Procedure of admission to a Pontifical Order of Knighthood in Great Britain

In Great Britain, there are currently no known living recipients of the Pontifical Orders of Christ or the Golden Spur and only one known living recipient of the Pontifical Order of Pius IX. Admission to the Pontifical Orders today are therefore proposed to the Pontifical Orders of Saint Gregory the Great and Pope Saint Sylvester. There are three usual ways of admission to a Pontifical Order.

1. Directly by order of the Supreme Pontiff or by him on advice of the Secretary of State of the Vatican City State.
2. By proposal of HE The Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James’s or internationally (as the most senior diplomatic representative of the Supreme Pontiff).
3. By proposal of the Cardinal, Archbishop or Bishop Ordinary of a Diocese within Great Britain or internationally.

In the vast majority of cases, the recommendation is made by the Cardinal, Archbishop or Bishop Ordinary of a diocese, who if he sees fit and deems the candidate worthy enough of further consideration for such a honour, forwards the application with a detailed biography and reasons for the award to HE The Apostolic Nuncio for further consideration. Approved nominations are then forwarded by the Apostolic Nunciature to the Secretariat of State within the Vatican City State.

Following further detailed consideration of the nomination, approved candidates are then formally submitted by the Secretary of State to His Holiness The Pope for final approval, which if granted, a “biglietto” or brief of appointment is drawn up which is then signed by the Secretary of State of the Vatican City State and duly dated and sealed. This is then returned through the Holy See’s diplomatic mission – the Apostolic Nunciature - to the Cardinal, Archbishop or Bishop who made the initial submission and who in turn notifies the candidate of the Pope’s decision to award such an honour and will usually present it, sometimes with the appropriate insignia, at a ceremony which may be either public or private.

On occasions candidates born or living in Great Britain have been nominated directly by the Holy Father, by an Apostolic Nuncio or a Cardinal, Archbishop or Bishop Ordinary of a diocese outside Great Britain for specific services rendered. Such ceremonies are therefore usually conducted in the place where the nomination originated.