Knights of Columbus needs to address pro-abortion members
by Carder
Year after year the anti-life politicians keep giving taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood and facilitating the aborting of millions of innocent babies in every way they can. Yet Supreme Knight Carl Anderson and the rest of the Supreme Council keep letting these pro-abortion politicians parade around as legitimate Knights. By doing so they are telling Catholics and the world that good Catholics can be pro-abortion. This is a grave scandal and it endangers souls.
And now things are even worse… These politicians are backing the federal government’s efforts to coerce Catholic institutions and individuals into paying for abortions and contraceptives. The anti-life politicians want to force their fellow Knights, and all Catholics, to violate their consciences, and to commit mortal sins! They are actually, literally persecuting the Catholic Church, yet the K of C Supreme Council seems to have no problem with them!
~ Kenneth M. Fisher, head of Concerned Roman Catholics of America, admonishing the catholic charitable organization Knights of Columbus for failing to address the problem of pro-abortion politician members’ disregard for Catholic teaching, Canada Free Press, August 5
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
The chief knight and his supremes need to clean house.
The Supreme Convention is this week — leaders of Knights of Columbus from all over the world.
I am not aware that the Knights of Columbus allow the anti-life politicians to “parade” as Knights. It is bad enough that the likes of Pelosi and Biden still call themselves “Catholic,” even though they may be obeying the excommunications that they laid upon themselves.
I do know that the Knights of Columbus are a thoroughly pro-life organization. They have paid for many of the ultrasound machines that are used by CPC organizations.
And the Knights are typically good about answering the call to pray during the hoot owl shift when 40 Days for Life campaigns attempt 24/7 coverage.
Good points Del.
The Knights are awesome prolifers…as are most active authentic Catholics & Christians.
Still, I think the Catholic Church needs to do better leading its own toward the realization of authentic life-respecting marriages. This might involve getting serious with membership…at some point…with perhaps some kind of actual action. Calling wayward catholic politicians to account on life issues sounds like as good a place to start as any. Cafeteria-politicians do cause a scandal. Who better to lead the way than the Knights.
Some Knights in action:
http://www.hli.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_4039.jpg
(Note the pink and blue crosses!)
Tommy R says:
Some Knights in action:
http://www.hli.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_4039.jpg
The Knights are guarding/honoring an icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa — The Black Madonnna. Pope St. John Paul the Great made his famous dedication as a young man before the original icon of Mary – Totus Tuus.
Her face was slashed by Hussite protestants before they were miraculously prevented from destroying the icon. The slashes miraculously refuse to be repaired, always reappearing after attempts at restoration. Because of these enduring wounds, she is the special patron of post-abortive women.
I don’t know of any ‘anti-life’ politicians, unless you mean those like Rick Perry.
Expecting politicians to develop and implement policy for a nation based on the dictates of their faith rather than representing the wishes of their constituency is tantamount to theocracy.
Reality says:
I don’t know of any ‘anti-life’ politicians…
The whole “Culture of Death” thing goes right over your head, doesn’t it?
And please understand this about the Culture of Life: Our OPPOSITION to the murder of pre-born children and the exploitation of their mothers has nothing to do with our religion. That is why there are secular pro-lifers — all we need is a moment’s reflection on the dignity of human life. Reason alone is sufficient to see that abortion is unjust.
The reason why so many pro-lifers are also Christian is because our faith gives us a DUTY TO DEFEND THE INNOCENT from those who would harm them. We are called to self-sacrifice and charity to help those who are poor, sick, orphaned, widowed, and otherwise in need of help. Pregnant mothers often hit every category of need: poor, in need of healthcare, abandoned by parents, abandoned by fathers — and now pressured to kill their children.
We know that abortion is injustice because we are human.
We take action and self-sacrifice because we are Christian.
And we are winning, because women know that the abortion industry does not offer them generous love.
Since this ‘culture of death’ thing exists only in the minds of those who don’t like abortion it can’t be going over my head. Wouldn’t the death penalty part of this ‘culture of death’ if it were real?
You can disagree with choice on whatever grounds you wish, doesn’t make your attempts to control and limit others any more valid.
“We know that abortion is injustice because we are human.” – no, not because you are human, because it’s your subjective belief. All those who support womens choice are also human.
“We take action and self-sacrifice because we are Christian.” – are you saying that secular anti-choicers are idlers?
“And we are winning, because women know that the abortion industry does not offer them generous love.” – love isn’t what women seek when they have an unwanted pregnancy. And if you truly loved them you would not try to control and limit them.
This is an unfair accusation against the Knights – one of the most pro-life groups that has ever walked the face of the earth. If someone is pro-abortion and claiming to be a Knight, then that person needs to give up his membership voluntarily because he is no longer living as an authentic Catholic. I think there is much to be gained in being charitable, and in allowing Knights to make their own conversion, rather than withdrawing membership from them. Rather, the Knights of Columbus can continue to put forth the call to arms to defend the defenseless – these babies, elderly, sick, and disabled, who cannot defend themselves. I think that a standard of conduct could be published in the Columbia magazine, the publication of the Knights. However, I think the Knights already do a fantastic job of outlining the characteristics necessary to serve God and mankind by being a faithful Knight. There are many examples in the Columbia magazine of Knights helping orphans, widows, the homeless, the disabled, and of course, the unborn. I have only witnessed and read of heroic deeds and actions performed by Knights – never anything despicable – ever! If a politician who is pro-abortion is a Knight, then he is deceiving no one but himself, and he has already excommunicated his own self by virtue of his public actions. Ex-communication from the Catholic Church is thus automatic ex-communication from the Knights. It simply goes without saying. Perhaps receiving the Columbia magazine in the mail with its blatant pro-life bent will prick the conscience and soften the heart of anyone whose heart is hardened against precious babes in the womb.
The Knights have been struggling with this issue for decades. Below is an article from 2010 that gives the Supreme Knights views and the frustrations of some Knights in the comment section.
Being asked to leave an organization like the Knights is not like getting excommunicated from the whole church. I belong to a Catholic ministerial organization that would kick me out promptly if I ever so much as missed a few meetings. And I am okay with that. The Knights need to DO SOMETHING about this scandalous situation. My guess is that there are other unspoken reasons for the apparent failure to act…and that just adds to the ironic tragedy of the situation.
http://www.catholicvote.org/exclusive-statement-from-the-knights-of-columbus-on-membership/comment-page-3/
Found the article at http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/65069
Long on summary assertions, short on specific instances.
If you’re going to kick the hornet’s nest, you ought to aim at an extremely specific target.
Found an old comment that seems to set the scope of action, that is, at the local level, at http://www.catholicvote.org/exclusive-statement-from-the-knights-of-columbus-on-membership/
Fr Andre Meluskey, Chaplain of Council 4057 says:
June 3, 2010 at 2:10 pm
The issue here is MEMBERSHIP. To get into the ORDER one must have clearance from his Pastor. When he violalates principals of faith, the MEMBER violates his MEMBERSHIP. It is that simple. The local Council determines this, not the Bishop!
Let the locals take care of their own membership. Supreme Council needs not spend “our time, resources and energy” hunting down a handful of members who constitute the rare exception”. These people are in the limelight. Relax , V P of Communications, Sir Knight Patrick S Korten. Our Principles of Charity, Unity, & Fraternity require that we protect our Order from a member who publically disowns the sacred teachings of our Faith & Church. Public defiance and betrayal demands we act as inteligent men of faith. Stand tall! Choose light over darkness!