Difference between revisions of "Knights of Columbus" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:Kofc.gif|right|thumb|Knights of Columbus emblem]]
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[[Image:DSCN0076 knightsofcolumbus e.jpg|225px|right|thumb|Knights of Columbus marching in a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Fort Collins, Colorado]]
 
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The '''Order of the Knights of Columbus''' is the world's largest [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic]] fraternal service organization. Founded in the [[United States]] in 1881, it is named in honor of [[Christopher Columbus]]<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/index.cfm History.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. Councils have been chartered in many parts of the world, and the organization boasts a worldwide membership of more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men aged 18 or older.<ref>As defined in Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/rc/en/about/join/These_Men_they_Call_Knights.pdf ''These Men They Call Knights''] (PDF), a practical [practicing] Catholic is one who "lives up to the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church." Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
The '''Order of the Knights of Columbus''' is the world's largest [[Catholic Church (disambiguation)#Catholic churches recognising the primacy of the bishop of Rome|Catholic]] [[Fraternal and service organizations|fraternal]] [[Volunteer|service]] organization. Founded in the [[United States]] in [[1882]], it is named in honor of [[Christopher Columbus]]<ref>{{cite web |title=History |publisher=Knights of Columbus |url=http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/index.cfm |accessdate=2006-08-04 }}</ref> and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men aged 18 or older.<ref>As defined in ''[http://www.kofc.org/rc/en/about/join/These_Men_they_Call_Knights.pdf These Men They Call Knights] ([[PDF]]), a practical [practicing] Catholic is one who "lives up to the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church".</ref> Councils have been chartered in the United States, [[Canada]], [[Mexico]], the [[Caribbean]], [[Central America]], the [[Philippines]], [[Guam]], [[Saipan]], and most recently in [[Poland]], boasting a world-wide membership of more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils. The Knights' official junior organization, the [[Columbian Squires]], has over 5,000 Circles.
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The order gives millions of dollars annually to charities and its members perform millions of hours of voluntary service. In addition to these [[philanthropy|philanthropic]] activities, the order also runs a highly successful [[insurance]] program that was originally established to help care for Roman Catholic widows, widowers, and orphans left behind after the unexpected death of the breadwinner.  
In the 2005 fraternal year the Order gave [[United States dollar|US$]]136 million directly to charity and performed over 63.2 million man-hours of voluntary service. For their support for the Church and local communities, as well as for their philanthropic efforts, the Order is often referred to as the "strong right arm of the Church".  The Order's insurance program has more than $60 billion worth of life insurance policies in force and holds the highest insurance ratings given by [[A.M. Best]], [[Standard & Poor's]], and the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association.<ref>However, some argue that they (and other faith-based insurance providers) use their status as religious/fraternal organizations to change policy details and even deny payments without first consulting with their customers. See Theo Francis, "Some Life Insurers Play by Different Rules," ''Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition'', 5/30/2006, Vol. 247 Issue 125, pD1-D2.</ref>
 
 
 
[[Image:DSCN0076 knightsofcolumbus e.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Knights of Columbus marching in a [[St. Patrick's Day Parade]] in [[Fort Collins, Colorado]]]]
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
[[Image:Father McGivney 300.jpg|thumb|right|Fr. [[Michael J. McGivney]], founder of the Knights of Columbus]]
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[[Image:Father McGivney 300.jpg|thumb|right|Fr. Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus]]
 
 
The Knights of Columbus was founded by a [[Holy Orders|Catholic priest]], Father [[Michael J. McGivney]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]].  He gathered a group of men from St. Mary's parish for an organizational meeting on [[October 2]] [[1881]] and the Order was incorporated under the laws of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Connecticut]] on [[March 29]], [[1882]].<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/index.cfm History], Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, url accessed June 1, 2006.</ref> Though the first councils were all in that state, the Order spread throughout [[New England]] and the United States in subsequent years.
 
 
 
The primary motivation for the Order was to be a [[Friendly society|mutual benefit society]]. As a parish priest in an immigrant community, McGivney saw what could happen to a family when the breadwinner died and wanted to provide [[Knights of Columbus#Insurance program|insurance]] to care for the [[widow]]s and [[orphan]]s left behind. He himself had to temporarily leave his seminary studies to care for his family when his father died.<ref>[[Douglas Brinkley]] & Julie Fenster, Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism, William Morrow Publishers, 2006, p. 51.</ref> In the late 19th century, Catholics were regularly excluded from [[labor union]]s and other organizations that provided social services.<ref> Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982.</ref> In addition, Catholics were either barred from many of the popular fraternal organizations, or, as in the case of [[Freemasonry]], [[Catholicism and Freemasonry|forbidden]] from joining by the Catholic Church itself. McGivney wished to provide them an alternative. He also believed that Catholicism and fraternalism were not incompatible and wished to found a society that would encourage men to be proud of their American-Catholic heritage.<ref> Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 17.</ref>
 
 
 
McGivney traveled to [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] to examine the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters and to [[Brooklyn]] to learn about the recently established Catholic Benevolent League, both of which offered insurance benefits. He found the latter to be lacking the excitement he thought was needed if his organization were to compete with the secret societies of the day. He expressed an interest in establishing a New Haven Court of the Foresters, but the charter of Massachusetts Foresters prevented them from operating outside their Commonwealth. The committee of St. Mary's parishioners McGivney had assembled then decided to form a club that was entirely original.<ref>[[Douglas Brinkley]] & Julie Fenster, Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism, William Morrow Publishers, 2006, p. 116-7.</ref>
 
  
McGivney had originally conceived of the name "Sons of Columbus" but [[James T. Mullen]], who would become the first Supreme Knight, successfully suggested that "Knights of Columbus" would better capture the ritualistic nature of the new organization.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 16.</ref> The Order was founded 10 years before the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World and in a time of renewed interest in him. Columbus was a hero to many American Catholics, and the naming him as [[patron]] was partly an attempt to bridge the division between the Irish-Catholic founders of the Order and Catholic immigrants of other nationalities living in Connecticut.
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The Order of the Knights of Columbus was established in 1881 by a [[Catholicism|Catholic]] priest, Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, [[Connecticut]]. McGivney's primary motivation for the creation of the order was to give [[United States|American]] Catholics access to a mutual benefit society. As a parish priest in an immigrant community, he saw what could happen to a family when the breadwinner died. He wanted to provide [[Knights of Columbus#Insurance program|insurance]] to care for the widows and orphans left behind. His motivation was derived partially from person experience as he himself had to temporarily leave his seminary studies to care for his family when his father died.<ref>Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster, ''Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism'' (William Morrow Publishers, 2006 ISBN 0060776846), 51.</ref> A further impetus behind the creation of an explicitly Catholic organization was that in the late nineteenth century, Catholics were regularly excluded from [[labor union]]s and other organizations that provided social services.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism'' (Harper and Row, 1982 ISBN 0-06-014940-X).</ref> In addition, Catholics were either barred from many of the popular fraternal organizations, or, as in the case of [[Freemasonry]], were forbidden from joining by the Catholic Church itself. As such, McGivney wished to provide Catholics with an alternative. He also believed that Catholicism and fraternalism were compatible, and wished to establish a society that would encourage men to be proud of their American-Catholic heritage.<ref> Ibid., 17.</ref>
  
[[Image:CristobalColon.jpg|thumb|left|The Knights of Columbus was founded in a time of increased interest in [[Christopher Columbus]].]]
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Seeking to analyze the options currently open to Catholics (with regards to service organizations), McGivney traveled to [[Boston]] to examine the [[Massachusetts]] Catholic Order of Foresters and to Brooklyn to learn about the recently established Catholic Benevolent League, both of which offered insurance benefits. While he found the latter to be lacking the excitement he thought would be necessary for his organization to compete with the secret societies of the day,<ref>See Amy Koehlinger's "Let Us Live for Those Who Love Us: Faith, Family, and the Countours of Manhood among the Knights of Columbus in Late Nineteenth-Century Connecticut," ''Journal of Social History'' (Winter 2004): 455–57, for an overview of the mystique of these fraternal organizations. </ref> he expressed an interest in establishing a New Haven Court of the Foresters. However, the charter of Massachusetts chapter prevented the group from operating outside their area. Returning to New Haven, McGivney and a committee of St. Mary's parishioners decided to form a club that was entirely original.<ref>Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster, ''Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism'' (William Morrow Publishers, 2006), 116–17.</ref>
  
The ''[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford|Connecticut Catholic]]'' ran an editorial in 1878 that illustrated the esteem in which American Catholics held Columbus. "As American Catholics we do not know of anyone who more deserves our grateful remembrance than the great and noble man - the pious, zealous, faithful Catholic, the enterprising navigator, and the large-hearted and generous sailor: Christopher Columbus."<ref>"Christopher Columbus - Discoverer of the New World," Connecticut Catholic, III (May 25, 1878), p. 4.</ref>
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However, this new brotherhood still required a distinctive title. Though McGivney had originally conceived of the name "Sons of Columbus," James T. Mullen, who would later become the first Supreme Knight, successfully suggested that "Knights of Columbus" would better capture the ritualistic nature of the new organization.<ref>Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' 16.</ref> As for the reference to [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]], the order was founded ten years before the 400th anniversary of the explorer's arrival in the New World and in a time of renewed interest in him. The fabled navigator was a hero to many American Catholics, and naming him as [[patron]] was partly an attempt to bridge the division between the Irish-Catholic founders of the order and Catholic immigrants of other nationalities living in Connecticut. The place of honor held by Columbus is clearly evidenced by an 1878 editorial from the ''Connecticut Catholic,'' which states: "As American Catholics we do not know of anyone who more deserves our grateful remembrance than the great and noble man—the pious, zealous, faithful Catholic, the enterprising navigator, and the large-hearted and generous sailor: Christopher Columbus."<ref>"Christopher Columbus - Discoverer of the New World," ''Connecticut Catholic'' III (May 25, 1878): 4.</ref>  
  
The name of Columbus was also partially intended as a mild rebuke to [[WASP|Anglo-Saxon Protestant]] leaders, who upheld the explorer (a Catholic [[Genoa|Genovese]] [[Italians|Italian]] working for Catholic [[Spain]]) as an American hero, yet simultaneously sought to marginalize recent Catholic immigrants. In taking Columbus as their patron, they were sending the message that not only could Catholics be full members of American society, but were, in fact, instrumental in its foundation.
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The name of Columbus was also partially intended as a mild rebuke to Anglo-Saxon [[Protestant]] leaders, who upheld the explorer (a Catholic [[Genoa|Genovese]] [[Italy|Italian]] working for Catholic [[Spain]]) as an American hero, while simultaneously seeking to marginalize recent Catholic immigrants. In taking Columbus as their patron, McGivney and his parishioners were sending the message that not only could Catholics be full members of American society, but that they were, in fact, instrumental in its foundation.
  
By the time of the first annual convention in 1884, the Order was prospering.  In the five councils throughout Connecticut were 459 members. Groups from other states were requesting information.<ref>[[Douglas Brinkley]] & Julie Fenster, Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism, William Morrow Publishers, 2006, p. 171.</ref>  The Charter of 1899 included four statements of purpose, including "to promote such social and intellectual intercourse among its members as shall be desirable and proper, and by such lawful means as to them shall seem best."<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 73.</ref> The new charter showed members' desire to grow the organization beyond a simple mutual benefit insurance society.
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He gathered a group of men from St. Mary's parish for an organizational meeting on October 2, 1881, and the order was incorporated under the laws of the state of Connecticut on March 29, 1882.<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/index.cfm History.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> Though the first councils were all held in the organization's home state, the order spread relatively quickly throughout [[New England]] and (later) the entire [[United States]].
  
