Order of merit of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
The
Order of Merit
(
Italian
:
Ordine di Merito
;
Latin
:
Ordo pro Merito Melitensi
) is the
order of merit
of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
, established in 1920. It is awarded to recipients who have brought honour to the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
, promoted Christian values and for
charity
as defined by the
Roman Catholic Church
. Unlike Knights or Dames of the Order of Malta (which is a
military order of chivalry
), those decorated with the Order are not invested in a religious ceremony, do not swear any
oath
or make any religious commitment. It may therefore be bestowed upon non-Catholics. Conferees include prominent statesmen, such as Presidents
Ronald Reagan
, who received it while still in office, and
George H. W. Bush
.
The order comprises two ranks and six grades, including
Commander
, now rare in the Order of Malta, and has no nobiliary grades, thus being comparable to numerous orders of merit around the world, including the
Papal orders
, France's
Order of National Merit
and Britain's
Order of the British Empire
.
Order
pro Merito Melitensi
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]
-
Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
-
Commander
pro Merito Melitensi
neck decoration
-
Grand Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
breast star
-
Cross
Pro piis meritis
Pro merito melitensi
Collar of the Order
pro Merito Melitensi
[
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]
- Pro Merito Melitensi
Collar ? Military Class
- Pro Merito Melitensi
Collar ? Civilian Class
- Single grade, usually bestowed to Heads of State only.
Cross of the Order
pro Merito Melitensi
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Military Class
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- Grand Cross with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
? Special Class
- Grand Cross with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
- Grand Officer Cross with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
- Commander Cross with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
- Officer Cross with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
- Cross with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
Civilian Class
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- Grand Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
? Special Class
- Grand Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
- Grand Officer Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
- Commander Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
- Officer Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
- Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
Ecclesiastics Class
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- Grand Cross
pro Piis Meritis Melitensi
- Cross
pro Piis Meritis Melitensi
Medal of the Order
pro Merito Melitensi
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Old style (1920–1960)
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]
- Gold Medal
pro Merito Melitensi
- Silver Medal
pro Merito Melitensi
- Bronze Medal
pro Merito Melitensi
Military Class
[
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]
- Gold Medal with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
- Silver Medal with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
- Bronze Medal with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
Civilian Class
[
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]
- Gold Medal
pro Merito Melitensi
- Silver Medal
pro Merito Melitensi
- Bronze Medal
pro Merito Melitensi
The Order
pro Merito Melitensi
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Classes of the Order
pro Merito Melitensi
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]
The Order
pro Merito Melitensi
comprises the following classes:
The Collar
pro Merito Melitensi
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]
The Collar only has a single grade, but is separated into two divisions, namely "Collar
pro Merito Melitensi
" for Civilians and "Collar with Swords
pro Merito Melitensi
" for the Military. The Collar is only awarded to Heads of State.
The Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
[
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]
The Cross is bestowed upon both civilians and military personnel, comprising several grades:
- Grand Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
? Special Class
- Grand Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
- Grand Officer
pro Merito Melitensi
(with Badge for women)
- Commander
pro Merito Melitensi
(with Crown for women)
- Officer
pro Merito Melitensi
(with Coat of arms for women)
- Cross
pro Merito Melitensi
N.B: these decorations are "with Swords" for serving military and "without Swords" for civilians.
The Cross
"pro piis meritis" pro Merito Melitensi
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]
When awarded to ecclesiastics, it has the same cross as awarded to civilians and military personnel. Nevertheless, this ribbon is black crossed with two thin red lines and comprises only two grades :
- Grand Cross
"pro piis meritis" pro Merito Melitensi
,
- Cross
"pro piis meritis" pro Merito Melitensi
.
The Medal
pro Merito Melitensi
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This class has three grades: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Ribbons
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There are only three different types of ribbons for both the medal and the crosses.
Cross of Merit, Ecclesiastical
|
Cross of Merit, Civil
|
Cross of Merit, Military
|
|
|
|
Ribbon
|
Black ribbon
with thin red stripes
|
White ribbon
with large red stripes
|
Red ribbon
with large white stripes
|
See also
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Further reading
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- Orders of Knighthood, Awards and the Holy See, by H.E. Cardinale and Peter Bander-van Duren, 3rd ed. 1985
External links
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]