Did the Vatican Really Give a Special Award to the Iranian Ambassador?
The Vatican said the award is routine and does not signal support for Iran as tensions with the United States continue.
- On Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV awarded the Papal Order of Pius IX to Iran's ambassador to the Holy See, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, during a ceremony at the Vatican.
- Vatican custom dictates conferring this honor on resident ambassadors after roughly two years of service, and Mokhtari has served for two and a half years; thirteen ambassadors recently received this same recognition.
- While Iranian state media reported officials praised the embassy's "peace efforts," the U.S. in Holy See account clarified the award is standard practice and implies no policy endorsement.
- MAGA Republicans vehemently attacked Pope Leo following the announcement, with some claiming he supports the Iranian regime; President Donald Trump previously labeled the pontiff "WEAK on Crime."
- Political insider Christopher Hale noted that critics are taking the award out of context, explaining that MAGA Republicans are falsely attacking the American-born pontiff over standard diplomatic protocols.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Did the Vatican really give a special award to the Iranian ambassador?
The Vatican press office has clarified that an award given to the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See is not an exclusive honor, but a customary award routinely given to ambassadors after two years of service.The clarification came after several Iranian outlets reported May 12 that Pope Leo XIV had granted the Vatican’s highest diplomatic honor to the Iranian ambassador, prompting social media criticism of the pope.What is the award the Iranian a…
Pope Leo XIV grants Vatican’s top diplomatic award to Iran envoy
Pope Leo XIV awarded the Vatican's highest active diplomatic distinction to Iran's ambassador to the Holy See, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, at a ceremony on Tuesday. The award, the Papal Order of Pius IX, was established in 1847 by Pope Pius IX and is usually given to diplomats and heads of state. Iranian state media, including Press TV and Mehr News, reported that the knighthood was conferred to Mokhtari due to his efforts to promote "peace, just…
US in Holy See issues fact-check after misreporting sparks MAGA outrage
MAGA Republicans are vehemently attacking Pope Leo the 14th in response to a diplomatic award given to Iran's ambassador. But according to political insider Christopher Hale, who publishes Letters to Leo, and other experts on Vatican traditions, they are taking the award way out of context and overlooking some key facts.Hale, in a May 13 post on X, explains, "MAGA is falsely attacking Pope Leo XIV again this morning after news emerged that the f…
While in Iran yesterday another death sentence was executed against a young opponent of the Ayatollah regime, a diplomatic ceremony was held in the Vatican to...
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