Pope honours Maguire Seven gran A great-grandmother wrongly imprisoned for nine years following two IRA bomb attacks has received a papal honour. Anne Maguire was alleged to have passed nitro-glycerine to the IRA in the seventies to make bombs. The Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor presented the Bene Merenti medal. It was bestowed on Mrs Maguire by Pope John Paul II three days before he died. Mrs Maguire was jailed in 1976 - two years after the Guildford and Woolwich bombs - with five members of her family and a family friend, including her husband Patrick, and two sons Vincent and Patrick. news.bbc.co.uk 21 May 05

• Man gets one of Pope's last honours Tony Walmsley has been awarded the Benemerenti Medal by the Vatican for 50 years of service to his parish. The medal was one of the last to be approved by the late Pope John Paul II. lynnews.co.uk 3 Jun 05

• Catholics Honor Local Rabbi Rabbi Walter Jacob, of Rodef Shalom in Shadyside, is being honored for his impact in Jewish-Catholic relations. He will be invested in the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. Jacob was named to the knighthood by the late Pope John Paul II. He will be one of only four living Jews in the world to receive the honor. wpxi.com 17 Jun 05

• Pope bestows honors to Valley priests, sisters Rev. Herman J. Defler of the Missionaries of the Holy Family, Rev. Pasquale Lanse of Oblate of Mary Immaculate, Sister Mary Lelia Aguilar, a sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament and Sister Julianna García, a missionary of Jesus, were honored Monday with the Pontifice Cross. The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross is a papal honor created in 1888 and bestowed as a mark of honor for service to the church. It is one of the highest honors the pope can grant to an individual, according to the diocese. brownsvilleherald.com 1 Nov 05

• Sister to Receive Honor From Pope Marist Sister Constance Dodd, director of the Catholic Neighborhood Center in Wheeling WV, has been named a recipient of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal by Pope Benedict XVI in recognition of her dedication to the care of the poor in Wheeling. The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice is presented on behalf of the Catholic Church and the Papacy and is the highest award that a non-cleric can receive, according to Colleen Rowan of The Catholic Spirit. This medal has not been bestowed to anyone in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston for more than 25 years. news-register.net 4 Nov 05

• Papal Honour for O'Donoghue Aboriginal leader Lowitja O'Donoghue is among seven South Australians recognised by the Pope for their service and commitment to the Catholic Church. Dr O'Donoghue has been made a Dame of the order of St Gregory the Great for her distinguished leadership of the Aboriginal community and her compassion for the vulnerable in society. sbs.com.au 28 Nov 05

• Pope honours couple’s fifty years of fostering A couple who have fostered more than 80 children in 50 years have been honoured by the Pope. Pat and George Dale, from Eccles, received the Bene Merenti Award from Pope Benedict XVI – similar to an OBE – for their services to children. salfordadvertiser.co.uk 13 Apr 06

• SB priest receives a medal from pope For 30 years, the Rev. Michael Manning has lent his ear to those in pain, offering words of hope through Jesus Christ. Manning, 65, who has broadcast a Catholic-television ministry worldwide since 1979, was honored by the pope and his peers for his compassion and Christian witness. In a prayer ceremony at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino, Manning was presented with a medal, the Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice Cross, which means "for the Church and the Holy Father." Gerald Barnes, bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, requested the award for meritorious service from Pope Benedict XVI for his years of ministry in the Catholic Church. sbsun.com 20 May 06

• City nun gets medal from the Pope for life's work A nun who has dedicated more than 50 years of her life to a church in Edinburg has received a special medal from the Pope. Sister Patricia Fallon, 86, was awarded the Bene Merenti medal by Cardinal Keith O'Brien at St Patrick's Church in the Cowgate, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary. The Daughter of Charity nun has been practising in the city for more than 57 years, offering hospitality at the sisters' student hostel in George Square, visiting patients in hospital, and caring for the poor and elderly. edinburghnews.scotsman.com 28 Oct 06

• Papal medal recipient's delight A woman has been awarded a prestigious medal for her hard work within the Catholic church. The pro ecclesia et pontifice medal (for the church and for the Pope) is awarded to non-clergy church members. Sue Roberts, 53, of Pwllheli, Gwynedd, said she was surprised and delighted to receive the accolade. The bishop of Wrexham, the Right Reverend Edwin Regan, said she had been recognised for her outstanding work throughout Wales. news.bbc.co.uk 30 Jan 07
• Jean's medal from the Pope A pensioner from Northampton England has been awarded a medal from the Pope, to recognize her work with the deaf people in the Roman Catholic Church. Jean Lillis, of Muscott Lane, Duston, has worked with the deaf community around Duston since she was asked to help bring deaf people into the church 22 years ago.For much of that time she has translated services at her local church, St Patrick's Presbytery, in Peveril Road, and communicated for people on sensitive hospital visits and offered assistance to any deaf person.The 74-year-old has now been recognised for her work after Father Phillip Swingler and two other parishioners independently nominated her for the Papal Benemerenti medal. northamptonchro.co.uk 19 Mar 07

