Posted on 08/14/2007 4:04:51 AM PDT by monomaniac
By Elizabeth O'Brien
NASHVILLE, August 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - At the Knights of Columbus 125th annual convention this week, the Order officially resolved to forbid pro-abortion politicians from attending their events. The Order also renewed its support for the traditional definition of marriage and called for the protection of conscience for people in the medical field.
During the final session of the Knights of Columbus convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel on August 9, delegates passed the pro-life resolution, stating, "we reaffirm our long-standing policy of not inviting to any Knights of Columbus event, persons, especially public officials or candidates for public office, who do not support the legal protection of unborn children, or who advocate for the legalization of assisted suicide or euthanasia."
In addition, they resolved to continue "prohibiting such persons from renting or otherwise using facilities over which we have control, or speaking at Knights of Columbus events, or bestowing on them honors or privileges of our Order of any kind, or inviting them to serve as honorary chairpersons of events, celebrations, or committees, or hold any office in the Knights of Columbus."
In the same resolution, the Knights stated their official opposition to political moves towards allowing any scientific or clinical methods that jeopardize human life. They stated, "we renew our deep commitment to oppose any governmental action or policy that promotes abortion, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, euthanasia, assisted-suicide, and other offenses against life, and that we continue to speak out to our elected representatives about the need to enact legislation to oppose these practices and protect human life in all it stages."
With this in mind, the Knights also called for laws protecting medical professionals and Catholic hospitals from acting against their conscience. They resolved to work for "the adoption of laws that recognize and protect in law the right of conscience for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical personnel, guaranteeing that they may not be forced to provide medical services which violate their religious beliefs." They also resolved to "insist on similar protection for Catholic hospitals."
Inspired by Pope John Paul II's reminder (Evangelium Vitae) to grapple with the modern culture by means of proper moral formation, the Order committed to providing solid pro-life education within society. They stated, "We continue our efforts to inform, educate, and motivate, in a charitable manner, our elected officials, the public, and our own members about the importance of being consistently and unequivocally pro-life."
While condemning the evil of abortion, the Knights also compassionately supported its double victims-the unborn child and post-abortive mother. The Order resolved to "support programs that provide women facing crisis pregnancies with alternatives to abortion, including adoption," and to "support projects that provide spiritual support to those women suffering from the traumatic emotional and psychological after-effects of abortion."
Finally, they reaffirmed their commitment to "building a 'culture of life' by promoting policies that favor the family, and by recognizing that it is within strong and healthy families that moral values are taught and that the spiritual and cultural heritage of the nation is transmitted."
They concluded with a resolution to pray the rosary and do penance in reparation for the sins against life.
During the same convention, which marked the 125th anniversary of the Order which was founded in 1882, the Knights issued an official declaration in "Support for Natural Marriage," "Honoring Our Armed Forces," calling for "Decency in the Media and on the Internet," and a further commitment for the use of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Order awarded their highest honor, the Gaudium et Spes award, to keynote speaker Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State. During the conference, the Cardinal promised to support the canonization of the Knights of Columbus founder Father Michael McGivney, Catholic World News reports. He also challenged members of the order to remain faithful to the faith of Christ as laymen in a secular world and to courageously spread the Gospel.
Read full Knights of Columbus Resolution:
http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/convention_2007/resolutions/life.html
Knights of Columbus support of natural marriage: http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/convention_2007/resolutions/marriage.html
Knights of Columbus resolution of decency in the media and Internet http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/convention_2007/resolutions/decency.html
By doing this the KofC has a better track record than the Roman Church.
As far as I know, all the vocal pro-abortion “Catholic” politicians are still allowed to participate in Communion.
They should have been excommunicated on their first pro-abort vote.
Ever notice how it is always the foot-soldiers, the grass-roots who seem to be doing the leading in the right direction. The leaders, all leaders (including GOP leaders) seem to be intent on a more leftward path.
. . . the Roman Church.
I think it is the USCCB, the Catholic Bishops, you are after. The Holy See, The Vatican, has the same track record as the grass roots of the next post. The Church is where the grass roots gets their authority - see: Catechism and also George Weigel’s book “The Courage to be Catholic” to see where the split is and why;If you want to comment with authority, that is.
You are right on this one. I have never understood why that church, with all its power, allows people who are so at odds with the church’s doctine and policies to remain within the fold. Especially when there appears to be no change in these people and they are enabling sin and profiting from it.
Bumping for a later read.
Kudos to the Knights of Columbus!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.