The original insurance system devised by McGivney gave a deceased Knight's widow a $1,000 death benefit. Each member was assessed $1 upon a death and when the number of Knights grew beyond 1,000 the assessment decreased according to the rate of increase.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 22.</ref> Each member, regardless of age, was assessed equally.  As a result, younger, healthier members could expect to pay more over the course of their lifetimes than those men who joined when they were older.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 36-7.</ref> There was also a Sick Benefit Deposit for members who fell ill and could not work.  Each sick Knight was entitled to draw up to $5 a week for 13 weeks. If he remained sick after that the council to which he belonged regulated the sum of money given to him.  At the time, $5 was nearly ⅔ of the pay a man in his 30s or 40s could expect to bring home each week.<ref>[[Douglas Brinkley]] and Julie M. Fenster, Parish Priest, William Morrow, 2006, p. 123.</ref>
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By the time of the first annual convention in 1884, the order was prospering. The five councils headquartered throughout Connecticut boasted 459 members. Also, Catholic groups from other states were requesting information about setting up their own chapters.<ref>Brinkley and Fenster, ''Parish Priest,'' 171.</ref> After fifteen years of growth and development, the rapidly expanding society was certainly not dedicated solely to providing mutual benefit insurance anymore. This expansion of purpose is clearly indicated by the Charter of 1899, which included four separate statements of purpose, one of which notably aims "to promote such social and intellectual intercourse among its members as shall be desirable and proper, and by such lawful means as to them shall seem best."<ref>Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' 73.</ref>  
  
Today there are more than 14,000 councils around the world and the Knights of Columbus is a multi-billion dollar non-profit charitable organization. Knights may be seen distributing [[Tootsie Roll]]s to raise funds to fight developmental disabilities, volunteering for the [[Special Olympics]] and other charitable organizations, erecting [[pro-life]] billboards and "[[Secularization of Christmas|Keep Christ in Christmas]]" signs, conducting blood drives and raising funds for disaster victims, or parading at patriotic events with their bright capes, feathered chapeaux, and ceremonial swords. The cause for McGivney's [[canonization]] is currently before the [[Congregation for the Causes of Saints]] and a [http://www.fathermcgivney.org guild] has been formed to promote his cause. If his cause is successful, he will be the first American-born priest to be canonized as a [[Saint]].
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Today, there are more than 14,000 councils around the world, with the Knights of Columbus representing one of the world's highest-profile [[charitable organization]]s. However, this charitable focus must be understood from within the faith-based perspective of the order. Knights may be seen distributing [[chocolate]] bars to raise funds to fight developmental disabilities, volunteering for the [[Special Olympics]] and other charitable organizations, erecting [[pro-life]] billboards and "Keep Christ in Christmas" signs, conducting blood drives and raising funds for disaster victims, or parading at patriotic events with their bright capes, feathered chapeaux, and ceremonial swords. The cause for McGivney's [[canonization]] is currently before the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and a guild<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.fathermcgivney.org The Life and Legacy of Father Michael J. McGivney.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> has been formed to promote his cause. If his cause is successful, he will be the first American-born priest to be canonized as a [[saint]].
  
 
==Organization==
 
==Organization==
{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em;"
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The Supreme Council is the governing body of the order and is composed of elected representatives from each jurisdiction. The role of the Supreme Council can be roughly compared the to [[shareholder]]s at an annual meeting, as each year they elect seven members to the Supreme Board of Directors for three-year terms. The 21-member board then chooses from its own membership the senior operating officials of the order, including the supreme knight.<ref>Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' 375–76.</ref>
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef;" width=100px| Supreme Knight
 
!style="background:#efefef;" width=100px| Supreme Chaplain
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef;" width=100px| [[Image:Carl Anderson.jpg|center|100px|Carl A. Anderson]]
 
!style="background:#efefef;" width=100px| [[Image:Bishop Lori.jpg|center|100px|Bishop William E. Lori]]
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef;" width=100px| [[Carl A. Anderson]]
 
!style="background:#efefef;" width=100px| [[William E. Lori|Bishop William E. Lori]]
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Deputy Supreme Knight
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| [[Dennis Savoie]]
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Supreme Secretary
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| [[Robert J. Lane|Robert Lane]]
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Supreme Treasurer
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| [[John W. O’Reilly]]
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Supreme Advocate
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| [[Paul R. Devin|Paul Devin]]
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Supreme Warden
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| [[Lawrence G. Costanzo]]
 
|}
 
  
The Supreme Council is the governing body of the Order and is composed of elected representatives from each jurisdiction. The Supreme Council acts in similar manner to [[shareholder]]s at an annual meeting and each year elects seven members to the Supreme [[Board of Directors]] for three year terms. The twenty-one member board then chooses from its own membership the senior operating officials of the Order, including the [[Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus|Supreme Knight]].<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 375-6.</ref>
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District deputies are appointed by the state deputy and oversee several local councils, each of which is led by a grand knight. Other elected council officers include the deputy grand knight, chancellor, warden, recorder, treasurer, advocate, guard, and trustee. A chaplain is appointed by the grand knight and a financial secretary by the supreme knight. Council officers are properly addressed by using the title "worthy" (e.g. Worthy Grand Knight). Councils are numbered in the order in which they chartered into the order and are named by the local membership. For example, San Salvador Council #1 was named for the first island Columbus landed on in the New World.  
  
State Councils in each of the 50 United States, each province in Canada, and other jurisdictions carved out of member countries are led by State Deputies and other officers elected at state conventions. Territorial Deputies are appointed by the Supreme Knight and lead areas not yet incorporated into State Councils.
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As an aside, it should be noted that the title "Knight" is purely fraternal and is not the equivalent of a sovereign accolade. Therefore ''Knights'' of Columbus do not rank with chevaliers and commanders of the [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre]], the [[Order of Malta]], the [[Order of St. Gregory the Great]], or members of any other historic military or chivalric orders.
 
 
District Deputies are appointed by the State Deputy and oversee several local councils, each of which is led by a Grand Knight.  Other elected council officers include the Deputy Grand Knight, Chancellor, Warden, Recorder, Treasurer, Advocate, Guards and Trustees.  A Chaplain is appointed by the Grand Knight and a Financial Secretary by the Supreme Knight.  Council officers are properly addressed by using the title "worthy" (e.g. Worthy Grand Knight). Councils are numbered in the order in which they chartered into the Order and are named by the local membership.  San Salvador Council #1 was named for the [[Guanahani|first island]] Columbus landed on in the [[New World]].
 
 
 
The title "Knight" is purely fraternal and is not the equivalent to a [[Accolade (knighthood)|sovereign accolade]]. Therefore ''Knights'' of Columbus do not rank with Chevaliers and Commanders of the [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre]], the [[Order of Malta]], the [[Order of St. Gregory the Great]], or members of any other historic [[Military order|military]] or [[chivalric order]]s.
 
  
 
==Degrees and principles==
 
==Degrees and principles==
The Order is dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. A First Degree exemplification ceremony, by which a man joins the Order, explicates the virtue of charity. He is then said to be a First Degree Knight of Columbus and after participating the subsequent degrees, each of which focuses on another virtue, rises to that status. Upon reaching the Third Degree a gentleman is considered a full member. Priests do not participate directly in Degree exemplifications as [[Laity|laymen]] do, but rather take the degree by observation.
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The degrees held by members of the knights correspond to their level of initiation into the Order. Further, as the association’s charter reflects the values of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism, each degree is affiliated with a particular principle. For example, a first degree exemplification ceremony, by which a man joins the order, explicates the virtue of charity. He is then said to be a first degree Knight of Columbus. To advance further, the member must participate in the appropriate ceremonies (which are dedicated to unity and fraternity, respectively). Upon reaching the third degree, an individual is considered a full member (with the authorization to attend all meetings and take part in all activities, except those restricted to members of the fourth degree).<ref>For a brief overview, see Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/rc/en/about/join/These_Men_they_Call_Knights.pdf ''These Men They Call Knights''] and the [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/join/types/knights.cfm official website]. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
  
The first ritual handbook was printed in 1885 but contained only sections teaching Unity and Charity. Supreme Knight Mullen, along with primary ritual author Daniel Colwell, believed that the initiation ceremony should be held in three sections "in accord with the 'Trinity of Virtues, Charity, Unity, and Brotherly love.'" The third section, expounding Fraternity, was officially adopted in 1891.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 33.</ref>
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Even these central principles were gradually developed alongside the overall ideology of the organization. For instance, the first ritual handbook was printed in 1885, but contained only sections focused on Unity and Charity. However, Supreme Knight Mullen, along with primary ritual author Daniel Colwell, believed that the initiation ceremony should be held in three sections, "in accord with the 'Trinity of Virtues, Charity, Unity, and Brotherly love.'" The third section, expounding Fraternity, was officially adopted in 1891.<ref>Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' 33.</ref>
  
 
===Fourth degree===
 
===Fourth degree===
{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em;"
 
!style="background:#efefef; width=100px| '''Rank'''
 
!style="background:#efefef; width=100px| '''Color'''
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Vice Supreme Master
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Blue Cape and Chapeau
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Master
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Gold Cape and Chapeau
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| District Marshall
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Green Cape and Chapeau
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Faithful Navigator
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| White Cape and Chapeau
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Assembly Commander
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Purple Cape and Chapeau
 
|-
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Color Corps Members
 
!style="background:#efefef; font-size: smaller;" width=100px| Red Cape and White Chapeau
 
|}
 
 
The Fourth Degree is the highest degree of the order.  Members of this degree are addressed as "Sir Knight".  The primary purpose of the Fourth Degree is to foster the spirit of [[patriotism]] and to encourage active Catholic [[citizenship]].  Fewer than 20% of Knights join the Fourth Degree, which is optional.<ref> Of a total 1,703,307 Knights there were 292,289 Fourth Degree Knights.  See [http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report], url accessed June 8, 2006.</ref>  A Knight is eligible to join the Fourth Degree after one year from the date of his First Degree.
 
 
Assemblies are distinct from councils and are led by a separate set of elected officers. The Supreme Board of Directors appoints a Supreme Master, currently [[Joseph P. Schultz]], and twenty Vice Supreme Masters to govern the Fourth Degree.  Each Vice Supreme Master oversees a Province which is then broken up into Districts.  The Supreme Master appoints District Masters to supervise several assemblies. 
 
 
Each assembly is led by a Navigator. Other elected assembly officers include the Captain, Admiral, Pilot, Scribe, Purser, Comptroller, Sentinels and Trustees. A Friar and Color Corps Commander are appointed by the Navigator. Assembly officers are properly addressed by using the title "faithful" (e.g. Faithful Navigator).  Assemblies are numbered in the order in which they chartered into the Order and are named by the local membership.
 
