St. Louis, Mo., Aug 2, 2017 / 09:10 am
The Knights of Columbus on Tuesday announced it will raise and donate $2 million to re-settle Iraqi Christian families displaced by the Islamic State in their home town of Karemlesh on the Nineveh Plain.
"The terrorists desecrated churches and graves and looted and destroyed homes," Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, said in his Aug. 1 remarks announcing the $2 million project.
"Now we will ensure that hundreds of Christian families driven from their homes can return to these two locations and help to ensure a pluralistic future for Iraq," he said. In order for Iraq to have such a future, he said Christians must be treated as "free and equal citizens" and not suffer the "religious apartheid" of previous years.
Anderson addressed the 135th annual convention of the Knights of Columbus held in St. Louis, Mo. Aug.1-3. 90 bishops and 12 cardinals were present, along with Knights councils from all over the world.