Item number: M520

Year: AD 1831-2025

Material: Gold, Silver, Enamel and Gemstone

Size: 55.6 x 11.6 x 3.0 mm

Weight: 3.15 g

Provenance: La Galerie Numismatique 2025

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 for the institution of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great stemmed from Gregory XVI’s profound awareness of the role of the Catholic Church within modern society. He believed that by honoring individuals who had rendered distinguished contributions to the faith, society, and the undertakings of the Church, a greater number of people could be inspired to engage in the work of the Catholic Church. Simultaneously, amid the French July Revolution of AD 1830, Italy subsequently became embroiled in a wave of revolution. Gregory XVI was in urgent need of rewarding the Austrians and Italians who had assisted him in establishing the temporal power of the Holy See. Consequently, he instituted this order on 1 September AD 1831 to encourage Catholics to exert an active influence across various secular spheres; the name of the equestrian order derives from the seventh-century Pope Saint Gregory I the Great, who was also the first supreme pontiff to invoke Saint Peter in order to establish temporal authority over the Holy See.

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 conferment of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great is typically conducted upon the recommendation of a diocesan bishop, archbishop, or nuncio in recognition of exceptional merit or service. The procedure entails the bishop nominating the candidate through the Apostolic Nuncio, who forwards the nomination to the Cardinal Secretary of State in Rome for review and approval. The issuance of the diploma is usually signed by the Vatican Secretary of State on behalf of the Supreme Pontiff and involves the payment of a nominal chancery fee or “tax” to support the work of the Church, which may be paid by the recipient or by someone acting on their behalf.

The main body of the insignia of this order features a Maltese cross rendered in translucent purple gemstone, with each of its pointed tips claw-set with a diamond. The central medallion is set against a dark blue enamelled background, with the obverse bearing a golden effigy of Saint Gregory accompanied by a golden dove engraved to its left; the outer golden border is inscribed with “ST·GREGORIUS·MAGNUS”, meaning “Saint Gregory (I) the Great”. The inscription on the reverse medallion is in Latin, presenting the motto of the order, “Pro Deo et Principe” (“For God and the Sovereign”), whilst the outer border bears the inscription “Gregorius XVI P.M ANNO I”, denoting the year of its institution, “The First Year of the Pontificate of Pope Gregory XVI”.

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.

In the civil version, the suspension is surmounted by a laurel wreath, whereas in the military version it takes the form of a badge depicting a fully armoured knight.

The riband of this order features a red ground flanked on both sides by broad yellow stripes. The order incorporates a ribbon rosette not stipulated in its original statutes, a feature generally adopted by France and nations whose honours systems have been influenced by the French model to denote a rank superior to that of Knight.

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: M520

年代: 公元 1831-2025 年

材質: 金、銀、琺瑯、寶石

尺寸: 55.6 x 11.6 x 3.0 mm

重量: 3.15 g

來源: La Galerie Numismatique 2025

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。另一方面，在公元1830年的法國七月革命中，義大利隨之陷入革命的浪潮。葛利果十六世亟需酬功助其確立聖座統治權的奧地利人與義大利人。因此，他在公元1831年9月1日創立了這個勳章，以鼓勵天主教徒在各個世俗領域中發揮積極作用，騎士團勳章名稱來自於七世紀的大教宗聖葛利果一世，聖葛利果一世也是援引聖彼得從而確立對聖座統治權的首位教宗。 

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，涉及支付象徵性的規費或「稅」以支持教會事工，支付者可以是接收者或代表他的人。 

此勳章的外觀以紫色半透明寶石製成的馬爾他十字做為主體，十字架的每個尖角頂部均以爪鑲鑽，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 」，即「大教宗聖葛利果（一世）」，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」，即設立年「教宗葛利果十六世即位元年」。 

民事版的頂飾懸掛為一桂冠，軍事版則為一全甲騎士圖樣的徽章。

此勳章的綬帶設計以紅色為底，左右兩側鑲有較粗的黃色色帶。此勳章附有原章未有規定之綬帶花結，一般而言違法國及受法國影響榮勳制度的國家所採用，用以標示勳章為騎士以上階層。

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。