Item number: M57

Year: AD 1831-2024 (Present)

Material: Gold and Enamel

Size: Order 11.51 x 11.51 / Ribbon 35.63 x 6.55 mm

Weight: 1.4 g

Provenance: La Galerie Numismatique 2023

The Order of St. Gregory the Great is an honorary knighthood within the Catholic Church, established in AD 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI. The aim of this knighthood is to acknowledge the exceptional contributions of Catholics in both the Church and society. Since AD 1994, the honor has been extended to include women, and since 1998, non-Catholics have also been eligible for this recognition. The establishment of this order serves to incentivize individuals to continue making noteworthy contributions to matters of faith and charitable endeavors within the Catholic Church and beyond.

The motivation behind the establishment of the Order of St. Gregory the Great stemmed from Pope Gregory XVI’s profound understanding of the role of the Catholic Church in contemporary society. Believing that by recognizing individuals who made outstanding contributions to faith, society, and the Church, more people could be inspired to engage in the work of the Catholic Church. Therefore, in AD 1831, he established this knighthood to award active participation of Catholics in various fields. The name of the Order, “St. Gregory the Great,” pays homage to Pope St. Gregory I, reflecting a connection to a revered figure in the history of the Catholic Church.

Initially, the Order of St. Gregory the Great had four classes: Knight Grand Cross (First Class), Knight Grand Cross (Second Class), Commander, and Knight. In AD 1905, Pope Pius X initiated reforms across all pontifical orders, leading to a reorganization of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. The classes were subsequently reassigned, and this classification system continues in use to the present day.

The nomination process involves recommendations from bishops, archbishops, or ambassadors, with the Bishop presenting candidates through the Papal Nuncio to the Secretary of State in Rome. Upon approval, the Papal Secretary of State issues the Latin diploma, and a symbolic fee, often paid by the recipient or a representative, supports associated costs.

This medal of the Order of St. Gregory the Great features a Maltese cross made of red enamel. Each point of the cross has a gold sphere at its top, and the central medallion is deep blue in color. On the front side of the medallion is a golden portrait of Pope St. Gregory, with a golden dove to the left of the portrait.

The legend on the obverse inscribed with “ST·GREGORIUS·MAGNUS.” The reverse side of the medallion is inscribed with the Latin motto of the order, “Pro Deo et Principe” (For God and Ruler), surrounded by the legend”Gregorius XVI P.M ANNO I,” signifying the first year of Pope Gregory XVI’s pontificate.

The ribbon of the order is in red with wide yellow stripe on both side. The ribbon’s width for the shown medal above is 6.55 mm, and excluding the order’s body, the length of the ribbon is 35.63 mm.

During the reforms initiated by Pope Pius X, the Order of St. Gregory the Great was divided into two categories: civil and military. The distinction of the two lies in the decoration between the ribbon and the medal. For the civil version, a laurel wreath is added. In contrast, the military version features armor and various weapons as decoration.

Pope Gregory XVI, originally named Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, served as the leader of the Catholic Church and the sovereign of the Papal States. His pontificate began in AD 1831 and continued until his death in AD 1846, spanning approximately 15 years. Gregory XVI is noted as a conservative pope in the history of the Catholic Church. During his tenure, he dedicated himself to upholding traditional values, opposing modern ideologies, and resisting liberal movements. Emphasizing the religious authority of the Church, he maintained a conservative stance in the face of societal changes and the rise of modernist ideas during that period.

This is a miniature version likely crafted by private artisans. During that era, many recipients would commission local jewelers to create scaled-down or miniature versions of the insignia for easier portability or as substitutes when official replacements were needed.

物件編號: M57

年代: 公元 1831-2024 年 (迄今)

材質: 金, 琺瑯

尺寸: 勳章 11.51 x 11.51 / 勳帶 35.63 x 6.55 mm

重量: 1.4 g

來源: 貨幣畫廊 2023

聖大葛利果教宗騎士團勳章（Order of St. Gregory the Great）是天主教會中的一個榮譽騎士團，成立於公元1831年，其創立者為教宗葛利果十六世（Pope Gregory XVI）。這個騎士團的成立旨在表彰在教會和社會中表現出色的天主教徒(公元1994年起，女性也可獲得此項榮譽，公元1998年，此勳章開始獲准向非天主教徒頒授)，並鼓勵他們繼續為信仰和慈善事業做出貢獻。 

聖大葛利果教宗騎士團勳章的成立動機源於葛利果十六世對天主教會在現代社會中的角色的深刻認識。他認為，藉由表揚那些對信仰、社會和教會事業作出卓越貢獻的個人，可以激勵更多人參與天主教會的事工。因此，他在公元1831年創立了這個勳章，以鼓勵天主教徒在各個領域中發揮積極作用，騎士團勳章名稱來自於大教宗聖葛利果一世 。 

騎士團創立之初分為四個等級: 大十字騎士（第一級）、大十字騎士（第二級）、騎士指揮官和騎士，公元1905年教宗聖庇護十世改革了所有的教宗騎士團，聖大葛利果教宗騎士團騎士團的等級也被重新劃分，並沿用至今: 

授予聖大葛利果教宗騎士團勳章通常根據教區主教、大主教或大使的推薦進行，以表彰特殊功績或服務。程序包括主教透過宗座大使提名候選人，轉交給羅馬樞機國務卿審批。頒發文憑通常由梵蒂岡國務卿代表羅馬教皇簽署，涉及支付象徵性的“稅”以支持教會事工，支付者可以是接收者或代表他的人。 

此勳章的外觀以紅色琺瑯製成的馬爾他十字做為主體，十字架的每個尖角頂部有一個金色小球，中央圓盤的部分以深藍色琺瑯為底，正面刻有聖葛利果的金色肖像，並且肖像左方刻有一隻金色鴿子，金色的外圈刻有銘文「 ST·GREGORIUS·MAGNUS 」，背面圓盤的文字為拉丁文，也是該騎士團的訓言「Pro Deo et Principe」（為了聖神和統治者），外圈銘文則為「Gregorius XVI P.M ANNO I」。 

此勳章的勳帶設計以紅色為底，左右兩側帶有粗的黃邊，此枚勳章的勳帶寬度為6.55 mm，除去勳章章體，勳帶的長度則為35.63 mm。

教宗聖庇護十世在改革時也將此勳章分為民事和軍事兩類，兩者勳章的差異處在於前者的勳章上方與緞帶連接處會接著一個月桂葉環裝飾，若為軍事版本則會是盔甲及許多武器作為裝飾。 

教宗葛利果十六世，原名巴爾多祿茂·亞爾伯·卡佩拉里，是天主教會的領袖，也是教皇國的統治者，公元1831年即位後，一直到公元1846年逝世，結束了約15年左右的統治。他是天主教會歷史上的一位保守主義教宗，任職期間，他致力於維護教會的傳統價值觀，反對現代思潮和自由主義。葛利果十六世強調教會的宗教威嚴，採取保守的立場，對抗當時的社會變革和現代主義觀念。 

此枚勳章屬於迷你版，即民間工匠自製的非官方勳章。在當時，許多受勳者會委託民間的珠寶匠製作縮小或迷你版的勳章以便攜帶，或是作為官方版勳章修補時的替代品。