The change, which is not retroactive and does not affect Vatican officials or members of religious orders, was announced in a letter from the Vatican Secretariat of State to nunciatures around the world, along with instructions to inform local bishops.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States, informed U.S. bishops of the new policy in a letter dated Dec. 30. Msgr. Ronny E. Jenkins, general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, forwarded the letter to the bishops Jan. 3.

Of the three grades of monsignor -- apostolic protonotary, honorary prelate of His Holiness and chaplain of His Holiness -- only the last will be available to diocesan priests who meet the new age requirement.

Bishops must resubmit any pending requests for papal honors in accordance with the new rules.

Archbishop Vigano's letter did not give a reason for the change, but Pope Francis has often warned clergy against the temptations of careerism and personal ambition.

The archbishop noted that there had been no change regarding the granting of ecclesiastical honors to laypeople.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, noted Jan. 6 that Pope Paul VI had reformed the system of ecclesiastical honors in 1968, reducing the number of titles to three.

"Pope Francis' decision thus follows in the same line, with further simplification," Father Lombardi said.