His Holiness the Pontiff Pope Gregory XVI established this Order on the 1rt of September 1831, being influenced by the work of Pope Gregory I. The Order of Gregory the Great is ranked third after the Supreme Order of Christ that is only issued with a Papal blessing and approval and in rare cases, and after the Order of Pope Pius IX that is awarded to heads of state on the occasion of official visits to the Holy See.

This award is granted to the people who are well-known of their good offices and deeds in support of the church's pastoral, cultural, heritage and humanitarian activities.

This special honor is bestowed upon people who have proved their loyalty to the Holy See in recognition of their generous contributions and donations, and are therefore considered worth to be publicly honored by the Holy See.

The Order is an eight-pointed cross, the insignia of the Order. It bears a representation of St. Gregory on the obverse and on the reverse the motto Pro Deo et Principe (For God and Ruler). The cross is suspended from a red and gold ribbon the cross hanging from a green crown of laurel.

Pope Benedict XVI had awarded Fares the order of Saint Gregory the Great from the Rank of Commander with Star on June 16, 2010, handed to him by H.B. Maronite Cardinal Nasralah Butros Sfeir.. Ten years later, and exceptionally, Pope Francis bestows upon Fares the Order of St. Gregory the Great, which is traditionally the highest Order bestowed upon non-Catholic personalities. The Order shall be offered to Fares by His Beatitude the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Butros el-Rai on the 25th of April 2015.