Order of Christ (Brazil)

Order of Christ Ordem de Cristo
Badge and star of the Imperial Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Awarded by Empire of Brazil
Type	Till 1843: Military Order From 1843 to 1890: National Order Since 1890: House Order
Status	Cancelled as national order in 1890, since then claimed as house order
Grand Master	Emperors of Brazil (Dom Pedro I and Dom Pedro II)
Principal Commander	Heir of the Imperial Crown of Brazil. In 1889 Dona Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil.
Grades	Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander and Knight.
Statistics
Established	Created in 1319 by Portugal and Holy See. Imperial branch established in 1822
Precedence
Next (higher)	none (highest)
Next (lower)	Imperial Order of Aviz
Ribbon bar of the Order

The Imperial Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Portuguese: Imperial Ordem de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo), simply named Order of Christ, is an order of chivalry instituted by emperor Pedro I of Brazil on 7 December 1822, on the basis of the Portuguese Order of Christ founded by King Dom Dinis and Pope John XXII in 1316–1319. Knights of the Order of Christ were part of the untitled nobility of the Empire of Brazil. The order was awarded for exceptional services that resulted in notable and proven utility to religion (Roman Catholicism), to humanity and the state.

On 22 March 1890, the order was cancelled as national order by the interim government of United States of Brazil.

However, since the deposition in 1889 of the last Brazilian monarch, Emperor Pedro II, the order is claimed as a house order being awarded by the Heads of the House of Orleans-Braganza, pretenders to the defunct throne of Brazil. The current Brazilian Imperial Family is split into two branches, Petrópolis and Vassouras, and the Grand Mastership of the Order is disputed between those two branches.

After the Independence of Brazil emperor Dom Pedro I continued his inherent authority as the “fount of honors” transmitted by his father King Dom João VI of Portugal. His right extended to conferring titles of nobility and also the three ancient Portuguese orders of chivalry: Order of Christ, Order of Aviz and the Order of Saint James of the Sword. Dom Pedro I became the first Grand Master of the Brazilian branch of the Order of Christ. According to historian Roderick J. Barman, Dom Pedro I stated in a decree that his right originated in: “Sovereign Kings my Predecessors, … and especially by my August and Sovereign Father D. João VI.” After the death of his father, Dom Pedro I also became the Grand Master of the Portuguese Order of Christ as King Pedro IV of Portugal.