 
[[Image:Chapeau.jpg|frame|left|A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Chapeau]]
 
[[Image:Chapeau.jpg|frame|left|A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Chapeau]]
Only Fourth Degree Knights may optionally purchase the full regalia and join the Assembly’s Color Corps.  The Color Corps is the most visible arm of the Knights as they are often seen in parades and other local events wearing their colorful regalia.  Official dress for the Color Corps is a black [[tuxedo (clothing)|tuxedo]], [[baldric]], white gloves, [[cape]] and naval [[chapeau]]. White tuxedos may also be used on certain occasions.  Baldrics are worn from the right shoulder to left hip and are color specific by nation.  In the United States, baldrics are red, white and blue. Service baldrics include a scabbard for a [[sword]] and are worn over the coat while social baldrics are worn under the coat.  The colors on a Fourth Degree Knight's cape, and chapeau, denote the office he holds within the Degree.  Faithful Navigators and Past Faithful Navigators are permitted to carry a white handled silver sword.  Masters and Vice Supreme Masters, as well as Former Masters and Former Vice Supreme Masters, are also denoted by their gold swords.<ref>[http://www.calvertprovince.org/base.cgim?template=regalia Laws and Rules of the Order Governing the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus] url accessed June 19, 2006].</ref>
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The fourth degree, which is the highest degree obtainable by members of the order, is also the most recent development. The primary purpose of the fourth degree is to foster the spirit of [[patriotism]] and to encourage active Catholic [[citizenship]]. Fewer than 20 percent of knights join the fourth degree, which is optional.<ref>Of a total 1,703,307 knights worldwide (in 2005), there were 292,289 fourth degree knights. See Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> The need for a patriotic degree was first considered in 1886, and a special plea was made at the National Meeting of 1899. The first fourth degree exemplification followed in 1900 with 1,100 knights participating at the Lenox Lyceum in [[New York City]].<ref>Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' 137–39.</ref>  
  
The need for a patriotic degree was first considered in 1886 and a special plea was made at the National Meeting of 1899. The first Fourth Degree exemplification followed in 1900 with 1,100 Knights participating at the Lenox Lyceum in [[New York City]].<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 137-9.</ref> Today there are more than 2,500 Assemblies.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report], url accessed June 8, 2006.</ref>
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Only fourth degree knights have the optional of purchasing the full regalia to join the assembly’s color corps. The color corps is the most visible arm of the knights and is often seen in parades and other local events wearing their colorful uniforms and other accoutrements. Official dress for the color corps is a black tuxedo, baldric, white gloves, cape, and naval chapeau. The colors on a fourth degree knight's cape and chapeau denote the office he holds within the degree.<ref>Calvert Province, [http://www.calvertprovince.org/base.cgim?template=regalia Laws and Rules of the Order Governing the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
  
 
==Insurance program==
 
==Insurance program==
Many early members were recent immigrants who often lived in unsanitary conditions and performed hazardous jobs for poor pay. Since its founding, a primary mission of the Knights of Columbus has been to protect families against the financial ruin caused by the death of the breadwinner. While this method originally was intended to provide a core group of people who would support a widow and her children after the death of their husband and father, it has flourished and matured into much more.
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Many early members of the knights were recent immigrants who often lived in unsanitary conditions and performed hazardous jobs for poor pay. Since its founding, a primary mission of the Knights of Columbus has been to protect families against the financial ruin caused by the death of the breadwinner. Despite the evolution of the group's mandate, the central concern with providing mutual-benefit insurance remains a prominent theme.
  
Today the Order offers a modern, professional insurance operation with more than $60 billion of life insurance policies in force. Products include [[permanent life insurance|permanent]] and [[term life insurance]] as well as [[Annuity (US financial products)|annuities]] and [[long term care insurance]]. Insurance sales grew 19% in 2004, more than three times the rate of industry at large.  The Order holds $13 billion in assets and had $1.5 billion in revenue and $71 million in profits in 2005.  This is large enough to rank 72nd on the A.M. Best list of all life insurance companies in North America and places it on the [[Fortune 1000]] list of top companies.  Only three other insurers in [[North America]] have received the highest ratings from both [[A.M. Best]] and [[Standard & Poor]]. The Order is certified by the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association for ethical sales practices.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report], url accessed June 1, 2006.</ref>
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The original insurance system devised by McGivney gave a deceased knight's widow a $1,000 death benefit. This money was raised by tithing each member $1 upon the death of a brother, with the requisite payment decreasing when the number of knights grew beyond 1,000.<ref>Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' 22.</ref> Under this system, each member, regardless of age, was assessed equally. As a result, younger, healthier members could expect to pay more over the course of their lifetimes than those men who joined when they were older.<ref>Ibid., 36–37.</ref> There was also a sick benefit deposit for members who fell ill and could not work. Each sick knight was entitled to draw up to $5 a week for 13 weeks. If he remained sick after that the council to which he belonged regulated the sum of money given to him. At the time, $5 was nearly two-thirds of the pay a man in his 30s or 40s could expect to bring home each week.<ref>Brinkley and Fenster, ''Parish Priest,'' 123.</ref>
 +
 
 +
Today, the order offers a modern, professional insurance operation with more than $60 billion of life insurance policies in force. Products include permanent and term life insurance, as well as annuities and long-term care insurance. As an insurance provider, the order found it necessary to become certified by the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association for ethical sales practices.<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> Some critics argue that the tremendous profits enjoyed by the Knights of Columbus should contravene their status as a tax-exempt charity organization.<ref>"Knights of Columbus rolling in profits from insurance sales," ''Church and State'' 48, no. 7 (July–August 1995): 18(2).</ref>
  
 
==Charitable giving==
 
==Charitable giving==
Charity is the foremost principle of the Knights of Columbus. In the 2005 fraternal year the Order gave $136 million directly to charity and performed over 63.2 million man hours in voluntary service. Endowed funds of over $54 million support a number of Church related causes.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report], url accessed June 8, 2006.</ref> A Knight's highest duty is to assist the widow or orphan of a fallen brother Knight.   
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Charity is the foremost principle of the Knights of Columbus. In the 2005 fraternal year, the order gave $136 million directly to charity and performed over 63.2 million hours in voluntary service. Further, endowed funds of over $54 million supported a number of Church-related causes.<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>  
 
 
The Knights have a tradition of supporting those with physical and [[developmental disabilities]].  More than $382 million has been given over the past three decades to groups and programs that support the intellectually and physically disabled.  One of the largest recipients of funds in this area is the [[Special Olympics]].<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=19846 Supreme Knight's Annual Report], url accessed June 8, 2006.</ref>  In addition, the Order's highest honor, the [[Gaudium et Spes]] Award, was given with its $100,000 honorarium to [[Jean Vanier]], the founder of [[l'Arche]], in 2005.  L'Arche is a faith-based network that provides care, in a community setting, for people with severe developmental disabilities. 
 
 
 
The ''Vicarius Christi'' Fund has a [[corpus]] of $20 million and has earned more than $35 million, since its establishment in 1981, for the [[Pope]]'s personal charities.  The multimillion dollar ''Pacem in Terris'' Fund aids the Catholic Church's efforts for peace in the [[Middle East]].  The Order also has eleven separate funds totaling $18 million to assist men and women who are discerning religious vocations pay tuition and other expenses.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/about/activities/church/vocations/index.cfm Support of Vocations], url accessed June 6, 2006.</ref>
 
 
 
Days after the terrorist attacks of [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11, 2001]] the Order established the $1 million Heroes Fund.  Immediate assistance was given to the families of all full-time professional law enforcement personnel, firefighters and emergency medical workers who lost their lives in the rescue and recovery efforts.  Orderwide, more than $10 million has been raised for [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief efforts.  On [[May 6]] [[2006]], $3 million was dispersed to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans|Archdiocese of New Orleans]] and the dioceses of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana|Lafayette, LA]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux|Houma-Thibodaux, LA]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles|Lake Charles, LA]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi|Biloxi, MS]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont|Beaumont, TX]].<ref>Knightline, Vol. 23, No. 7, May 15, 2006.</ref>  The Order also donated more than $500,000 to the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004]] relief efforts and $50,000 to help victims of [[2006 Pacific typhoon season#Typhoon Durian (Reming)|Typhoon Durian]] in the Philippines.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/un/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=236207 Supreme Council Donates $50,000 for Victims of Typhoon in Philippines]</ref>
 
 
 
[[Image:Saint Peter's Facade at Dusk.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Order funded the first renovation of the façade of [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in over 350 years.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/about/history/johnpaulii/index.cfm Knights of Columbus and John Paul II,], url accessed June 12, 2006</ref>]]
 
 
 
At the 2006 [[American Cardinals Dinner]], it was announced that the Knights would be giving a gift of $8 million to [[The Catholic University of America]].  The gift is to renovate Kean Hall, an unused building, and rename it McGivney Hall, after Fr. McGivney.  The new McGivney Hall will house the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, a [[graduate school]] of [[Christian theology|theology]] affiliated with the Pontifical Lateran University in [[Rome]] as well as CUA.  Supreme Knight Anderson serves on CUA's [[Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America|board of trustees]] and is the vice president of the John Paul II Institute.<ref>Knightline, Vol. 23, No. 7, May 15, 2006.</ref>  The Knights have a [[The Catholic University of America and The Knights of Columbus|long history]] of donating to CUA.
 
 
 
The Knights' Satellite Uplink Program has provided funding to broadcast a number of papal events including the annual [[Easter]] and [[Christmas]] Masses, as well as the World Day of Peace in [[Assisi]], the Peace Summit in Assisi, [[World Youth Day]]s, the opening of the [[Holy Door]] at [[St. Peter's Basilica]]'s for the [[Great Jubilee|Millennial Jubilee]], [[Pope John Paul II]]'s visit to [[Nazareth]] and several other events.  In missionary territories the Order also pays for the satellite downlink.
 
 
 
United in Charity, a general, unrestricted [[endowment fund]], was introduced at the 2004 Supreme Council meeting to support and ensure the overall long-term charitable and philanthropic goals of the Order.  The fund is wholly managed, maintained and operated by Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., a [[501(c)(3)]] charitable organization. Before United in Charity was formed all requests for funds were met with the general funds of the Order or in combination with specific appeals.  Requests from the Church and organizations closely aligned with the mission of the Order often far exceeded the amount available and it is hoped that eventually United in Charity's earnings will be sufficient to completely fund the Order's charitable priorities.
 
 
 
==College councils==
 
While most Knights of Columbus Councils are located at parishes or near multiple parish communities, many men first join the Knights while in college.  Over 14,000 Knights are members of 199 College Councils worldwide.<ref>Squires Newsletter, Vol. 78, No. 5, May, 2006.</ref>  College Knights are full members of the Order. 
 
 
 
[[Image:KofC WYD.jpg|right|thumb|College Knights & [[Carl A. Anderson|Supreme Knight Anderson]] representing the Order at [[World Youth Day]] outside the [[Cologne Cathedral]]]]
 
 
 
The first College Council was at [[The Catholic University of America]], Keane Council 353 (it has since moved off-campus).  The Catholic University of America has a new council, [http://www.cuaknights.com/ number 9542].  Today, the [[University of Notre Dame]] [http://www.nd.edu/~knights/ Council 1477], founded in 1910, is the longest continually running College Council in the country.  In 1919, Mount St. Mary's College and Seminary council 1965 became the first council attached to a seminary, at what is now [[Mount St. Mary's University]]. <ref>FIFTY YEARS
 
OF COLUMBIANISM IN MARYLAND 1949 & COLUMBIANISM IN MARYLAND 1897-1965,1965 John P. Bauernschub </ref>  In 1937, the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]] became the first public university with a Knights of Columbus Council, The Illini Council Number 2782.  The [http://college.holycross.edu/organizations/koc/KnightsHome.htm Crusader Council No. 2706] at the [[College of the Holy Cross]] in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]], chartered in 1929, is the oldest College Council in New England and the oldest council established on a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] college or university campus.
 
