Supreme Knight releases 'Civilization of Love' in Vatican City

Vatican City, Dec 10, 2009 / 14:11 pm

Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, has had a busy couple of days here at the Vatican.  He took advantage of the occasion presented by the Italian language release of his book, “A Civilization of Love,” to also attend a private audience with the Holy Father at the Vatican this morning.

“Una Civilta dell'Amore,” the Italian title of Anderson's book, was officially released at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at the Vatican Radio headquarters.  The book is being published for Italian readers by the Vatican publishing house, Editrice Vaticano. 

Anderson was inspired to write the book after repeated calls from Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI for us “to build a civilization of life.” The volume is directed principally to youth, but it is also a call to all people to build a culture of life and “to transform the world” by leading Christ-centered lives of love and selfless giving. 

Speaking at the press conference on Wednesday, Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko said of the book, “in a world that appears exactly the contrary, it's a provocative title.” 

The book, Rylko continued, “makes us rediscover the commitment to building a Civilization of Love as something constitutional to our very own identities as people and especially as Christians.  Not by chance the author starts off directly with the questions, ‘Who are we?’  and ‘What are we becoming?’  A Civilization of Love is not just a utopia but a reality to be built, a concrete project of personal and social life that touches all of the dimensions of existence.”

During Anderson's visit with the Pope this morning, he was accompanied by Bishop William E. Lori of the Diocese of Bridgeport, who is the chaplain of the Connecticut-based Knights of Columbus.