AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Pope Leo XIV bestowed the highest diplomatic honor of the Vatican upon Dr. Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Holy See.
The ceremony was held on Tuesday with the presence of senior officials and ambassadors based in the Vatican, during which the services and extensive activities of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Vatican on the path of peace, peaceful coexistence, wisdom, tolerance, and dialogue were appreciated.
The Papal Order of Pius IX is an honor of the Holy See established in 1847 by Pope Pius IX. It is considered one of the highest knightly orders of the Vatican and is usually awarded to ambassadors and prominent figures who have played a role in strengthening diplomatic relations and serving peace and dialogue.
This honor has been bestowed upon the Iranian ambassador at a time when Pope Leo XIV's recent righteous stances in condemning the aggressions of the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran are not unrelated to the efforts of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Vatican to convey the message of peace, justice, and opposition to warmongering.
In the official document bestowing this honor, Pope Leo XIV, appreciating the deserving services of the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in expanding relations with the Holy See, wrote: "We have decided to formally express our grace and gratitude. Therefore, we select and bestow upon Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Holy See, the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX."
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