Australian Catholic University (ACU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Craven has been appointed by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great for services to the Catholic Church in Australia.
In an investiture ceremony attended by family and colleagues of Professor Craven on 6 December 2015, the Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, installed Professor Craven in this ancient Order of Knighthood of the Holy See.
Professor Craven was appointed to the highest grade of the Order, as a Knight Grand Cross. Only six other Australians have received this honour.
In his speech, Archbishop Fisher referred to the many years of dedicated and faithful service that Professor Craven has given to the advancement of Catholic higher education in Australia.
The Archbishop highlighted Professor Craven’s accomplishments at the University of Notre Dame Australia in Fremantle and more recently at ACU.
The many ways in which Professor Craven has lent his wisdom to the Church through service on advisory boards and committees such as the National Catholic Education Commission and the Truth, Justice and Healing Council were also noted by the Archbishop.
Archbishop Fisher went on to say that Professor Craven encapsulated the true spirit of the Second Vatican Council and its call for greater lay collaboration in the mission of the Church.
He noted that it was no coincidence that Professor Craven was awarded his Papal Knighthood in the same week that Gaudium et Spes (the seminal Vatican II document on lay collaboration) celebrated its 50th anniversary.
“Greg Craven is an immensely gifted man, a man of faith, a loyal son of Christ; a distinguished exemplar of Vatican II’s teaching about the role of Catholic laity in the world,” Archbishop Fisher said.
Professor Craven responded by stating that the experience of receiving this prestigious award was both a great honour and a humbling experience.
“I was astonished, humbled and grateful to receive the award,” Professor Craven said.
“The thing that pleases me most is that the award really marks not anything I personally have done but the emergence of ACU in its 25th year as one of the leading Catholic universities in the world.”
Pope Gregory XVI established the Order of St Gregory the Great in 1831. It is bestowed upon Catholic men and women in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See and to the Catholic Church through their work, their support of the Holy See, and their exemplary faith in action in their communities.
In 2015, Australian Catholic University is celebrating 25 years of people, learning, and achievements that continue to bring about real change for communities.