Knights' efforts to protect religious freedom praised in papal message

(August 06, 2012) The Knights of Columbus "have worked tirelessly" to help the Catholics of the United States to recognize and oppose efforts to "redefine and restrict the exercise of the right to religious freedom," said a message sent on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. The message was on the occasion of the 130^th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus beginning on Tuesday in Anaheim, in the United States. The theme of the August 7 to 9 gathering is, "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land." The Pope said that the theme is a reminder not only of "the great biblical ideals of freedom and justice which shaped the founding of the United States of America, but also the responsibility of each new generation to preserve, defend and advance those great ideals in its own day." Cardinal Bertone thanked the Knights on behalf of the Pope for helping Catholics "recognize and respond to the unprecedented gravity of these new threats to the church's liberty and public moral witness."
With some 1.8 million members, the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. The US-based Knights have supported the U.S. bishops' campaigns to strengthen traditional marriage, defend the traditional definition of marriage and defend religious freedom. The Knights also have publicly opposed the Obama Administration efforts to force most Catholic employers to include contraception in the health insurance plans they offer employees.