Order of Pius IX

Order of Pius IX Ordine di Pio IX
Knight's cross of the Order of Pius IX
Awarded by Holy See
Type	Chivalric order
Motto	VIRTUTI ET MERITO
Status	Currently constituted
Sovereign	His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Grades (w/ post-nominals)	Knight/Dame with the Collar Knight/Dame Grand Cross Knight/Dame Commander with Star Knight/Dame Commander Knight/Dame
Established	17 June 1847
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of the Golden Spur
Next (lower)	Order of St. Gregory the Great
Ribbon bar of the order

The Order of Pius IX (Italian: Ordine di Pio IX), also referred as the Pian Order (Italian: Ordine Piano), is a Papal order of knighthood founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX.

Classes

The Order comprises five classes:

• Knights with the Collar: who wear a gold chain decorated with Papal tiara and two doves, and on the breast a large badge. It is the highest active Papal decoration, and is reserved to heads of state.
• Knights / Dame Grand Cross (GCPO): who wear a wide dark blue silk ribbon (sash) bordered with red which extends saltire-wise from the left shoulder to the right side where the star of the order is suspended by a rosette, and on the breast a large diamond-studded badge. It is commonly awarded to the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See.
• Knight / Dame Commander with Star (KC*PO / DC*PO): who in addition to the star wear a badge of smaller design than that of Knights of the Great Ribbon on the breast
• Knight / Dame Commander (KCPO / DCPO): who wear the decoration at the neck
• Knight / Dame (KPO / DPO): who wear the star on the left breast

Pope Pius IX, founder

Insignia and uniform

The decoration is a regular octagram made of blue enamel, the spaces between the rays filled with gold flames. On the white medallion in the center the name of the founder surrounded by the words Virtuti et Merito ("Virtue and Merit") is engraved. The reverse side is the same save for the substitution of Anno 1847 for Pius IX. The rarely worn official uniform consists of an elaborately embroidered dark blue evening coat with golden epaulettes, white trousers, and a white-plumed bicorne.

Knights with the Collar wear a gold decorated chain around the neck, and a star on the left side of the breast; Knights Grand Cross wear a sash and a star on the left side of the breast; Commanders wear a cross around the neck; and Knights wear a smaller cross on the left breast of the uniform:

Knight	Knight Commander	Knight Commander with Star	Knight Grand Cross	Knight with the Collar

See also

• Papal Orders of Chivalry

External link

• Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain

External links

• Almanach de la Cour: the Papal Orders (Orders Awarded by the Holy See or Founded by Papal Bull): the Order of Pius IX (Ordine Piano)
• Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain of Pius IX, Saint Gregory and Saint Sylvester: The Pontifical Order of Pius IX
• The Knights of Christ's Mercy: Order of Pius IX
• National Association of Papal Honorees: Roll of US Members of the Order of Pius IX