Military Order of Christ
| Military Order of Christ Ordem Militar de Cristo | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the Order | |
| Awarded by the President of Portugal | |
| Type | Ancient military order |
| Established |
|
| Country | Portugal |
| Ribbon | Red |
| Motto | In hoc signo vinces (In this sign thou shalt conquer) |
| Eligibility | Portuguese and foreign nationals |
| Criteria | Relevant services to the country in the exercise of functions related to the government or public administration |
| Status | Active |
| Founder | Denis of Portugal |
| Grand Master | President of Portugal |
| Chancellor | Jaime Gama |
| Grades |
|
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of the Tower and Sword |
| Next (lower) | Order of Aviz |
Insignia of the Order Ribbon bar of the order | |
The Military Order of Christ is a Portuguese honorific order. It is the former order of Knights Templar as it was reconstituted in Portugal. Before 1910, it was known as the Royal Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was founded in 1318, with the protection of King Denis of Portugal, after the Templars were abolished on 22 March 1312 by the papal bull, Vox in excelso, issued by Pope Clement V. King Denis refused to pursue and persecute the former knights as had occurred in most of the other sovereign states under the political influence of the Catholic Church.
Heavily swayed by Philip IV of France, Pope Clement had the Knights Templar annihilated throughout France and most of Europe on charges of heresy, but Denis revived the Templars of Tomar as the Order of Christ, largely for their aid during the Reconquista and in the reconstruction of Portugal after the wars. Denis negotiated with Clement's successor, John XXII, for recognition of the new order and its right to inherit the Templar assets and property. This was granted in a papal bull, Ad ea ex quibus, on 14 March 1319.
There exists also a parallel Supreme Order of Christ of the Holy See, the Order of Christ of the House of Orléans-Braganza, and the Order of Christ of Kongo.