Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See The orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See include titles, chivalric orders, distinctions and medals honoured by the Holy See, with the Pope as the fount of honour, for deeds and merits of their recipients to the benefit of the Holy See, the Catholic Church, or their respective communities, societies, nations and the world at large. Some of these honours are defunct or currently dormant, while some are still actively conferred. "Papal orders of knighthood" or "Pontifical orders of knighthood" are orders of knighthood bestowed in the name of the Pope
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations is the representative of the Holy See at the United Nations. The diplomatic mission does not have the status of Permanent Representative and thus cannot vote — a decision it has freely taken. The Holy See has sat in the UN as a non-voting delegation with permanent observer state status since 1964, and is one of two states with this status, the other being the State of Palestine. The Permanent Observer, currently Archbishop Bernardito Auza, as of 1 July