Supreme Order of Christ Ordine Supremo del Cristo | |
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![]() Star and badge of the Order of Christ | |
Awarded by the ![]() | |
Type | Papal order of knighthood |
Established | 1319 |
Eligibility | Catholic heads of state |
Awarded for | Services to the Church |
Status | Dormant order |
Grand Master | Pope Francis |
Grades | Knight |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | None (highest); clerics, such as theologians, philosophers, or diplomats, can be named Cardinals or Bishops for meritorious services to the Pope and the Holy See, without being given an actual office |
Next (lower) | Order of the Golden Spur |
![]() Ribbon bar of the order |
Part of a series on the |
Knights Templar |
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Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon |
Overview |
Councils |
Papal bulls |
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Locations |
Successors |
Cultural references |
See also |
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The Supreme Order of Christ (Italian: Ordine Supremo del Cristo) is the highest order of chivalry that can be awarded by the pope. No appointments have been made since 1987 and following the death in 1993 of the last remaining knight, King Baudouin of Belgium, the order became dormant.
According to some scholars, it owes its origin to the same Order of Christ of the Knights Templar, from which came the Order of Christ that was awarded by the kings of Portugal and the emperors of Brazil. The Portuguese order had originally both a secular and religious component; by the 18th century, the religious component had died out.
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