Knights of Civic Renewal

On Tuesday in Toronto, I was reminded why it is that I’m so happy to know the Knights of Columbus exist.

This year, in a particular way, this is the case, because of the work they have been doing to help the persecuted Christians displaced by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

At their annual convention, Carl Anderson began its business proceedings with a run-through of all the major things the largest fraternal organization in the world accomplished in the past year.

Besides having literally changed history, as Anderson put it, on the issue of naming the genocide that is happening to Christians and other religious minorities under the murderous hand of ISIS, the Knights of Columbus work to help pregnant families who see no way to have their children (including through their support of the Sisters of Life), families and marriages flourish, and men be the good fathers and husbands and citizens they are called and in many cases want to be, but could use good supports and influences.

He talked about abortion and the fact that the Knights have, as of last month, donated their 700^th ultrasound machine, to provide a window into the womb, so a mother can see the life inside her, exposing some of the prevalent lies that lead to death.

He repeated some of the latest poll numbers on abortion the Knights have seen as part of their long-term relationship with Marist polling. As Anderson relayed it:

Today, an overwhelming majority of Americans support abortion restrictions. They say abortion is morally wrong and they are against taxpayer funding of abortion.

About 8 in 10 Americans would significantly restrict abortion, according to a survey we commissioned from the Marist Poll. A majority would restrict abortion to only the rarest of circumstances. And almost 6 in 10 Canadians want substantial restrictions on abortion.

By a wide margin, a majority of Americans say that professionals and organizations should not be forced to provide abortion when they have moral objections.

And strong majorities disagree with the reasoning of this summer’s U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion. Seven in ten Americans think these doctors should be required to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. And they want these clinics held to the same standards as other out-patient surgery centers.

This should be encouraging and could be healing and uniting on an issue that is so often subject to miserable politics.

And on life, it was not just abortion he talked about as a Knights of Columbus priority. He said:

Increasingly, the end of life is also under assault in Canada and the United States.

Besides being morally wrong, assisted suicide laws have been abused in countries where they have been enacted. People understand this, and not surprisingly, strong majorities of Americans are deeply concerned about the consequences of laws to legalize assisted suicide. By almost two to one, Canadians think that doctors should not have to violate their conscience, when it comes to referring someone for assisted suicide.

My brother Knights, in 1882 widows and orphans were on the margins of society. But today, it is the unborn and those at the end of life. That is why now, as throughout our history, the Knights of Columbus embraces those who are being ignored by society.

Anderson talked about politics. His was no prescription for whom to vote for but a sure conscience prodding on what’s not acceptable.  He repeated what he said eight years ago: “We will never succeed in building a culture of life if we continue to vote for politicians who support a culture of death.”

He also said:

We must also think in new ways if we are to build a civilization of love.

Last year, during our Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, I spoke about the racial murders that occurred in an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina. At that time, I said, “Our nation owes these courageous Christians a debt of gratitude for showing us a noble path.”

Tragically, since that time racial violence has continued in the United States. Just weeks ago the Knights of Columbus urged Catholics and others to join us in nine days of prayer for national healing and reconciliation.

And this too is a most important demonstration of faithful citizenship: that in times of national tragedy we refuse to let the worst among us define who we are as a people.

Faithful citizenship means that in times of tragedy we raise a standard of charity, of unity and of fraternity that can make possible forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. Faithful citizenship calls us to follow the “better angels of our nature” to build a better society.

But to build a better society we must have the freedom to follow those angels.

If there was a star of the show on Tuesday, it was the Little Sisters of the Poor, who were celebrated by the Knights of Columbus and assembled bishops with their Gaudium et Spes award, once received by Mother Teresa. Second in line for the spotlight here was Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan Patriarch of Syriac Catholic Church of Antioch, who spoke about the uncertain future of Christians in Christianity’s cradle.

But the whole top of Anderson’s speech is more of an under the radar story. The one where the Knights are men of the Beatitudes. Anderson ran through some extraordinary numbers in his annual report:

In 2015, we donated more than 175 million dollars, an increase of more than 1.5 million dollars over last year.

Texas led all jurisdictions with 10.4 million dollars donated. California came in second with nearly 7 million dollars. They were followed by: Florida, Quebec, Illinois, Michigan, Ontario, New York, Missouri and New Jersey.

Our volunteer hours added up to a record 73.5 million hours.

Brother Knights in Luzon North led the way with a total of 5.5 million hours. Texas followed with 5.2 million hours. They were followed by: Illinois, Florida, California, Luzon South, Ontario, Michigan, Visayas and Pennsylvania.

Overall, each brother Knight dedicated an entire work week of volunteer service.

Independent Sector, a network for nonprofits, listed the value of a 2015 volunteer hour as $23.Using that figure, the time we donated to charity last year was worth more than 1 billion 700 million dollars.

In the past decade, we have donated more than 700 million hours. The value of that service totals more than 15 billion dollars.

He went on to talk about the Knights Coats for Kids program that distributed 80,592 new winter coats in the past year. And he talked about their Food for Families program we collected more than 11.4 million pounds of food and 7.2 million dollars in donations for soup kitchens, and food programs.

On the issue of religious persecution, Anderson said, echoing remarks he has made at the United Nations and Congress, among other places during the course of the year:

Christians in the Middle East deserve equal rights, not second-class citizenship. Governments and the United Nations should use all of their leverage to ensure that Christians get fundamental human rights. These rights include not only freedom of religion, but also freedom of speech, and equal protection of the law. These are rights guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and they should no longer be denied to Christians in the Middle East.

The denial of equal rights to Christians is the breeding ground of genocide, and it must stop.

Governments and the United Nations should act to ensure that these fragile, indigenous communities survive. Canada has asked the U.N. Security Council to investigate the horrific crimes of ISIS. We applaud this effort.

But the United States government has spoken with one voice on the matter of the genocide of Christians. So has the European Parliament, and governments and officials around the world. Of those who take a position on the matter, by more than two to one, a majority of Canadians say what is happening to Christians in the Middle East is genocide.

So, now is the time for “The True North Strong and Free” to add its voice to this clear consensus. In the days ahead, we will continue our work to ensure that the Christians who still speak the language of Jesus, and whose ancestors baptized St. Paul, will survive.

If the future of the United States is going to be one where people take responsibility for good stewardship of life, religious liberty, and neighbor, the Knights of Columbus are an essential part of the rebuilding. These men tell a story about why religion is a good a democratic republic needs.

When I was in Poland last week – and there is a whole additional story there about the Knights work to be told – Poles kept talking to me about the election back home, worried most about whether or not the U.S. can help keep Vladimir Putin from doing anything more to hurt his neighbors — or anyone else. We need good men, good citizens, good neighbors to renew civil society and even national politics. The Knights are part of the solution, leading the renewal. 

(Note: I’m currently in Toronto for the Knights annual convention, where I have been a speaker in the past, hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Last week, I was a speaker and moderator at various events hosted by the Knights in Krakow as part of World Youth Day and the pope’s visit to Poland.)