KnightLine FEBRUARY 1, 2007 VOL. 24 • NO. 2

www.kofc.org NEWS FOR KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS LEADERS Supreme Knight DEFENDING LIFE Moderates U.N. Discussion on Interreligious Dialogue

s the “civilization of love” championed by Pope John Paul I II possible? That was the provocative question Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson posed to Muslim, Jewish and Catholic schol- ars at a panel discussion he moder- College Knights from around the joined Supreme Knight Carl ated at the Jan. 17. A. Anderson at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22. The supreme The event was held to launch the knight led the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the march, and the Supreme Council publication in the United States of donated thousands of “Defend Life” posters for marchers to carry. D.C. Knights Oasis, an international journal to assembled the posters and distributed them. On Jan. 21, Supreme Knight support small Christian communi- Anderson addressed more than 600 high school and college students at the ties living in predominantly Muslim Cardinal O’Connor Conference for Life held at Georgetown University. countries and to teach Western Christians about Islam through the U.N. General Assembly. The pope, the “universal values of peace, soli- experiences of their Eastern coun- he said, had come to the U.N. darity, justice and liberty.” Pope terparts. The supreme knight has because it represents a “moral cen- Benedict XVI has elaborated on John served on the publication’s advisory ter” where all nations and cultures Paul’s teaching “by eloquently committee since its founding in should come together to promote SEE ‘U.N.’ PAGE 3 2004 and has contributed articles to it. Participants included Cardinal Angelo Scola, the ; Seyyid Hossein Nasr, for- merly of Tehran University in Iran and now a professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; and Rabbi Israel Singer, chairman of the Policy Council of the World Jewish Congress and head of the Inter- national Jewish Committee for Interreligious Dialogue. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s representative to the United Nations, hosted the event and wel- comed nearly 200 people to the Dag Hammarskjöld Library at the U.N.’s Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson introduces panelists at a United Nations forum on New York headquarters. interreligious dialogue. Shown from left are Professor Seyyid Hossein Nasr, Cardinal Anderson quoted from Pope John Angelo Scola and Rabbi Israel Singer. Paul’s October 1995 address to the 1 FROM SUPREME KNIGHT Columbianism Growing in CARL A. ANDERSON January development trip yields new members and The K of C: councils, finds growing support among clergy Good News for Catholic Schools s Knights of Columbus ex- pansion into Poland contin- A ues, a dedicated staff 4,200 uch is being made among miles away at the Supreme Council elected officials here in office in New Haven works to fur- M the United States about the need for bipartisanship, and we ther the Order’s growth in Europe’s couldn’t agree more. It’s encourag- most predominantly Catholic ing to read, then, that the U.S. nation. From Jan. 5-15, Wojciech House of Representatives unani- Dadak, consultant for Polish affairs mously passed a resolution praising for the Department of Fraternal Catholic schools “for their ongoing Services; Assistant Supreme Secre- contributions to education and for tary Ronald J. Tracz; Supreme Mas- the key role they play in promoting ter Joseph P. Schultz, and Father an ensuring a brighter, stronger Dariusz J. Zielonka, vice chancellor future for this nation.” of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., The vote was 428-0 in favor of and to Supreme Chaplain Two Polish councils collaborated on the resolution, which was passed on Bishop William E. Lori, visited donating a wheelchair to a woman in Jan. 23, a week before the start of Poland to supervise the next stage of need. The project earned the Knights Catholic Schools Week on Jan. 28. the Order’s development there. Also publicity in a national Catholic The Knights of Columbus has present was a degree exemplifica- magazine in Poland. long believed what this year’s tion team from two Canadian coun- Catholic Schools Week theme cils: St. Maximilian Kolbe Council able, and that the councils are engaged trumpets: “Catholic Schools: The 9612 in Mississauga, Ont., and in all types of charitable work. Good News in Education.” That’s Cardinal Wyszynski Council 9296 Recently, Radom Council 14004 why at every level of our Order we in Toronto. and Starachowice Council 14023 do everything we can to grow and To date, approximately 350 received recognition in a national strengthen our Catholic schools. Polish Knights have joined six coun- In 2005, for example, Knights Catholic magazine for their work locally reported raising $6.6 million cils and four round tables (the round with the Wheelchair Foundation. for Catholic schools and providing tables are on schedule to become Additionally, all of the councils have an additional $5.7 million in full-fledged councils by the end of made a significant outreach to those scholarships, many of them to the fraternal year). Additionally, the in need, donating funds, computers Catholic schools. Order has identified seven new and even a playground. From reports received by council development locations In addition to their charitable Columbia magazine, we know that work, Polish Knights have made fast Knights are active in parish schools: ‘The Order in Poland has a fraternal progress. The six councils painting classrooms, wiring them gathered first in October and again for Internet access, serving as hugely successful future’ in January for a national meeting, crossing guards and so much more. and have also formed their own per- We currently have several where local priests have begun manent First Degree team. With that programs