Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem

Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem
Cross of the order
Type	Lay order Ecclesiastical decoration
Religious affiliation	Melkite Greek Catholic
Motto	Greek: Φως και Ζωη ("Fos kai Zoe") - "Light and life"
Grand Master	Patriarch Gregory III Laham
Ribbon bar of the order

The Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem is a Catholic honorific lay order and ecclesiastical decoration founded by Patriarch Maximos V Hakim of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in 1979, with seat in Jerusalem, Israel. It aims to promote Catholic faith and to support religious, cultural and social works of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, as well as to promote its Byzantine liturgy. Its current Grand Master is Patriarch Gregory III Laham, and its Grand Prior is Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey, Apostolic Vicar of Jerusalem.

The symbol of the order is a golden cross on red or blue background. Its vertical inscription is ΦΩc ("light"), and its horizontal inscription is ΖΩΗ ("life"), together forming the orders motto in Greek: Φως και Ζωη ("Fos kai Zoe") - "Light and life". Prominent feast days include Saint George's Day and the Feast of the Cross.

The Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, while completely independent of the Holy See, is under "ecclesiastical patronage"sui iuris by the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East in accordance with the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. As such, it is recognised as a legitimate ecclesiastical decoration by the International Commission on Orders of Chivalry. In addition, it is a registered charity in multiple countries.