Papal Gentlemen

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Papal Gentlemen

The Papal Gentlemen, also called the Gentlemen of His Holiness, are the attendants of the pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
and his papal household in Vatican City

Vatican City

Vatican City , officially the State of the Vatican City , is a Landlocked country sovereignty city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the Capital of Italy....
. They serve in the Apostolic Palace

Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace, also called the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace or the Palace of the Vatican, is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City....
near St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

The Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian language as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is located within the Vatican City....
.

Known as Papal Chamberlains (Cameriere di spada e cappa) before the Second Vatican Council

Second Vatican Council

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965....
, many came from families that had long served the Papal Court

Papal court

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The Papal Gentlemen, also called the Gentlemen of His Holiness, are the attendants of the pope

Pope

Vatican City

Apostolic Palace

St. Peter's Basilica

Second Vatican Council

Papal court

The Papal Court was the noble court of the Pope. It was effectively the apparatus formed by various dignitaries of different orders and ranks within the Apostolic Palace in order to carry out particular religious ceremonies and secular functions....
over the course of several centuries, while others were appointed as a high honor, one of the highest the Papacy conferred on Catholic laymen (often prominent politicians or wealthy philanthropists). They were originally selected from members of Italian royal and aristocratic families. Many of the current Papal Gentlemen come from families that have served the Popes for centuries.

From the days of Pope Leo I

Pope Leo I

Pope Leo I, or Pope Saint Leo the Great, was pope from 29 September, 440 to 10 November, 461.He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the earliest pope of the Roman Catholic Church to have received the title "the Great"....
(440-461) the pontifical household had included papal chamberlains who were personal attendants on the Pope in his private apartments. The number of papal chamberlains was never large, although their proximity to the Pope meant that many chamberlains would enjoy notable ecclesiastical careers and some were even promoted to the episcopacy. Their privileges were considerable. They ranked ex officio as Lateran

Lateran Palace

The Lateran Palace, formally the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran , is an ancient palace of the Roman Empire and later a Papal Palace. Adjacent to the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, the cathedral Church of Rome, Italy....
count

Count

A count is a nobleman in European countries; The word count comes from French language comte, itself from Latin comes?in its Accusative case comitem?meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor"....
s, (Order of the Golden Militia

Order of the Golden Militia

The Order of the Golden Spur, formerly known as the Order of the Golden Militia, is a papacy order of chivalry conferred upon those who have rendered distinguished service in propagating the Catholic Faith, or who have contributed to the glory of the Church, either by feat of arms, writings, or other illustrious acts....
), and nobles

Nobility

Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary or for a lifetime. Titles of nobility exist today in many countries although it is usually associated with present or former monarchies....
of Rome and Avignon

Avignon

Avignon is a Communes of France in the Vaucluse Departments of France in southeastern France with an estimated mid-2004 population of 89,300 in the city itself and a population of 290,466 in the aire urbaine at the 1999 census....
. Prior to Vatican II they provided personal assistance to the Pope on formal state occasions as members of the Papal Court. They were required to serve for at least one week per year during official ceremonies, and took part in Papal processions behind the Sedia Gestatoria

Sedia gestatoria

The sedia gestatoria is the portable throne on which Popes were once carried. It consists of a richly-adorned, silk-covered armchair, fastened on a suppedaneum, on each side of which are two gilded rings; through these rings pass the long rods with which twelve footmen , in red uniforms, carry the throne on their shoulders....
, each wearing formal court dress and distinguished by a golden chain of office. Traditionally, Papal Chamberlains were addressed as "Very Reverend", and the higher degrees as "Right Reverend".

In ecclesiastical heraldry

Ecclesiastical heraldry

Ecclesiastical heraldry is the tradition of heraldry developed by Christianity clergy. Initially used to mark documents, ecclesiology heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people and dioceses....
, laypersons so honored may display a golden chain

Livery collar

A livery collar or chain of office is a collar or heavy Link chain, usually of gold, worn as insignia of office or a mark of fealty or other association in Europe from the Middle Ages onwards....
surrounding their coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
.

Notable Papal Chamberlains

Christopher de Paus
Christopher de Paus

Christopher Tostrup Paus was a Norway land owner and count, known as philanthropist, art collector and socialite in the late 19th and early 20th century....
Franz von Papen
Franz von Papen

was a Germany nobleman, Catholic Monarchism politician, General Staff officer, and diplomat, who served as Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and as Vice-Chancellor in 1933-1934....
Jan Czarnowski
Jan Czarnowski

Jan Franciszek Czarnowski was a Poland szlachta of Grabie coat of arms who was Papal chamberlain to Pope Pius XI, and head of the Polish Priory of the Order of the Knights of Malta....
Al Smith
Al Smith

Alfred Emanuel Smith, Jr. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American politician who was elected List of Governors of New York four times, and was the History of the United States Democratic Party United States presidential election, 1928....
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin

Joseph Louis Cardinal Bernardin was an United States prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago from 1982 until his death, and was elevated to the Cardinal in 1983....

Papal Gentlemen

Notable Papal Chamberlains

See also