 
 
Some College Councils hold a unique form of the Knights Membership Blitz styled "Go Roman Week".  The name is a play on the fact that most fraternities on college campuses are given Greek alphabet designations, while the Knights of Columbus is a Catholic organization.  At some Catholic universities, such as the [[University of St. Thomas (Texas)|University of St. Thomas]], the Knights are the only fraternity permitted on campus.  However, some councils have difficulty attaining official college recognition because of their all-male composition.<ref>[http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=7374 Discussions continue after University of Wisconsin boots Knights of Columbus], url accessed April 11, 2007.</ref>
 
 
 
Each September, the Supreme Council hosts a College Council Conference at their headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut. Awards are given for the greatest increases in membership, the best Youth, Community, Council, Family and Church activities and the overall Outstanding College Council of the year. In 2005, the Outstanding College Council award went to Msgr. Cornelius George O'Keefe Council 8250 at the [[United States Military Academy|U.S. Military Academy]] at West Point. In years of an international [[World Youth Day]] the Order is represented by members of the College Council Conference Coordinating Committee, who travel with the diocese of the Supreme Chaplain (currently Bishop [[William E. Lori]] of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport|Diocese of Bridgeport]]).
 
 
 
==Columbian Squires==
 
{{main|Columbian Squires}}
 
  
The Knights' official junior organization is the [[Columbian Squires]]. The international fraternity for boys 10-18 has over 5000 circles.  According to Brother BarnabasMcDonald, F.S.C., the Squires founder, “The supreme purpose of the Columbian Squires is character building.”  Squires have fun and share their Catholic faith, help people in need, and enjoy the company of friends in social, family, athletic, cultural, civic and spiritual activities. Through their local circle, Squires work and socialize as a group of friends, elect their own officers, and develop into Catholic leaders.
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The knights have a tradition of supporting those with [[physical disability|physical]] and [[developmental disability|developmental disabilities]]. More than $382 million has been given over the past three decades to groups and programs that support the intellectually and physically disabled. One of the largest recipients of funds in this area is the [[Special Olympics]].<ref>Ibid.</ref> In addition, the order's highest honor, the Gaudium et Spes Award, was given with its $100,000 honorarium to [[Jean Vanier]], the founder of [[l'Arche]], in 2005. L'Arche is a faith-based network that provides care, in a community setting, for people with severe developmental disabilities.<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/activities/community/specialOlympics.cfm Special Olympics and People with Disabilities.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
  
Each Circle is supervised by a Knights of Columbus Council or Assembly and has an advisory board made up of either the Grand Knight, the Deputy Grand Knight and Chaplain or the Faithful Navigator, the Faithful Captain and Faithful Friar. Circles are either Council based, parish based, or school based, depending on the location of the circle and the Knight counselors.
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Days after the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001]] the order established the $1 million Heroes Fund. Immediate assistance was given to the families of all full-time professional law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and emergency medical workers who lost their lives in the rescue and recovery efforts. Similarly, more than $10 million has been raised for [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief efforts and dispersed to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the dioceses of Lafayette, Louisiana, Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Biloxi, Mississippi, and Beaumont, Texas.<ref>”Order’s Hurricane Relief Surpasses $9 Million,” ''Knightline'' 23, no. 7 (May 15, 2006): 1.</ref> The order also donated more than $500,000 to the tsunami relief efforts (in 2004) and $50,000 to help victims of Typhoon Durian in the [[Philippines]] (2006).<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/un/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=236207 Supreme Council Donates $50,000 for Victims of Typhoon in Philippines,] December 7, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
  
In 1997 the Virginia State Council of Knights of Columbus introduced a female compliment to the Columbian Squires.  This group is known as the Columbian Squire Roses. The founder of this organization is Mr. Russell DeRose, currently a Chief Counselor for Squire Roses Circle #1, St. Mary of Sorrows, in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
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United in Charity, a general, unrestricted endowment fund, was introduced at the 2004 Supreme Council meeting to support and ensure the overall long-term charitable and philanthropic goals of the order. The fund is wholly managed, maintained and operated by Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., a 501(c)(3) [[charitable organization]]. Before United in Charity was formed, all requests for funds were met with the general funds of the order or in combination with specific appeals. As requests from the various constituents aligned with the mission of the order often far exceeded the funds available, it is hoped that eventually United in Charity's earnings will be sufficient to completely fund the order's charitable priorities.<ref>See Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/charities/index.cfm United in Charity] for more details pertaining to this initiative. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
  
 
==Emblems of the Order==
 
==Emblems of the Order==
[[Image:Kofc.gif|right|thumb|Third Degree Emblem]]
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At the second Supreme Council meeting on May 12 1883, Supreme Knight James T. Mullen introduced the emblem of the order. It consists of a shield mounted upon a Formée cross. The Formée cross, with its arms expanding at the ends, is an artistic representation of the [[Christian cross|cross of Christ]] and the shield is a symbol of the ideals of medieval [[knight]]hood. Mounted on the shield is a fasces with an anchor and a short sword crossed behind it. The fasces is a symbol of authority while the anchor is the [[mariner]]'s symbol for Columbus. The sword, like the shield it is mounted on, also symbolizes the chivalry and honor of the knights of yesteryear.<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/about/history/articles/emblem.cfm Emblem of the Order.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> Each knight receives the emblem as a lapel pin.
At the second Supreme Council meeting on [[May 12]] [[1883]] Supreme Knight [[James T. Mullen]] introduced the emblem of the Order. It consists of a shield mounted upon a Formée cross. The Formée cross, with its arms expanding at the ends, is an artistic representation of the [[Christian cross|cross of Christ]]. The shield harkens back to medieval [[knight]]s and the cross represents the Catholicity of the Order. Mounted on the shield is a [[fasces]] with an anchor and a [[short sword]] crossed behind it. The fasces is a symbol of authority while the anchor is the [[mariner]]'s symbol for Columbus. The sword, like the shield it is mounted on, was used by knights of yesteryear when engaged upon an errand of mercy.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/about/history/articles/emblem.cfm Emblem of the Order], url accessed June 16, 2006.</ref> Each Knight receives the emblem as a lapel pin.
 
  
[[Image:Fourth degree.gif|230px|left|thumb|Fourth Degree Emblem]]
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Three elements form the emblem of the fourth degree. A dove floats over a globe showing the Western Hemisphere, the "New World" that Columbus is credited with discovering. Both are mounted on the Isabella cross, a variation of the Maltese cross that was often found on the tunics and capes of the crusading knights who fought in the [[Holy Land]].
  
Three elements form the emblem of the Fourth Degree. A dove floats over a globe showing the [[Western Hemisphere]], the New World Columbus is credited with discovering.  Both are mounted on the Isabella cross, a variation of the [[Maltese cross]] with knobs at the end of each of the 8 points.  This cross was often [[Crusades#Usage of the term .22crusade.22|found]] on the tunics and capes of the [[Crusades|crusading]] knights who fought for the [[Holy Land]].  
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Spiritually, the emblem symbolizes the [[Trinity|three persons]] of God. The globe represents God the Father, Creator of the Universe, the cross is symbolic of God the Son, who they believe redeemed mankind by dying on the cross, and the dove represents God the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier of Humanity. The colors of the emblem—the red cross, white dove, and blue earth—are the colors of the [[United States]] flag, where the order was founded. The elements serve as a reminder that the principle of the degree is [[patriotism]] but also that the order is thoroughly Catholic.<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/articles/degree.cfm Fourth Degree Emblem.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
  
Spiritually, the symbols of the emblem symbolize the [[Trinity|three persons]] of God.  The Globe represents [[God the Father]], Creator of the Universe.  The Cross is symbolic of [[Christian views of Jesus|God the Son]], who redeemed mankind by dying on the cross, and the Dove represents [[Holy Spirit|God the Holy Spirit]], the Sanctifier of Humanity.  The colors of the emblem, the red cross, white dove and blue earth are the colors of the [[flag of the United States]], where the Order was founded.  The elements serve as a reminder that the principle of the Degree is [[patriotism]] but also that the Order is thoroughly Catholic.<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/articles/degree.cfm Fourth Degree Emblem], url accessed June 16, 2006.</ref>
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==Political activities==
 +
Over and above their overtly religious and charitable activities, the Knights of Columbus also have a storied history of political campaigning for faith-based causes.  
  
==Litany==
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In 1954, lobbying by the order helped convince the [[U.S. Congress]] to add the phrase "under God" to the [[Pledge of Allegiance]]. President [[Dwight Eisenhower]] wrote to (then) Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart thanking the knights for their "part in the movement to have the words 'under God' added to our Pledge of Allegiance."<ref> “Dwight D. Eisenhower to Luke E. Hart, August 6, 1954,” in ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' by Christopher Kaufman, 385.</ref> Similar lobbying convinced many state legislatures to adopt October 12 as [[Columbus Day]] and led to President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]'s confirmation of Columbus Day as a federal holiday in 1937.
The Knights have a strict protocol, sometimes referred to as the "Litany" which dictates the order of rank with the Order, and is typically used at formal functions or presentations in the Order:
 
<blockquote>
 
#Hierarchy
 
#Clergy
 
#Supreme Officers
 
#Supreme Directors
 
#Vice Supreme Master
 
#State or Territorial Officers
 
#Masters of the Fourth Degree
 
#Immediate Past State or Territorial Deputy
 
#Past State or Territorial Deputies
 
#Former Masters of the Fourth Degree
 
#Executive Staff
 
#Supreme Council Insurance General Agents
 
#District Deputies
 
#Supreme Council Insurance Field Agents
 
#State or Territorial Directors
 
#Chapter Presidents
 
#State or Territorial Chairmen
 
#Wardens to the State or Territorial Deputy
 
#District Wardens
 
#District Marshals
 
#Grand Knights
 
#Faithful Navigators
 
#Past Chapters Presidents
 
#Past Grand Knights
 
#Past Faithful Navigators
 
#Chapter Officers
 
#Council Officers
 
#Assembly Officers
 
<br></blockquote>
 
Additionally only officers elected to the chief position in either a council (GK), assembly (FN), chapter (President), or state/territory (State or Territorial Deputy) are referred by the title "Past" once they have left office. All other members having previously held a chief position are referred by the title "Former", the distinction being made between having been elected (Past) and having been appointed (Former).
 
