Please see the below statement from Supreme Knight Carl Anderson on attacks against Catholic statues. This was an e-mail statement sent on Wednesday July 15 to all Knights.
- Traditional Knights Latin Mass Network
Brother
Knights:
We are all
aware of the troubling events that are occurring today, including attacks on
statues of historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and
our Order’s namesake, Christopher Columbus. Statues of saints have also been
vandalized, including those honoring St. JunÃpero Serra, St. Louis and even the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and houses of worship and other religious symbols have
been attacked. These are not merely attacks on statues and history. They are
increasingly attacks on Catholics and people of faith.
In the late
19th century, the Knights of Columbus took its name at a time of intense
anti-Catholicism. Our founding members wanted to show that Catholics played an
essential role in the exploration and development of America since its earliest
days, and that a Catholic could be both a good citizen and a good Catholic.
However,
anti-Catholicism persisted. In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan tried to stop
Columbus Day celebrations and opposed Columbus statues simply because Columbus
was a Catholic. We opposed the KKK then and have continued to stand up against
bigotry directed at Catholics and others.
We stood up
against the persecution of Catholics in Mexico in the 1920s, spoke out for the
Jews of Germany in the 1930s and worked for religious freedom behind the Iron
Curtain during the Cold War. Today, we are rebuilding Christian communities in
the Middle East that were targeted for genocide. Each of us can be proud of our
history of standing up for the most vulnerable among us.
While our faith
calls us to be respectful of different perspectives, acts of vandalism are
crimes against all who cherish democracy and mutual respect. The Knights of
Columbus remains firm in its condemnation of all forms of racism and violence,
including political violence. With churches, statues, and religious symbols
subject to vandalism and attack, we call upon elected officials and leaders at
every level to defend the religious freedom of all.
Vivat
Jesus!
Carl A. AndersonSupreme Knight