An ecclesiastical decoration is an order or a decoration conferred by a head of a church.
See main article: Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See.
| Award | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Gift offered by popes to Catholic monarchs or other secular recipients in recognition of their defense of Christendom | ||
| Conferred as a token of reverence or affection to churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military figures, and governments | ||
| Decoration for military merit bestowed by the Holy See during the Italian unification | ||
| For long and exceptional service to the Catholic Church | ||
| Support for Christian holy sites during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land | ||
| Merit in relation to the Basilica della Santa Casa | ||
| Recognition of merit bestowed by the Cathedral chapter of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran with authorization of the Holy See. | ||
| Presented by the Pontifical Council for Culture in recognition of the achievements which contribute to the promotion of dialogue between the diversity of cultures in the contemporary world and thus promote man as an individual | ||
| Conferred for distinguished service to the Roman Catholic Church by lay people and clergy |
| Award | Presented by | Recognizes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distinguished and meritorious service to the Roman Catholic Church, the United States of America, or The Catholic University of America | |||
| Work on religious liberty | |||
| Outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society | |||
| Lay order. Recognised as legitimate ecclesiastical decorations by the International Commission on Orders of Chivalry (2006): | |||
| Military order | |||
| Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton | Lay order | ||
| Quad Cities Pacem in Terris Coalition | Individual achievements in peace and justice, not only in their country but in the world | ||
| Promote Catholic faith and to support religious, cultural and social works of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in the Holy Land. Recognised as legitimate ecclesiastical decorations by the International Commission on Orders of Chivalry (2006):[1] | |||
| Distinguished service in the advancement of Marian devotion, theology, or general appreciation of the place of Mary in the life of the Catholic Church | |||
| Paul VI Institute | Individuals or institutions who, with their studies and their works, have contributed to the growth of the religious meaning in the world | ||
| Those who perform promising scholarly research relating to or expounding upon Pope Benedict XVI's work | |||
| To a Catholic scientist whose life and work give witness to the harmony that exists between the vocation of scientist and the life of faith[2] |
Several autocephalous churches of the Eastern Orthodox communion award ecclesiastical decorations.
| Award | Given by | Recognizes | |
|---|---|---|---|
Laity for service to those portions of the Eastern Orthodox Church under the patriarch's particular guidance. The archons are organized in two orders:
| |||
| Services in the revival of spiritual life in Russia | |||
| Courageous service to the Russian state or contributions to cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Armed Forces | |||
| Meritorious achievements in the arts, science, education and religion. | |||
| Ecclesiastical service |
Others include:
See main article: Lambeth Awards.
In addition to the Lambeth degree, the Archbishop of Canterbury awards the following to recognise outstanding service in various fields.[8]