  
==Political activities==
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[[Image:March sign.jpg|right|thumb|Tens of thousands of Knights of Columbus placards are handed out at the March For Life.]]
In 1954, [[lobbying]] by the Order helped convince the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] to add the phrase "under God" to the [[Pledge of Allegiance]]. President [[Dwight Eisenhower]] wrote to Supreme Knight [[Luke E. Hart]] thanking the Knights for their "part in the movement to have the words 'under God' added to our Pledge of Allegiance."<ref>[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] to [[Luke E. Hart]], August 6, 1954. Found in Faith and Fraternalism, p. 385.</ref> Similar lobbying convinced many [[state legislature]]s to adopt October 12th as [[Columbus Day]] and led to President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]'s confirmation of Columbus Day as a federal holiday in 1937.
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While the Knights of Columbus support political awareness and activity, councils within the [[United States]] are prohibited by tax laws from engaging in candidate endorsement and partisan political activity due to their non-profit status.<ref>Caplin and Drysdale, “Voter Education vs. Partisan Politicking: What a 501(c)(3) can and cannot do,” ''Grantsmanship Center Magazine'' (Winter 1999). </ref> Public policy activity is limited to issue-specific campaigns, typically dealing with Catholic family and lifestyle issues. Nevertheless, President [[George H. W. Bush]] appeared at the annual convention during the election year of 1992 and President [[George W. Bush]] sent videotaped messages before he attended in person at the 2004 election year convention.<ref>Knights of Columbus, [http://www.kofc.org/un/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=3923 Why was President Bush invited to this year’s Supreme Convention?] August 6, 2004. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>  
  
[[Image:March sign.jpg|right|thumb|Tens of thousands of Knights of Columbus placards are handed out at the [[March For Life]].]]
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In the United States, the Knights of Columbus often follows the lead of the [[Vatican]] in adopting [[social conservatism|socially conservative]] positions on public issues. For instance, they have adopted resolutions advocating a Culture of Life,<ref>Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, Resolution on Building a Culture of Life, August 4, 2005.</ref> defining [[marriage]] as the union of one man and one woman,<ref>Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, [http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=20363 Resolution on Defense of Marriage,] August 4, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> and protecting religious expression in [[public school]]s, [[government]], and voluntary organizations such as the [[Boy Scouts of America]]. The order also funded a postcard campaign in 2005 in an attempt to stop the [[Canada|Canadian]] parliament from legalizing same-sex marriage.  
While the Knights of Columbus support political awareness and activity, United States councils are prohibited by tax laws from engaging in candidate endorsement and partisan political activity due to their non-profit status.<ref>{{cite web | last = Caplin | coauthors = Drysdale | title = Voter Education vs. Partisan Politicking: What a 501(c)(3) can and cannot do | work = The Grantsmanship Center | date = Winter 1999 | url = http://www.tgci.com/magazine/99winter/voter1.asp | accessdate = 2006-07-18 }}</ref> Nevertheless, President [[George H. W. Bush]] appeared at the annual convention during the election year of 1992 and President [[George W. Bush]] sent videotaped messages before he attended in person at the 2004 election year convention.<ref>http://www.kofc.org/un/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=3923, url accessed June 9, 2006.</ref> Public policy activity is limited to issue-specific campaigns, typically dealing with Catholic family and [[Culture of Life|life]] issues.
 
  
In the United States, the Knights of Columbus often adopts [[social conservatism|socially conservative]] positions on public issues.  They have adopted resolutions advocating a Culture of Life,<ref>[https://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=20369 Supreme Council Resolution], adopted August 4, 2005, url accessed June 2, 2006.</ref> defining [[marriage]] as the union of one man and one woman,<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/news/releases/detail.cfm?id=20363 Supreme Council Resolution], adopted August 4, 2005, url accessed June 2, 2006.</ref> and protecting religious expression in public schools, government, and voluntary organizations such as the [[Boy Scouts of America]].  The Order also funded a postcard campaign in 2005 in an attempt to stop the [[Canadian parliament]] from legalizing same-sex marriage.
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However, the political involvement of the knights is not restricted to religious issues or issues of sexual/relationship ethics. On April 9, 2006, the Board of Directors commented on the "U.S. immigration policy [which] has become an intensely debated and divisive issue on both sides of the border between the U.S. and [[Mexico]]." They called "upon the President and the U.S. Congress to agree upon immigration legislation that not only gains control over the process of immigration, but also rejects any effort to criminalize those who provide humanitarian assistance to undocumented immigrants, and provides these immigrants an avenue by which they can emerge from the shadows of society and seek legal [[residency]] and [[citizenship]] in the U.S."<ref>Knights of Columbus Board of Directors, [http://www.kofc.org/un/news/legislative/detail.cfm?id=59086 Resolution on U.S. Immigration Policy,] April 9, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
 
 
On [[April 9]] [[2006]] the Board of Directors commented on the "[[United States immigration debate|U.S. immigration policy]] [which] has become an intensely debated and divisive issue on both sides of the border between the U.S. and [[Mexico]]." They called "upon the President and the U.S. Congress to agree upon immigration legislation that not only gains control over the process of immigration, but also rejects any effort to criminalize those who provide [[humanitarian]] assistance to undocumented immigrants, and provides these immigrants an avenue by which they can emerge from the shadows of society and seek legal [[residency]] and [[citizenship]] in the U.S."<ref>[http://www.kofc.org/un/news/legislative/detail.cfm?id=59086 Board of Directors Resolution], adopted April 9, 2006, url accessed June 2, 2006.</ref>
 
  
 
===Heads of state===
 
===Heads of state===
[[Image:Bush & 4th Degree.jpg|175px|right|thumb|[[George W. Bush]] greets Fourth Degree Knights at the 122nd Annual Convention.]]
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The Knights of Columbus invite the head of state of every country they operate in to the Supreme Convention each year. In 1971, U.S. President [[Richard Nixon]] gave the keynote address at the States Dinner; Secretary of Transportation and Knight John Volpe was responsible for this first appearance of a U.S. president at a Supreme Council gathering.<ref>Kaufman, ''Faith and Fraternalism,'' 411.</ref> President [[Ronald Reagan]] spoke at the Centennial Convention in 1982.  
 
 
The Knights of Columbus invites the [[head of state]] of every country they operate in to the Supreme Convention each year. In [[1971]], U.S. President [[Richard Nixon]] gave the keynote address at the States Dinner; [[United States Secretary of Transportation|Secretary of Transportation]] and Knight [[John Volpe]] was responsible for this first appearance of a U.S. President at a Supreme Council gathering.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 411.</ref> President [[Ronald Reagan]] spoke at the Centennial Convention in 1982.  
 
 
 
[[John F. Kennedy]], the only Catholic to be elected [[President of the United States]], was a Fourth Degree member of Bunker Hill Council No. 62 and Bishop Cheverus General Assembly.  Supreme Knight [[Luke E. Hart]] visited Kennedy at the [[White House]] on Columbus Day, 1961.  The president told Hart that his younger brother, [[Ted Kennedy]], had received "his Third Degree in our Order three weeks before."  Hart presented Kennedy with a poster of the American Flag with the story of how the Order got the words "under God" inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 393-4.</ref>
 
 
 
In 1959 [[Fidel Castro]] sent an aide to represent him at a Fourth Degree banquet in honor of the [[Golden Jubilee]] of the Order's entry into [[Cuba]].  Supreme Knight Hart attended a banquet in the Cuban Prime Minister's honor in April of that year sponsored  by the [[Overseas Press Club]] and later sent him a letter expressing regret that they were not able to meet in person.<ref>Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 391.</ref>
 
  
==Famous Knights==
+
[[John F. Kennedy]], the only Catholic to be elected [[president of the United States]], was a fourth degree member of Bunker Hill Council No. 62 and Bishop Cheverus General Assembly. Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart visited Kennedy at the White House on Columbus Day, 1961. The president told Hart that his younger brother, Ted Kennedy, had received "his Third Degree in our Order three weeks before." Hart presented Kennedy with a poster of the American flag with the story of how the order got the words "under God" inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance.<ref>Ibid., 393–94.</ref>
Many famous Catholic men from all over the world are Knights of Columbus.  In the United States several of the most notable include [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Samuel Alito]], an [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States]] and [[Jeb Bush]], the former [[Governor of Florida]] and brother of President George W. Bush. [[Daniel Daly]], a two-time [[Medal of Honor]] recipient, once described by the commandant of the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] as “the most outstanding Marine of all time”<ref>[http://www.usmcmuseum.org/Education_Marine_daly.asp The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation]</ref> was also a Knight of Columbus. 
 
  
Many notable clerics are also Knights, including [[William Joseph Levada]], the Cardinal [[Prefect]] of the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]], Cardinal [[Sean O'Malley]], the [[Archbishop of Boston]] and [[Jaime Cardinal Sin|Cardinal Jaime Sin]], the former [[Archbishop of Manila]]. In the world of sports, [[Vince Lombardi]], the famed former coach of the [[Green Bay Packers]], [[James Connolly (athlete)|James Connolly]], the first [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] Gold Medal champion in modern times, and baseball star [[Babe Ruth]] were Knights. Former heavyweight [[boxing]] champion, [[Floyd Patterson]], was also a Knight.<ref>Stephen Singular, By Their Works: Profiles of Men of FAith Who Made a Difference, HarperCollins, 2006.</ref>
+
In 1959, [[Fidel Castro]] sent an aide to represent him at a fourth degree banquet in honor of the Golden Jubilee of the order's entry into [[Cuba]]. Supreme Knight Hart attended a banquet in the Cuban prime minister's honor in April of that year sponsored by the Overseas Press Club and later sent him a letter expressing regret that they were not able to meet in person.<ref>Ibid., 391.</ref>
 
 
On October 15th, 2006, Bishop [[Rafael Guizar Valencia]] (1878-1938) was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, thereby becoming the first Knights of Columbus bishop declared a saint. Already in 2000, six other Knights were declared saints by Pope John Paul II.<ref>ZENIT: [http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=96295 1st Knight-of-Columbus-Bishop to Be Canonized], October 10, 2006</ref>
 
 
 
''For a more comprehensive list see [[List of notable Knights of Columbus]].  Also see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Knights_of_Columbus Category:Knights of Columbus].''
 
  
 
==Criticism==
 
==Criticism==
Some public colleges refuse to recognize Knights of Columbus Councils as official student organizations because the men-only membership policy is considered discriminatory. The Supreme Council issues Charters to qualifying groups despite lack of college recognition and the students often get around the anti-discrimination policy. Clubs named the "Friends of the Knights of Columbus" are open to all students and they then sponsor meeting space for the Council. Still other College Councils apply for recognition as an on-campus fraternity or fraternal organization, and are made subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to all-male Greek fraternities and similar groups.
+
Some local councils of the Knights of Columbus were accused of being [[racism|racist]] during the early half of the twentieth century. While nothing prohibited black men from joining and the membership application did not ask what race the candidate was, black men were sometimes turned down. Once these unofficial tendencies were publicly acknowledged, some councils were overtly racially integrated, and all others faced increasing pressure from Church officials and organizations to change their applicant review system, to the extent that Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart began actively encouraging councils to accept black candidates by the end of the 1950s.<ref>Ibid., 396.</ref> In 1963, Hart attended a special meeting at the [[White House]] hosted by President Kennedy to discuss [[civil rights]] with other religious leaders. A few months later, a [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] alumnus' application was rejected because he was black. Six council officers resigned in protest and the incident made national news. Hart then declared that the process for membership would be revised at the next Supreme Convention, but died before he could see it take place.<ref>Ibid., 397.</ref>
  
Some local councils were accused of being [[racism|racist]] during the early half of the 20th century. While nothing prohibited black men from joining and the membership application did not ask what race the candidate was, black men were sometimes turned down. During this time five negative votes on a membership application resulted in the applicant being rejected.  While some Councils were integrated, increasing pressure came from Church officials and organizations to change its [[Blackball (blacklist)|blackball]] system and Supreme Knight [[Luke E. Hart]] was actively encouraging councils to accept black candidates by the end of the 1950s.<ref>Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 396.</ref>  
+
The 1964 Supreme Convention was scheduled to be held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. A few days before the convention, new Supreme Knight John W. McDevitt learned the hotel only admitted white guests and immediately threatened to move to another hotel. The hotel changed its policy and so did the order. The convention amended the admissions rule to require one-third of those voting to reject a new member and in 1972 the Supreme Convention again amended its rules to require a majority of members voting to reject a candidate.<ref>Ibid., 400.</ref>
  