that councils can conduct recruiting new members. done, many of the Order’s Polish in Catholic schools: the Columbian “As time goes on, we’re finding members will soon have the oppor- Squires, our free throw competi- more and more priests are becoming tunity to take their Second Degree tion, our substance abuse awareness familiar with the Order,” said Tracz. when the Supreme Council coordi- poster contest and our Catholic “We’ve had the fortunate experience nates its next series of visits. Finally, citizenship essay program. There of having many priests in Poland who Polish Knights are preparing to draw are others your council might con- have visited the United States and district lines and nominate deputies sider, such as screening our award- Canada and have seen the Knights of to assume an even greater leadership winning films on the vocation to Columbus in action. That has had a role. the priesthood or religious life for huge impact on development there.” Added Tracz, “Our Polish women for middle-schoolers and “Initially, we had diocesan coun- teenagers, or distributing vocations Knights are becoming more comfort- prayer cards to younger students. cils and now we’re moving toward able in asking their families and The partnership between parish councils, a more local focus,” friends to join them in the Order. Knights and Catholic schools is added Dadak. He also said that the The Order in Poland has a hugely strong. Let’s make it even stronger. leadership skills exhibited by the new successful future.” O Vivat Jesus! grand knights have been commend- 2 Podcasts Are Newest Feature at KC Web Site The Order’s Web site is now featuring a weekly podcast or ‘U.N.’ FROM PAGE 1 audio program. The short broadcast can be listened to at emphasizing the profound recogni- www.kofc.org or downloaded for listening on an MP3 play- tion of Christianity that God is er, such as an iPod. A new podcast is posted each Monday, love,” Anderson said. and previous ones are then archived online. “If man is made in the image of the God who is love,” the supreme Supreme Knight’s the Culture War Over Religion in knight concluded, “can and should America by Kevin Seamus Hasson all men join together in construct- Book Club Holds and A Man for All Seasons, Robert ing what John Paul II described so Bolt’s classic play about St. Thomas often as a ‘civilization of love’?” Inaugural Online More. Responding first was Professor Session Nasr, who said the issue “was criti- Father McGivney’s biographer cal to human existence.” He admit- ted to being less than optimistic takes part in Web discussion about what dialogue can achieve in light of current world events. upreme Knight Carl A. Ander- Civilizations, he noted, go through son and historian Douglas cycles of peace and cycles of vio- SBrinkley fielded questions from lence. “We need to understand the readers of Parish Priest: Father causes” of those cycles. Rather than Michael McGivney and American FEBRUARY TITLES vying for political superiority, Nasr Catholicism during the first online said, cultures and nations should session of the Supreme Knight’s Hasson, the founder and chair- “vie with each other in goodness.” Book Club Jan. 18. Brinkley co- man of the Becket Fund for Rabbi Singer praised the ground- authored Parish Priest with Julie M. Religious Liberty in Washington, breaking work done by the Second Fenster. D.C., and a member of Potomac Vatican Council in furthering rela- For more than an hour, Ander- Council 433, is scheduled to join the tions between Jews and Christians. son and Brinkley answered ques- supreme knight online for a discus- The model developed then should tions about Father McGivney, his sion of his book on Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. be applied today for interreligious cause for canonization, the founding (ET). Readers can submit questions of the Knights of Columbus and for Hasson and Anderson prior to dialogue between Christians, Jews Father McGivney’s impact on the the live chat or during the session by and Muslims. The commitment by Church. The transcript of the book visiting the “Supreme Knight’s Book Pope John Paul II to this issue club meeting is at www.kofc.org. Club” section at the Order’s Web “changed history radically,” he said. The titles for February’s session site. A link is also provided for Rabbi Singer said religious believers of the Supreme Knight’s Book Club ordering Hasson’s book, as well as A should not let extremists “hijack” are The Right to Be Wrong: Ending Man for All Seasons. O their faith. He also praised the grand mufti of , Ali Gomaa, who has ‘JOAN OF ARC’ COMING TO K OF C MUSEUM made what Singer called “revolu- tionary” statements denouncing fundamentalist Islam and its follow- ers. Cardinal Scola said the current world situation is complex and filled with conflict, both real and potential. He proposed that what is happening today is the “hybridiza- tion” of civilizations and cultures. Cardinal Scola urged religious peo- ple “to build up society” by their testimony as believers. Every man and woman, he said, must become “personally involved” and not “pre- Art historian Laura Coyle shows Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson a cover judge” what can be achieved design for Mark Twain’s book on Joan of Arc, which is part of the exhibition through dialogue or through “Joan of Arc.” The Knights of Columbus is the principal sponsor of the exhibit encounters with others whose at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Coyle co-curated the show beliefs or culture may be different. with Nora M. Heiman of The Catholic University of America. The Knights of For more information about Columbus Museum in New Haven will host a significant portion of the exhibit Oasis, visit www.cisro.org. O from May 1 to Sept. 3, 2007. 3 Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEW HAVEN CT KnightLine PERMIT No. 400

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