You can chart the ups and downs of relations between the Vatican and the Anti Defamation League here but this is one of its happier moments:

Rabbi Leon Klenicki, the Anti-Defamation League's Interfaith Affairs Director Emeritus, has been knighted by Pope Benedict XVI for his historic contributions in creating positive relationships between Catholics and Jews around the world. Rabbi Klenicki was made a Papal Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great at a ceremony at the Vatican's Mission to the United Nations, presided by Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston.

Rabbi Klenicki becomes the second ADL interfaith official to receive papal knighthood. In 1986, the late Dr. Joseph L. Lichten became the first American Jew to receive the honor, from Pope John Paul II.

And yes, in case you were wondering, Rabbi Klenicki gets a sword now that he’s a knight, but no suit of armour. On the other hand, he gets to wear a cocked hat, which is probably easier to put on.

The thought of a member of the ADL brandishing a sword as he goes in pursuit of anti-semites and similar evil-doers is an interesting one, but I suppose Rabbi Klenicki will be too polite to do anything like that.