Nashville, Tenn., Aug 14, 2007 / 08:00 am
The Knights of Columbus has decided to prohibit pro-choice advocates, including pro-choice politicians, from attending their events or receiving Knights awards. The ban includes persons supporting abortion, euthanasia or assisted suicide.
The members of the Catholic fraternal society voted to pass this resolution Aug. 9, during its 125th annual convention. The resolution reads: "We reaffirm our long-standing policy of not inviting to any Knights of Columbus event, persons, especially public officials or candidates for public office, who do not support the legal protection of unborn children, or who advocate for the legalization of assisted suicide or euthanasia."
They also resolved to prohibit these persons from renting Knights facilities, speaking at Knights events or holding any office in the Knights of Columbus.
This measure could be a response to the outrage of the Concerned Roman Catholics of America who spoke out in Boston when 16 Knights voted against a bill to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
The Knights resolved to offer pro-life education within society and to support programs that provide women facing crisis pregnancies with alternatives to abortion, including adoption, and to support projects that provide spiritual support to those women suffering the after-effects of abortion.
They also resolved to oppose any governmental action or policy that promotes abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning, euthanasia, assisted-suicide, and other acts against life.
The Order renewed its support for the traditional definition of marriage and called for the protection of conscience for medical professionals and Catholic hospitals.
They reaffirmed their commitment to building a culture of life by promoting policies that favor the family. They called for decency in the media and for honoring the nation’s armed troops.
They concluded with a resolution to pray the rosary and to do penance in reparation for the sins against life.