US Embassy to Holy See clarifies that Pope Leo did not bestow exclusive honor on Iranian ambassador

The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See pushed back May 13 against reports suggesting Pope Leo XIV bestowed an exclusive or politically significant honor on Iran's ambassador, saying the award is a standard diplomatic courtesy under longstanding Vatican protocol. 

“Contrary to news reports, Pope Leo has not bestowed an exclusive special honor on the Iranian Ambassador to the Holy See,” the embassy said in a statement on X. “This decoration is given to all accredited ambassadors to the Holy See after 2+ years of service and has been standard practice for many years.”

The embassy noted that the award — the Grand Cross of the Pontifical Order of Pius IX — is a routine personal recognition that “does not imply support or opposition to any policy or country.” 

According to the post, previous U.S. ambassadors have also received the decoration and Pope Leo did not present it in person. Vatican News also reported that on May 12, “traditional honors” were presented to a group of 13 ambassadors who were accredited to the Holy See and had completed at least two years of service in their roles. 

The clarification came after Iranian state media highlighted Ambassador Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari’s award as a notable distinction, triggering debate on social media over the honor. Iran’s Press TV said in a report that the honor is “closely linked to the ongoing efforts of the Iranian embassy at the Vatican to promote messages of peace, justice, and opposition to warmongering” and sought to link the decoration to Pope Leo’s criticism of the Iran war and his calls for peace.

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