In 1963 Hart attended a special meeting at the White House hosted by President Kennedy to discuss [[civil rights]] with other religious leaders.  A few months later, a [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] alumnus' application was rejected because he was black. Six council officers resigned in protest and the incident made national news. Hart then declared that the process for membership would be revised at the next Supreme Convention, but died before he could see it take place.<ref>Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 397.</ref>  
+
At present, critiques continue to be aimed at the knights for allegedly discriminatory practices. Some public colleges refuse to recognize Knights of Columbus Councils as official student organizations because they consider the male-only membership policy to be discriminatory. The Supreme Council issues charters to qualifying groups despite the lack of official college recognition and interested students often work to circumvent the anti-discrimination policies. Clubs named the "Friends of the Knights of Columbus" are open to all students and they then sponsor meeting space for the council. Still other college councils apply for recognition as an on-campus fraternity or fraternal organization, and are made subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to all-male fraternities and similar groups.<ref>See, for example, Joanna Pliner, [http://badgerherald.com/news/2006/09/04/knights_threaten_uw_.php "Knights threaten UW with lawsuit,"] ''Badger Herald,'' Monday, September 4, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
  
The 1964 Supreme Convention was scheduled to be held at the Roosevelt Hotel in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]]. A few days before the Convention, new Supreme Knight [[John W. McDevitt]] learned the hotel only admitted white guests and immediately threatened to move to another hotel.  The hotel changed its policy and so did the Order.  The Convention amended the admissions rule to require one-third of those voting to reject a new member and in 1972 the Supreme Convention again amended its rules to require a majority of members voting to reject a candidate.<ref>Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, Harper and Row, 1982, p. 400.</ref>
+
In 2005, a local Knights of Columbus council in [[Canada]] was fined $2,000 by the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal for refusing to rent their hall to lesbians Tracey Smith and Deborah Chymyshynto.<ref>British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, Smith and Chymyshyn v. Knights of Columbus and others, 2005 BCHRT 544. </ref> The council's hall manager signed a contract with the women but canceled it after they became aware that it was for a same-sex wedding reception.<ref>CTV.ca News Staff, [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051129/tribunal_lesbiancouple_051129/20051130?hub=CanadaAM B.C.E. tribunal awards lesbian couple damages,] CTV.ca, November 30, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref> The two women claimed they were unaware that the facility was affiliated with the Catholic Church. The local council responded that the hall is on the same compound as a parish church and there were Catholic symbols, such as a picture of the [[pope]] and a [[crucifix]], inside.<ref>Life Site News, [http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/dec/05120901.html Photos of Port Coquitlam, B.C. Knights of Columbus Hall Dispute Lesbians’ Claims,] December 7, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
 
+
The tribunal ruled the council was within its rights to refuse to rent it based on their religious convictions, but fined them "for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect" of the women.<ref>British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, [http://www.bchrt.bc.ca/decisions/2005/pdf/Smith_and_Chymyshyn_v_Knights_of_Columbus_and_others_2005_BCHRT_544.pdf Smith and Chymyshyn v. Knights of Columbus and others, 2005 BCHRT 544.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>
In 2005, a local Knights of Columbus Council in Canada was [http://www.bchrt.bc.ca/decisions/2005/pdf/Smith_and_Chymyshyn_v_Knights_of_Columbus_and_others_2005_BCHRT_544.pdf fined $2,000] by the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal for refusing to rent their hall to lesbians Tracey Smith and Deborah Chymyshynto. The Council's Hall Manager signed a contract with the women but canceled it after they became aware that it was for a same-sex wedding reception.<ref>[http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051129/tribunal_lesbiancouple_051129/20051130?hub=CanadaAM B.C.E. tribunal awards lesbian couple damages], CTV.ca, url accessed June 27, 2006.</ref> The two women claimed they were unaware that the facility was affiliated with the Catholic Church. The local council responds that the hall is on the same compound as a parish church and there were Catholic symbols such as a picture of the Pope and a [[crucifix]] inside.<ref>[http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/dec/05120901.html Photos of Port Coquitlam, B.C. Knights of Columbus Hall Dispute Lesbians’ Claims] Lifesite, url accessed June 27, 2006.</ref>
 
The tribunal ruled the Council was within its rights to refuse to rent it based on their religious convictions but fined them "for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect" of the women.<ref>[http://www.bchrt.bc.ca/decisions/2005/pdf/Smith_and_Chymyshyn_v_Knights_of_Columbus_and_others_2005_BCHRT_544.pdf Smith and Chymyshyn v. Knights of Columbus] url accessed June 27, 2006.</ref>
 
  
 
==Similar organizations==
 
==Similar organizations==
The Knights of Columbus is a member of the [[International Alliance of Catholic Knights]], which includes fifteen fraternal orders such as the [[Knights of Saint Columbanus]] in [[Ireland]], the [[Knights of Saint Columba]] in the [[United Kingdom]], the [[Knights of Peter Claver]] in the United States, the [[Knights of the Southern Cross]] in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], and the [[Knights of Saint Mulumba|Knights of St. Mulumba]] in [[Nigeria]].<ref>International Alliance of Catholic Knights; ''[http://www.iack.org/members.htm Member Orders]''; url accessed May 30, 2006.</ref>  
+
The Knights of Columbus is a member of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights, which includes 15 fraternal orders, such as the Knights of Saint Columbanus in [[Ireland]], the Knights of Saint Columba in the [[United Kingdom]], the Knights of Peter Claver in the [[United States]], the Knights of the Southern Cross in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], and the Knights of St. Mulumba in [[Nigeria]].<ref>International Alliance of Catholic Knights, [http://www.iack.org/members.htm Member Orders.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.</ref>  
  
Many councils also have women's auxiliaries. However, the Supreme Council does not charter them and they may adopt any name they choose. At the turn of the [[20th century]] two were formed by local councils and each took the name the [[Daughters of Isabella]]. Using the same name, both groups expanded and issued charters to other Circles but never merged. The newer organization renamed itself the [[Catholic Daughters of the Americas]] in [[1921]] and both have structures independent of the Knights of Columbus.
+
Many councils also have women's auxiliaries. However, the Supreme Council does not charter them and they may adopt any name they choose. At the turn of the twentieth century, two women's councils were formed and each took the name the [[Daughters of Isabella]]. Both groups expanded and issued charters to other circles but never merged. The newer organization renamed itself the Catholic Daughters of the Americas in 1921, and both continue to have structures independent of the Knights of Columbus.
  
==Popular culture==
+
==Notes==
{{commonscat}}
+
<div class="references-small">
* In the [[Ray Stevens]] song "Shriner's Convention," (1980) Bubba was on the phone talking to Coy about the little redhead that was with Coy who was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and Bubba replied, "Coy! It don't make no difference if she is from the Knights of Columbus."
+
<references /></div>
* In the 2004 movie ''[[Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy]]'', Ron Burgundy, who is portrayed by [[Will Ferrell]], makes a reference to the Order by exclaiming: "Knights of Columbus! That hurt!"
 
* In the 2006 movie ''[[The Departed]]'', Irish mob chief Frank Costello, played by [[Jack Nicholson]], claims "The Knights of Columbus were real head-breakers; true Guineas. They took over their piece of  [Boston]".
 
* In the 1973 movie ''[[The Sting]]'', J.J. Singleton refers to Doyle Lonnegan as "an Irishman who doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, and doesn't chase dames. He's a Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus, and he only goes out to play [[Faro (card game)|faro]]."
 
  
==See also==
+
==References==
*[[Columbian Squires]]  
+
* Brinkley, Douglas, and Julie Fenster. ''Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism.'' William Morrow Publishers, 2006. ISBN 0060776846
 +
* Caplin and Drysdale. “Voter Education vs. Partisan Politicking: What a 501(c)(3) can and cannot do.” ''Grantsmanship Center Magazine'' (Winter 1999).
 +
* "Christopher Columbus - Discoverer of the New World." ''Connecticut Catholic'' III (May 25, 1878).
 +
* Francis, Theo. "Some Life Insurers Play by Different Rules." ''Wall Street Journal'' (Eastern Edition) 247, no. 125 (May 30, 2006): D1–D2.
 +
* Kauffman, Christopher. "Anti-Catholicism and the Knights of Columbus." In ''Anti-Catholicism in the Media,'' ed. Patrick Riley and Russell Shaw. Huntingdon, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-87973-551-1
 +
* Kauffman, Christopher. ''Faith and Fraternalism.'' Harper and Row, 1982. ISBN 0-06-014940-X
 +
* Kauffman, Christopher. ''Patriotism and Fraternalism in the Knights of Columbus: A History of the Fourth Degree.'' Herder and Herder, 2001. ISBN 0824518853
 +
* Knights of Columbus. [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/articles/emblem.cfm Emblem of the Order.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.
 +
* Knights of Columbus. [http://www.kofc.org/un/about/history/articles/degree.cfm Fourth Degree Emblem.] Retrieved May 21, 2007.
 +
* "Knights of Columbus rolling in profits from insurance sales." ''Church and State'' 48, no. 7 (July–August 1995): 18(2).
 +
* Koehlinger, Amy. "Let Us Live for Those Who Love Us: Faith, Family, and the Countours of Manhood among the Knights of Columbus in Late Nineteenth-Century Connecticut." ''Journal of Social History'' (Winter 2004): 455–69.
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
* [http://www.kofc.org/ Official web site of the Knights of Columbus]
+
All links retrieved April 20, 2018.
 +
* [http://www.kofc.org/ Official website of the Knights of Columbus]
 
* [http://www.fathermcgivney.org/ Father Michael J. McGivney Guild]
 
* [http://www.fathermcgivney.org/ Father Michael J. McGivney Guild]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08670c.htm New Advent Article]  
+
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08670c.htm New Advent article on Knights of Columbus]  
* [http://www.daughtersofisabella.org/main.asp The Daughters of Isabella]
+
* [http://www.daughtersofisabella.org The Daughters of Isabella]  
* [http://www.catholicdaughters.org/ The Catholic Daughters of the Americas]
+
* [http://www.catholicdaughters.org/ The Catholic Daughters of the Americas]  
* [http://www.ksc.org.uk Knights of Saint Columba]
 
  
==References==
 
<div class="references-small">
 
<references /></div>
 
  
 
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]
 
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]

Latest revision as of 23:21, 3 March 2023

Knights of Columbus marching in a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Fort Collins, Colorado

The Order of the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Roman Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1881, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus[1] and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. Councils have been chartered in many parts of the world, and the organization boasts a worldwide membership of more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men aged 18 or older.[2]

The order gives millions of dollars annually to charities and its members perform millions of hours of voluntary service. In addition to these philanthropic activities, the order also runs a highly successful insurance program that was originally established to help care for Roman Catholic widows, widowers, and orphans left behind after the unexpected death of the breadwinner.