• Christmas medal for faithful worker Long serving Australian Catholic Bishops Conference employee, Elisabeth Cowie, has been recognised for her dedication to Australia's clergy with the award of a Papal Medal. Ms Cowie received the "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" Papal Medal to mark her contribution over the past 25 years. Chairman of the Bishops Commission for Church Ministry, Bishop Michael Malone, presented Ms Cowie with her medal, saying that as secretary and office manager to each of those bodies, she had applied her undoubted skills and talents in an exemplary and professional manner. "Elisabeth has cared for the well-being of literally hundreds of priests, bishops and deacons with a great warmth and affection over those years and I know that she is held in the highest esteem by all of those with whom she has had contact," Bishop Malone said. Ms Cowie worked at the St Peter Centre in Canberra from May 1981, the Ministry to Priests Program from 1985, and the National Commission for Clergy Life and Ministry from 1993. cathnews.com 20 Dec 06

• High honour humbly accepted New Zealander Elizabeth Hewson was the humble recipient of the Benemerenti medal for services to the Catholic Church which was presented to her by Bishop Barry Jones of Christchurch. Temuka-Geraldine Parish Priest Brian Fennessy said Pope Benedict XVI awarded the Honour to Mrs Hewson in recognition of her exceptional witness and service to the Parish. "Her Christian witness and service are manifestations of the inherent faith and generosity of the greater Faith Community." Mrs Hewson had played the organ for the church over a period of 50 years, had served on the parish council, organised religious education classes and had given a great deal of hospitality to parish members. The Benemerenti Medal was instituted by Pope Gregory XVI in 1832 to recognise the work of Catholics in the life of the the Church and in Service of their Community. stuff.co.nz 17 May 07

• Pope honours former Southland teacher with knighthood A former Southland teacher Tony Hanning, 68, has been entered as a knight into the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict 16.  The church has honoured only 300 lay persons throughout the world in this way. Another former Southlander, Bishop Colin Campbell presented the knighthood citation in St Joseph's cathedral, Dunedin. Bishop Campbell said the knighthood was a very significant honour that recognised Mr Hanning's contribution to the Dunedin Catholic Education Office as director since 1981. Before then, he served as a teacher and school principal in Southland and Otago for 20 years and was a member of the New Zealand Catholic Education Council. The knighthood acknowledges outstanding service in the church and in the wider community. He played a significant role in the integration of Catholic schools into the state system and rated that activity a highlight in his career. stuff.co.nz 25 Jun 07
• Mangalore: Clarence Pais, Msgr Edwin Pinto Receive Honour from Pope Monsignor Edwin Pinto, founder of Mount Rosary Charitable Institutions, currently residing at Alangar near Moodbidri and Clarence Pais, well known lawyer in the city, have been honoured by Pope Benedict XVI. Clarence Pais has been selected for the ‘Knight of St Gregory,’ which will be the highest honour accorded by Holy See to a laity. Monsignor Denis Moras Prabhu stated that nearly after 50 years, a laity of Mangalore diocese has been endowed with such a prestigious honour from Pope. Clarence Pais fought for the removal of ‘Probate Act’, which proved an obstacle for the Christians to transfer their properties to the successors. The honour has been conferred in recognition of his crusade against abolition of said Act by Clarence Pais, Monsignor Prabhu added. Monsignor Edwin Pinto is the founder of Mount Rosary Charitable Institutions at Alangar, near Mudbidri. He is also the founder of Pious Association of Sisters, Helpers of Mount Rosary which came into existence in the year of 1990. It’s nearly after 40 years a priest of Mangalore diocese is getting such an honour, ‘Chaplain to the Holy Father’ by Pope Benedict XVI. daijiworld.com 6 Jan 08
• Pontifical Medal for Alwaleed Foundation Leila El Solh, vice chairman of Alwaleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Beirut, was awarded the Pontifical Medal by Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, according to a press release. The medal was in recognition of the achievements and efforts made by the foundation, chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, to encourage tolerance between different religious faiths and social groups in Lebanon and promote religious dialogue. Moreover, the medal acknowledged the foundation’s philanthropic activities and support to those in need regardless of their background and creed. Leila said that the foundation serves as the address for every Lebanese citizen committed to his land, roots, and devoted to his country, free of religious or regional affiliations. The foundation was set up on July 19, 2003, and its headquarters overlooks Riad El Solh Square. In a very short time, the foundation has managed to reach many of the areas in Lebanon in need of humanitarian support for development projects and to fight poverty. The foundation has become a pillar of support for educational, health and social organizations throughout Lebanon, and has built an advanced network with other sectors and public entities in the country. Leila was the first woman in Lebanese history to hold a Cabinet position when she was appointed minister of industry in 2004. She is the youngest daughter of the late Prime Minister Riad El Solh. arabnews.com 15 Mar 08

• Anita Finie Receives High Papal Honor for Service Anita Finie, prodigious volunteer in the service of the elderly and children, received the Papal Honor of Dame Commander of St. Gregory the Great in a service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in early March. The honor, bestowed by Pope Benedict XVI, was given by Cardinal Roger Mahony in recognition of Finie's service in the parish, the archdiocese and the civic community. In 1994, ten women in the Los Angeles Archdiocese were received into the Order as Dames of Saint Gregory, the first women in the world to be so honored. Finie is a volunteer par excellence who claims memberships in four parishes, including Corpus Christi, St. Monica, where she serves on the baptismal committee; Our Lady of the Bright Mount Polish Church, where she was married; and the Cathedral. At Corpus, she coordinates the visitation ministry to three area convalescent hospitals. On Sunday, Finie and her committee of five parish volunteers take Communion to hospital residents. palisadepost.com 19 Mar 08