Washington D.C., Aug 5, 2010 / 12:20 pm
In an exclusive interview with CNA, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson explained that the priorities of the Knights of Columbus include defending marriage and the family as well as spreading the Gospel message to a culture that has rejected it. Anderson said that the strength of the fraternal organization comes from its values of charity, unity and fraternity, along with the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Reflecting on the fact that he consecrated his responsibilities as Supreme Knight to Our Lady of Guadalupe 10 years ago, and renewed that consecration during the Knights of Columbus Convention on Wednesday, Anderson told CNA that his inspiration was Pope John Paul II’s document on the Church in the Western Hemisphere, “Ecclesia in America.”
“It seemed to me the right time to dedicate the Knights of Columbus, which has always had a very strong devotion to Our Lady, to Our Lady under her title, Our Lady of Guadalupe,” he said. He also acknowledged the importance of expressing "the message that she brings ... in terms of pro-life, in terms of the family, and in terms of the poor and her general message of unity.” Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas and of the Philippines, places where the Knights have been in existence for over a century.
Anderson added that “for myself personally, there have just been many times where there might not be dramatic events but time after time, things just seem to go a little bit better or big problems seem to be avoided. I think it’s a result of her watching over the Knights of Columbus.”