Did the Vatican really give a special award to the Iranian ambassador?

What is the award? And what does it say about the pope's stance on political issues?

The Vatican press office has clarified that an award given to the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See is not an exclusive honor, but a customary award routinely given to ambassadors after two years of service.

The clarification came after several Iranian outlets reported May 12 that Pope Leo XIV had granted the Vatican’s highest diplomatic honor to the Iranian ambassador, prompting social media criticism of the pope.

What is the award the Iranian ambassador received? Where does it rank among Vatican diplomatic honors? Does it say anything about the pope’s stance on political issues?

The Pillar explains.

Ambassadors pose for a photograph with Archbishop Paolo Rudelli. Credit: Vatican Media.

What happened?

On May 12, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, Iran’s ambassador to the Holy See, received the Grand Cross of the Papal Order of Pius IX along with 12 other ambassadors accredited to the Holy See.

Iranian media described the order as being “among the Vatican’s most distinguished knighthoods,” and “typically conferred upon ambassadors and prominent figures who have played a significant role in strengthening diplomatic ties and serving the cause of peace and dialogue.”

Some social media posts claimed that the pope had personally granted the award to the Iranian ambassador, while one Iranian outlet said that “the award and the pope’s denunciation of the aggression are closely linked to the ongoing efforts of the Iranian embassy at the Vatican to promote messages of peace, justice, and opposition to warmongering.”

So was the Vatican giving the Iranian ambassador an exclusive honor?

Soon after the Iranian media posts gained attention, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See contested the account they presented. The U.S. Embassy posted on twitter.com that the pope had not “bestowed an exclusive special honor on the Iranian Ambassador to the Holy See. This decoration is given to all accredited ambassadors to the Holy See after 2+ years of service and has been standard practice for many years.”

In a statement to The Pillar, the Vatican press office confirmed that the award “is an honor bestowed upon ambassadors after two years of service at the Holy See.”

“Yesterday, the Sostituto [of the Secretariat of State] presented it to 13 ambassadors, including Iran’s ambassador,” the press office statement continued.

The awards were presented by the papal chief of staff, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, and the certificates attesting to the honor were signed by secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

What is the Order of Pope Pius IX?

The order, also referred to as the Pian Order, is a papal order of knighthood that was originally established by Pope Pius IV in 1560.

It fell into disuse years later, but was revived by Bl. Pius IX in 1847.

The order itself has several ranks:

• Knight/Dame with the collar: Reserved for heads of state.

• Knight/Dame Grand Cross: Typically awarded to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See or distinguished laypersons for exceptional contributions.

• Knight/Dame Commander with Star: Granted for extraordinary merit in diplomatic or ecclesiastical service.

• Knight/Dame Commander: Granted for significant contributions to Church and society.

• Knight/Dame: Rarely bestowed and reserved for lay Catholics from ancient European noble families.

King Juan Carlos I of Spain, King Albert II of Belgium, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden have all received the collar of the order. King Charles III of England became the most recent head of state to receive the distinction in his latest visit to the pope.

The original members of the Order of Pope Pius IX were members of the pope’s lay court. They served as his escort, resided in the Apostolic Palace, and accompanied him in his daily tasks.

Each class of the order has some unique elements of insignia:

• Knight/Dame with the collar: The insignia includes a gold chain adorned with papal symbols, such as the papal tiara, the keys of Saint Peter, and two doves.

• Knight/Dame Grand Cross: They wear a wide dark blue silk sash with a red border from the left shoulder to the right hip and a large silver star on the left side of the chest, with the medallion of the order.

• Commanders: The insignia includes a small star on the left side of the chest, and commanders wear a badge with a ribbon around the neck.

• Knight/Dame: They wear a small badge without a star on the left side of the chest.

Is it the Vatican’s highest diplomatic honor?

Yes and no.

Technically, the Supreme Order of Christ and the Order of the Golden Spur are considered higher in precedence, but both are dormant.

The last person to receive the Supreme Order of Christ was Frà Angelo de Mojana, 77th prince and grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The last living member of the order was King Baudouin of Belgium, who died in 1993.

The last living member of the Order of the Golden Spur was Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, who died in 2019.

The Order of Pope Pius IX is the highest diplomatic honor that the Holy See has bestowed upon diplomats or heads of state in almost 40 years.

Does receiving the Order of Pope Pius IX make one a nobleman?

Not anymore.

When Pope Pius IX reinstituted the order, knights received the privilege of personal nobility through their membership. At the time, it was the only way to become a nobleman in the Papal States.

However, Pope Pius XII suppressed the privilege of nobility in November 1939. Before the suppression, the recipients were entitled to use the title of “Nobile di S.S.” (Noble of the Holy See).

The recognition of nobility also gave them precedence in certain Vatican ceremonies, the recognition of nobility in other European monarchies, and inclusion in the papal court.