The Holy See has responded to the interpretations spread by several Iranian media outlets regarding the recent decoration awarded to Iran’s ambassador to the Vatican, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari. Both the Vatican press office and the United States Embassy to the Holy See have clarified that it was not an extraordinary recognition personally granted by Pope Leo XIV, but rather a ceremonial distinction routinely received by ambassadors accredited to the Holy See after completing at least two years of diplomatic service.
The clarification comes after the controversy generated on social media and international media stemming from reports published by Iran’s state press, which presented the awarding of the Grand Cross of the Pian Order as a singular gesture of support from the Pontiff toward the Iranian diplomat and even toward Tehran’s foreign policy. Some of those publications claimed that the Pope had distinguished the ambassador for his efforts «in favor of peace, dialogue, and bilateral relations.»
Infovaticana reported yesterday on the granting of this distinction to the Iranian representative, covering both the usual diplomatic context of this type of recognition and the controversy sparked by the political moment in which it occurred. That report already noted that the Order of Pius IX is usually granted in an ordinary manner to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See after several years of service, although various Iranian media attempted to present the gesture as a significant political signal from Leo XIV amid international tensions related to Iran.
Now, both the United States Embassy to the Holy See and the Vatican itself have publicly specified the routine nature of the decoration. «Contrary to some reports, Pope Leo has not awarded an exclusive special honor to the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See,» stated the American diplomatic delegation on social media. «This decoration is granted to all ambassadors accredited to the Holy See after more than two years of service and has been a habitual practice for many years.»
Thirteen ambassadors received the same distinction
As explained by Vatican News, the event took place on May 12 in the Vatican, coinciding with the anniversary of the papal election. In total, thirteen diplomats received the traditional decorations reserved for ambassadors with more than two years of mission to the Holy See.
The ceremony was presided over by Monsignor Paolo Rudelli, Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, who presented the badges and corresponding parchments to the distinguished diplomats with the title of Knight or Dame of the Grand Cross of the Pian Order.
The diplomas were signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican, and the presentation was not carried out personally by Pope Leo XIV, another point that had been exaggerated by some Iranian media.
What is the Order of Pius IX
The decoration awarded to the Iranian ambassador corresponds to the Order of Pius IX, also known as the Pian Order, one of the principal papal orders of chivalry.
The order was originally created by Pope Pius IV in 1560 and later restored by the Blessed Pius IX in 1847. It currently has various grades, with the Grand Cross being the category usually granted to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See or to laypeople distinguished for relevant services.
Although technically there are other papal orders of superior rank—such as the Supreme Order of Christ or the Order of the Golden Spur—both have been practically inactive for decades. In practice, the Order of Pius IX is today the highest active diplomatic distinction of the Holy See.
Among the personalities who have received this decoration are King Juan Carlos I of Spain, King Albert II of Belgium, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and recently King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
The political controversy surrounding the recognition
The controversy did not arise so much from the granting of the order itself, but from the political context in which it occurred and the interpretation made by several Iranian media outlets. According to EWTN News, the Iranian state agency IRNA claimed that the Vatican had granted the Iranian ambassador «the highest diplomatic honor of the Vatican» in recognition of his efforts to promote «peaceful coexistence, wisdom, tolerance, and interreligious dialogue.»
Some Iranian publications even linked the decoration to Leo XIV’s recent statements against the military escalation in the Middle East and his criticisms of the warlike actions of the United States and Israel.
The United States Embassy also insisted that the recognition «does not imply support or opposition to any policy or country» and emphasized that previous United States ambassadors to the Holy See have also received exactly the same ceremonial decoration.
In this way, the Vatican has sought to defuse the political interpretations that arose following the dissemination of the news in Iranian media, in an international context that is particularly delicate and marked by growing tensions in the Middle East.