History

Fr. Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus

The Order of the Knights of Columbus was established in 1881 by a Catholic priest, Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut. McGivney's primary motivation for the creation of the order was to give American Catholics access to a mutual benefit society. As a parish priest in an immigrant community, he saw what could happen to a family when the breadwinner died. He wanted to provide insurance to care for the widows and orphans left behind. His motivation was derived partially from person experience as he himself had to temporarily leave his seminary studies to care for his family when his father died.[3] A further impetus behind the creation of an explicitly Catholic organization was that in the late nineteenth century, Catholics were regularly excluded from labor unions and other organizations that provided social services.[4] In addition, Catholics were either barred from many of the popular fraternal organizations, or, as in the case of Freemasonry, were forbidden from joining by the Catholic Church itself. As such, McGivney wished to provide Catholics with an alternative. He also believed that Catholicism and fraternalism were compatible, and wished to establish a society that would encourage men to be proud of their American-Catholic heritage.[5]

Seeking to analyze the options currently open to Catholics (with regards to service organizations), McGivney traveled to Boston to examine the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters and to Brooklyn to learn about the recently established Catholic Benevolent League, both of which offered insurance benefits. While he found the latter to be lacking the excitement he thought would be necessary for his organization to compete with the secret societies of the day,[6] he expressed an interest in establishing a New Haven Court of the Foresters. However, the charter of Massachusetts chapter prevented the group from operating outside their area. Returning to New Haven, McGivney and a committee of St. Mary's parishioners decided to form a club that was entirely original.[7]

However, this new brotherhood still required a distinctive title. Though McGivney had originally conceived of the name "Sons of Columbus," James T. Mullen, who would later become the first Supreme Knight, successfully suggested that "Knights of Columbus" would better capture the ritualistic nature of the new organization.[8] As for the reference to Columbus, the order was founded ten years before the 400th anniversary of the explorer's arrival in the New World and in a time of renewed interest in him. The fabled navigator was a hero to many American Catholics, and naming him as patron was partly an attempt to bridge the division between the Irish-Catholic founders of the order and Catholic immigrants of other nationalities living in Connecticut. The place of honor held by Columbus is clearly evidenced by an 1878 editorial from the Connecticut Catholic, which states: "As American Catholics we do not know of anyone who more deserves our grateful remembrance than the great and noble man—the pious, zealous, faithful Catholic, the enterprising navigator, and the large-hearted and generous sailor: Christopher Columbus."[9]

The name of Columbus was also partially intended as a mild rebuke to Anglo-Saxon Protestant leaders, who upheld the explorer (a Catholic Genovese Italian working for Catholic Spain) as an American hero, while simultaneously seeking to marginalize recent Catholic immigrants. In taking Columbus as their patron, McGivney and his parishioners were sending the message that not only could Catholics be full members of American society, but that they were, in fact, instrumental in its foundation.

He gathered a group of men from St. Mary's parish for an organizational meeting on October 2, 1881, and the order was incorporated under the laws of the state of Connecticut on March 29, 1882.[10] Though the first councils were all held in the organization's home state, the order spread relatively quickly throughout New England and (later) the entire United States.

By the time of the first annual convention in 1884, the order was prospering. The five councils headquartered throughout Connecticut boasted 459 members. Also, Catholic groups from other states were requesting information about setting up their own chapters.[11] After fifteen years of growth and development, the rapidly expanding society was certainly not dedicated solely to providing mutual benefit insurance anymore. This expansion of purpose is clearly indicated by the Charter of 1899, which included four separate statements of purpose, one of which notably aims "to promote such social and intellectual intercourse among its members as shall be desirable and proper, and by such lawful means as to them shall seem best."[12]

Today, there are more than 14,000 councils around the world, with the Knights of Columbus representing one of the world's highest-profile charitable organizations. However, this charitable focus must be understood from within the faith-based perspective of the order. Knights may be seen distributing chocolate bars to raise funds to fight developmental disabilities, volunteering for the Special Olympics and other charitable organizations, erecting pro-life billboards and "Keep Christ in Christmas" signs, conducting blood drives and raising funds for disaster victims, or parading at patriotic events with their bright capes, feathered chapeaux, and ceremonial swords. The cause for McGivney's canonization is currently before the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and a guild[13] has been formed to promote his cause. If his cause is successful, he will be the first American-born priest to be canonized as a saint.

Organization

The Supreme Council is the governing body of the order and is composed of elected representatives from each jurisdiction. The role of the Supreme Council can be roughly compared the to shareholders at an annual meeting, as each year they elect seven members to the Supreme Board of Directors for three-year terms. The 21-member board then chooses from its own membership the senior operating officials of the order, including the supreme knight.[14]

District deputies are appointed by the state deputy and oversee several local councils, each of which is led by a grand knight. Other elected council officers include the deputy grand knight, chancellor, warden, recorder, treasurer, advocate, guard, and trustee. A chaplain is appointed by the grand knight and a financial secretary by the supreme knight. Council officers are properly addressed by using the title "worthy" (e.g. Worthy Grand Knight). Councils are numbered in the order in which they chartered into the order and are named by the local membership. For example, San Salvador Council #1 was named for the first island Columbus landed on in the New World.

As an aside, it should be noted that the title "Knight" is purely fraternal and is not the equivalent of a sovereign accolade. Therefore Knights of Columbus do not rank with chevaliers and commanders of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the Order of Malta, the Order of St. Gregory the Great, or members of any other historic military or chivalric orders.

Degrees and principles

The degrees held by members of the knights correspond to their level of initiation into the Order. Further, as the association’s charter reflects the values of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism, each degree is affiliated with a particular principle. For example, a first degree exemplification ceremony, by which a man joins the order, explicates the virtue of charity. He is then said to be a first degree Knight of Columbus. To advance further, the member must participate in the appropriate ceremonies (which are dedicated to unity and fraternity, respectively). Upon reaching the third degree, an individual is considered a full member (with the authorization to attend all meetings and take part in all activities, except those restricted to members of the fourth degree).[15]

Even these central principles were gradually developed alongside the overall ideology of the organization. For instance, the first ritual handbook was printed in 1885, but contained only sections focused on Unity and Charity. However, Supreme Knight Mullen, along with primary ritual author Daniel Colwell, believed that the initiation ceremony should be held in three sections, "in accord with the 'Trinity of Virtues, Charity, Unity, and Brotherly love.'" The third section, expounding Fraternity, was officially adopted in 1891.[16]

Fourth degree

A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Chapeau

The fourth degree, which is the highest degree obtainable by members of the order, is also the most recent development. The primary purpose of the fourth degree is to foster the spirit of patriotism and to encourage active Catholic citizenship. Fewer than 20 percent of knights join the fourth degree, which is optional.[17] The need for a patriotic degree was first considered in 1886, and a special plea was made at the National Meeting of 1899. The first fourth degree exemplification followed in 1900 with 1,100 knights participating at the Lenox Lyceum in New York City.[18]

Only fourth degree knights have the optional of purchasing the full regalia to join the assembly’s color corps. The color corps is the most visible arm of the knights and is often seen in parades and other local events wearing their colorful uniforms and other accoutrements. Official dress for the color corps is a black tuxedo, baldric, white gloves, cape, and naval chapeau. The colors on a fourth degree knight's cape and chapeau denote the office he holds within the degree.[19]

Insurance program

Many early members of the knights were recent immigrants who often lived in unsanitary conditions and performed hazardous jobs for poor pay. Since its founding, a primary mission of the Knights of Columbus has been to protect families against the financial ruin caused by the death of the breadwinner. Despite the evolution of the group's mandate, the central concern with providing mutual-benefit insurance remains a prominent theme.

The original insurance system devised by McGivney gave a deceased knight's widow a $1,000 death benefit. This money was raised by tithing each member $1 upon the death of a brother, with the requisite payment decreasing when the number of knights grew beyond 1,000.[20] Under this system, each member, regardless of age, was assessed equally. As a result, younger, healthier members could expect to pay more over the course of their lifetimes than those men who joined when they were older.[21] There was also a sick benefit deposit for members who fell ill and could not work. Each sick knight was entitled to draw up to $5 a week for 13 weeks. If he remained sick after that the council to which he belonged regulated the sum of money given to him. At the time, $5 was nearly two-thirds of the pay a man in his 30s or 40s could expect to bring home each week.[22]

Today, the order offers a modern, professional insurance operation with more than $60 billion of life insurance policies in force. Products include permanent and term life insurance, as well as annuities and long-term care insurance. As an insurance provider, the order found it necessary to become certified by the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association for ethical sales practices.[23] Some critics argue that the tremendous profits enjoyed by the Knights of Columbus should contravene their status as a tax-exempt charity organization.[24]

Charitable giving

Charity is the foremost principle of the Knights of Columbus. In the 2005 fraternal year, the order gave $136 million directly to charity and performed over 63.2 million hours in voluntary service. Further, endowed funds of over $54 million supported a number of Church-related causes.[25]

The knights have a tradition of supporting those with physical and developmental disabilities. More than $382 million has been given over the past three decades to groups and programs that support the intellectually and physically disabled. One of the largest recipients of funds in this area is the Special Olympics.[26] In addition, the order's highest honor, the Gaudium et Spes Award, was given with its $100,000 honorarium to Jean Vanier, the founder of l'Arche, in 2005. L'Arche is a faith-based network that provides care, in a community setting, for people with severe developmental disabilities.[27]

Days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 the order established the $1 million Heroes Fund. Immediate assistance was given to the families of all full-time professional law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and emergency medical workers who lost their lives in the rescue and recovery efforts. Similarly, more than $10 million has been raised for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and dispersed to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the dioceses of Lafayette, Louisiana, Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Biloxi, Mississippi, and Beaumont, Texas.[28] The order also donated more than $500,000 to the tsunami relief efforts (in 2004) and $50,000 to help victims of Typhoon Durian in the Philippines (2006).[29]

United in Charity, a general, unrestricted endowment fund, was introduced at the 2004 Supreme Council meeting to support and ensure the overall long-term charitable and philanthropic goals of the order. The fund is wholly managed, maintained and operated by Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Before United in Charity was formed, all requests for funds were met with the general funds of the order or in combination with specific appeals. As requests from the various constituents aligned with the mission of the order often far exceeded the funds available, it is hoped that eventually United in Charity's earnings will be sufficient to completely fund the order's charitable priorities.[30]

Emblems of the Order

At the second Supreme Council meeting on May 12 1883, Supreme Knight James T. Mullen introduced the emblem of the order. It consists of a shield mounted upon a Formée cross. The Formée cross, with its arms expanding at the ends, is an artistic representation of the cross of Christ and the shield is a symbol of the ideals of medieval knighthood. Mounted on the shield is a fasces with an anchor and a short sword crossed behind it. The fasces is a symbol of authority while the anchor is the mariner's symbol for Columbus. The sword, like the shield it is mounted on, also symbolizes the chivalry and honor of the knights of yesteryear.[31] Each knight receives the emblem as a lapel pin.

Three elements form the emblem of the fourth degree. A dove floats over a globe showing the Western Hemisphere, the "New World" that Columbus is credited with discovering. Both are mounted on the Isabella cross, a variation of the Maltese cross that was often found on the tunics and capes of the crusading knights who fought in the Holy Land.

Spiritually, the emblem symbolizes the three persons of God. The globe represents God the Father, Creator of the Universe, the cross is symbolic of God the Son, who they believe redeemed mankind by dying on the cross, and the dove represents God the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier of Humanity. The colors of the emblem—the red cross, white dove, and blue earth—are the colors of the United States flag, where the order was founded. The elements serve as a reminder that the principle of the degree is patriotism but also that the order is thoroughly Catholic.[32]

Political activities

Over and above their overtly religious and charitable activities, the Knights of Columbus also have a storied history of political campaigning for faith-based causes.

