The Embassy of the Republic of Mozambique to the Holy See is pleased to inform that on April 3, 2025, His Excellency Ambassador Raúl Domingos was awarded the insignia of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX, one of the highest honorary distinctions granted by the Holy See.
The ceremony took place in Vatican City and was presided over by H.E. Edgar Peña Parra, current Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, in recognition of the Ambassador’s contributions to strengthening diplomatic relations between Mozambique and the Holy See, as well as for his commitment to the promotion of dialogue, peace, and international cooperation.
About the Order of Pius IX
The honorary orders of the Holy See constitute a system of distinctions awarded for merit or outstanding service to the Catholic Church, the Holy See, or its institutions, at an international level.
The Order of Pius IX (Ordine di Pio IX in Italian), also known as the Pian Order, was established on June 17, 1847, by Pope Pius IX through the apostolic brief Romanis Pontificibus, to commemorate the first anniversary of his pontificate.
The motto of the Order is Virtuti et Merito (“Virtue and Merit”).
Today, the Order of Pius IX is the highest Order of Knighthood awarded by the Holy See to laypersons and consists of five classes, with the Knight Grand Cross reserved for Ambassadors and other high-ranking diplomatic figures.
The insignia of the Order is a blue enameled eight-pointed star, interspersed with golden flames, with a white central medallion bearing the name of the Order’s founder, surrounded by the words Virtuti et Merito.
