Result of presidential election serious concern for world, says Knights of Columbus CEO

Abuja, Nigeria, Oct 25, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Knights of Columbus CEO Carl A. Anderson, consultor to the Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace who were meeting in Rome this week, said in a news conference that the compendium of the Church’s social teachings comes at a time in which the “world confronts very serious concerns,” including the implications of the result of the presidential election.

The theme of the council’s meeting is "The Pastoral Action of the Church in the Social Sphere from 'Gaudium et Spes' to Today: Problems and Perspectives."

"Seven years ago, the Synod for America delved deeply into a broad range of social justice concerns in the western hemisphere,” said Anderson at the news conference. “It fostered new relationships and new partnerships among church leaders throughout North and South America, and a much greater appreciation for the importance of the Church's teaching on matters of social justice in the Americas.”

The recent release of the compendium of the Church’s social teachings, requested by the synod, "is especially timely, as the world confronts very serious concerns regarding peace and social justice in the Mideast, the march toward European unity and the need to acknowledge and embrace the continent's deep roots in Christianity, and the implications of the outcome of next week's election in the United States,” he said.

Anderson underscored the importance of bearing "in mind the responsibility of each person in the renewal of modern culture and society, and the role in this effort that his Holiness has assigned to lay Catholic organizations like ours.  The Knights of Columbus enthusiastically embraces the goals of peace and justice, and the opportunity to serve our church and all mankind in this crucial work.,” he said.