In 1954, lobbying by the order helped convince the U.S. Congress to add the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. President Dwight Eisenhower wrote to (then) Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart thanking the knights for their "part in the movement to have the words 'under God' added to our Pledge of Allegiance."[33] Similar lobbying convinced many state legislatures to adopt October 12 as Columbus Day and led to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's confirmation of Columbus Day as a federal holiday in 1937.

Tens of thousands of Knights of Columbus placards are handed out at the March For Life.

While the Knights of Columbus support political awareness and activity, councils within the United States are prohibited by tax laws from engaging in candidate endorsement and partisan political activity due to their non-profit status.[34] Public policy activity is limited to issue-specific campaigns, typically dealing with Catholic family and lifestyle issues. Nevertheless, President George H. W. Bush appeared at the annual convention during the election year of 1992 and President George W. Bush sent videotaped messages before he attended in person at the 2004 election year convention.[35]

In the United States, the Knights of Columbus often follows the lead of the Vatican in adopting socially conservative positions on public issues. For instance, they have adopted resolutions advocating a Culture of Life,[36] defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman,[37] and protecting religious expression in public schools, government, and voluntary organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America. The order also funded a postcard campaign in 2005 in an attempt to stop the Canadian parliament from legalizing same-sex marriage.

However, the political involvement of the knights is not restricted to religious issues or issues of sexual/relationship ethics. On April 9, 2006, the Board of Directors commented on the "U.S. immigration policy [which] has become an intensely debated and divisive issue on both sides of the border between the U.S. and Mexico." They called "upon the President and the U.S. Congress to agree upon immigration legislation that not only gains control over the process of immigration, but also rejects any effort to criminalize those who provide humanitarian assistance to undocumented immigrants, and provides these immigrants an avenue by which they can emerge from the shadows of society and seek legal residency and citizenship in the U.S."[38]

Heads of state

The Knights of Columbus invite the head of state of every country they operate in to the Supreme Convention each year. In 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon gave the keynote address at the States Dinner; Secretary of Transportation and Knight John Volpe was responsible for this first appearance of a U.S. president at a Supreme Council gathering.[39] President Ronald Reagan spoke at the Centennial Convention in 1982.

John F. Kennedy, the only Catholic to be elected president of the United States, was a fourth degree member of Bunker Hill Council No. 62 and Bishop Cheverus General Assembly. Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart visited Kennedy at the White House on Columbus Day, 1961. The president told Hart that his younger brother, Ted Kennedy, had received "his Third Degree in our Order three weeks before." Hart presented Kennedy with a poster of the American flag with the story of how the order got the words "under God" inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance.[40]

In 1959, Fidel Castro sent an aide to represent him at a fourth degree banquet in honor of the Golden Jubilee of the order's entry into Cuba. Supreme Knight Hart attended a banquet in the Cuban prime minister's honor in April of that year sponsored by the Overseas Press Club and later sent him a letter expressing regret that they were not able to meet in person.[41]

Criticism

Some local councils of the Knights of Columbus were accused of being racist during the early half of the twentieth century. While nothing prohibited black men from joining and the membership application did not ask what race the candidate was, black men were sometimes turned down. Once these unofficial tendencies were publicly acknowledged, some councils were overtly racially integrated, and all others faced increasing pressure from Church officials and organizations to change their applicant review system, to the extent that Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart began actively encouraging councils to accept black candidates by the end of the 1950s.[42] In 1963, Hart attended a special meeting at the White House hosted by President Kennedy to discuss civil rights with other religious leaders. A few months later, a Notre Dame alumnus' application was rejected because he was black. Six council officers resigned in protest and the incident made national news. Hart then declared that the process for membership would be revised at the next Supreme Convention, but died before he could see it take place.[43]

The 1964 Supreme Convention was scheduled to be held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. A few days before the convention, new Supreme Knight John W. McDevitt learned the hotel only admitted white guests and immediately threatened to move to another hotel. The hotel changed its policy and so did the order. The convention amended the admissions rule to require one-third of those voting to reject a new member and in 1972 the Supreme Convention again amended its rules to require a majority of members voting to reject a candidate.[44]

At present, critiques continue to be aimed at the knights for allegedly discriminatory practices. Some public colleges refuse to recognize Knights of Columbus Councils as official student organizations because they consider the male-only membership policy to be discriminatory. The Supreme Council issues charters to qualifying groups despite the lack of official college recognition and interested students often work to circumvent the anti-discrimination policies. Clubs named the "Friends of the Knights of Columbus" are open to all students and they then sponsor meeting space for the council. Still other college councils apply for recognition as an on-campus fraternity or fraternal organization, and are made subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to all-male fraternities and similar groups.[45]

In 2005, a local Knights of Columbus council in Canada was fined $2,000 by the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal for refusing to rent their hall to lesbians Tracey Smith and Deborah Chymyshynto.[46] The council's hall manager signed a contract with the women but canceled it after they became aware that it was for a same-sex wedding reception.[47] The two women claimed they were unaware that the facility was affiliated with the Catholic Church. The local council responded that the hall is on the same compound as a parish church and there were Catholic symbols, such as a picture of the pope and a crucifix, inside.[48] The tribunal ruled the council was within its rights to refuse to rent it based on their religious convictions, but fined them "for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect" of the women.[49]

Similar organizations

The Knights of Columbus is a member of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights, which includes 15 fraternal orders, such as the Knights of Saint Columbanus in Ireland, the Knights of Saint Columba in the United Kingdom, the Knights of Peter Claver in the United States, the Knights of the Southern Cross in Australia and New Zealand, and the Knights of St. Mulumba in Nigeria.[50]

Many councils also have women's auxiliaries. However, the Supreme Council does not charter them and they may adopt any name they choose. At the turn of the twentieth century, two women's councils were formed and each took the name the Daughters of Isabella. Both groups expanded and issued charters to other circles but never merged. The newer organization renamed itself the Catholic Daughters of the Americas in 1921, and both continue to have structures independent of the Knights of Columbus.

Notes

  1. Knights of Columbus, History. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  2. As defined in Knights of Columbus, These Men They Call Knights (PDF), a practical [practicing] Catholic is one who "lives up to the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church." Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  3. Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster, Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism (William Morrow Publishers, 2006 ISBN 0060776846), 51.
  4. Christopher Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism (Harper and Row, 1982 ISBN 0-06-014940-X).
  5. Ibid., 17.
  6. See Amy Koehlinger's "Let Us Live for Those Who Love Us: Faith, Family, and the Countours of Manhood among the Knights of Columbus in Late Nineteenth-Century Connecticut," Journal of Social History (Winter 2004): 455–57, for an overview of the mystique of these fraternal organizations.
  7. Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster, Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism (William Morrow Publishers, 2006), 116–17.
  8. Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, 16.
  9. "Christopher Columbus - Discoverer of the New World," Connecticut Catholic III (May 25, 1878): 4.
  10. Knights of Columbus, History. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  11. Brinkley and Fenster, Parish Priest, 171.
  12. Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, 73.
  13. Knights of Columbus, The Life and Legacy of Father Michael J. McGivney. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  14. Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, 375–76.
  15. For a brief overview, see Knights of Columbus, These Men They Call Knights and the official website. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  16. Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, 33.
  17. Of a total 1,703,307 knights worldwide (in 2005), there were 292,289 fourth degree knights. See Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight's Annual Report. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  18. Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, 137–39.
  19. Calvert Province, Laws and Rules of the Order Governing the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  20. Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, 22.
  21. Ibid., 36–37.
  22. Brinkley and Fenster, Parish Priest, 123.
  23. Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight's Annual Report. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  24. "Knights of Columbus rolling in profits from insurance sales," Church and State 48, no. 7 (July–August 1995): 18(2).
  25. Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight's Annual Report. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  26. Ibid.
  27. Knights of Columbus, Special Olympics and People with Disabilities. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  28. ”Order’s Hurricane Relief Surpasses $9 Million,” Knightline 23, no. 7 (May 15, 2006): 1.
  29. Knights of Columbus, Supreme Council Donates $50,000 for Victims of Typhoon in Philippines, December 7, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  30. See Knights of Columbus, United in Charity for more details pertaining to this initiative. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  31. Knights of Columbus, Emblem of the Order. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  32. Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree Emblem. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  33. “Dwight D. Eisenhower to Luke E. Hart, August 6, 1954,” in Faith and Fraternalism, by Christopher Kaufman, 385.
  34. Caplin and Drysdale, “Voter Education vs. Partisan Politicking: What a 501(c)(3) can and cannot do,” Grantsmanship Center Magazine (Winter 1999).
  35. Knights of Columbus, Why was President Bush invited to this year’s Supreme Convention? August 6, 2004. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  36. Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, Resolution on Building a Culture of Life, August 4, 2005.
  37. Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, Resolution on Defense of Marriage, August 4, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  38. Knights of Columbus Board of Directors, Resolution on U.S. Immigration Policy, April 9, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  39. Kaufman, Faith and Fraternalism, 411.
  40. Ibid., 393–94.
  41. Ibid., 391.
  42. Ibid., 396.
  43. Ibid., 397.
  44. Ibid., 400.
  45. See, for example, Joanna Pliner, "Knights threaten UW with lawsuit," Badger Herald, Monday, September 4, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  46. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, Smith and Chymyshyn v. Knights of Columbus and others, 2005 BCHRT 544.
  47. CTV.ca News Staff, B.C. tribunal awards lesbian couple damages, CTV.ca, November 30, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  48. Life Site News, Photos of Port Coquitlam, B.C. Knights of Columbus Hall Dispute Lesbians’ Claims, December 7, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  49. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, Smith and Chymyshyn v. Knights of Columbus and others, 2005 BCHRT 544. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  50. International Alliance of Catholic Knights, Member Orders. Retrieved May 21, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Brinkley, Douglas, and Julie Fenster. Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism. William Morrow Publishers, 2006. ISBN 0060776846
  • Caplin and Drysdale. “Voter Education vs. Partisan Politicking: What a 501(c)(3) can and cannot do.” Grantsmanship Center Magazine (Winter 1999).
  • "Christopher Columbus - Discoverer of the New World." Connecticut Catholic III (May 25, 1878).
  • Francis, Theo. "Some Life Insurers Play by Different Rules." Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition) 247, no. 125 (May 30, 2006): D1–D2.
  • Kauffman, Christopher. "Anti-Catholicism and the Knights of Columbus." In Anti-Catholicism in the Media, ed. Patrick Riley and Russell Shaw. Huntingdon, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-87973-551-1
  • Kauffman, Christopher. Faith and Fraternalism. Harper and Row, 1982. ISBN 0-06-014940-X
  • Kauffman, Christopher. Patriotism and Fraternalism in the Knights of Columbus: A History of the Fourth Degree. Herder and Herder, 2001. ISBN 0824518853
  • Knights of Columbus. Emblem of the Order. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  • Knights of Columbus. Fourth Degree Emblem. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  • "Knights of Columbus rolling in profits from insurance sales." Church and State 48, no. 7 (July–August 1995): 18(2).
  • Koehlinger, Amy. "Let Us Live for Those Who Love Us: Faith, Family, and the Countours of Manhood among the Knights of Columbus in Late Nineteenth-Century Connecticut." Journal of Social History (Winter 2004): 455–69.

External links

All links retrieved April 20, 2018.

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