Columbus Knight
The Columbus Knights (English Knights of Columbus ) are one of the largest Roman Catholic lay associations for men worldwide . The association, based in New Haven , Connecticut , was founded in the United States in 1882 and is named after the navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus .
The Knights of Columbus devote themselves to works of Christian charity, unity and brotherhood, and feel committed to patriotism. They have more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils (councils ). There are 200 such councils in universities in the United States. The association only accepts Catholic men over the age of 18. In addition to the United States, there are regional associations of the Knights of Columbus in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, Japan, Cuba and Poland. The Archbishop of Baltimore , William E. Lori , has been the spiritual companion of the Knights of Columbus ( Supreme Chaplain ) since 2005 .
history
The Knights of Columbus were founded by Father Michael J. McGivney, a priest of Irish descent, with men from his St. Mary's parish on October 2, 1881 in New Haven, Connecticut. As a result, many Irish Americans joined the Knights of Columbus. The main purpose of the community was the mutual support of Catholics. Ms. McGivney saw what the early death of a family's main breadwinner could mean for them and therefore wanted to raise funds to support Catholic widows and orphans . When his father died he himself had to leave the seminary temporarily . McGivney believed that Catholicism and fraternity are by no means incompatible. At the same time, the Columbus Knights were intended to be an alternative for Catholic men who were not accepted by the existing fraternities and other brotherhoods (the majority refused to accept Catholics and Jews).
Originally the organization was supposed to bear the name "Sons of Columbus", James T. Mullen, who later became the first Supreme Knight , decided, however, on the basis of the ideals of chivalry for Knights of Columbus . The association was founded ten years before the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1882, at a time when there was renewed interest in the Genoese explorer. By adopting its name, the Knights of Columbus expressed their belief that Catholics could also be full American citizens. The facilities of the Columbus Knights included insurance in the event of illness and a death benefit . After just one year, the Knights of Columbus in Connecticut had 459 members and membership applications from many other states.
At the beginning of the 20th century, rumors that the Knights of Columbus had sworn an oath to exterminate Freemasons and Protestants and to skin or burn them, as well as their wives and children, led to the persecution of the Knights of Columbus by the Ku Klux- Clan . The rumor was based on a similar one that had been spread through the Jesuits several centuries earlier . The clan actively and through printed works the view that Catholics were only obliged to obey the Pope and offered a reward to anyone who could prove that the Knights of Columbus secretly swore such an oath. Only the rulings of various state courts and the United States Supreme Court put an end to this.
In recent years the association has been one of the main fundraisers in the Roman Catholic Church for the right to life movement and in the debate about the introduction of same-sex marriages in the United States.
In 1997, the Archdiocese of Hartford opened the process of beatification for the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Fr. McGivney, on a diocesan level . The files were forwarded to the Holy See in 2000 ; In 2008 Pope Benedict recognized Fr. McGivney's heroic degree of virtue with the elevation to venerable servant. McGivney's beatification would be the first of a native-born American priest.
Coat of arms, shield and colors
The coat of arms shows a Formée cross (a modified paw cross ), a Roman short sword as well as fasces and the anchor of Columbus. The shield reminds of the nobleness of knights. The motto is: In service to one. In service to all ("In service for one; in service for all"). The colors of the Knights of Columbus are blue, purple, white and yellow.
Grade
The Knights of Columbus have an elaborate system of degrees and levels of membership that is in many ways similar to that of Masonic organizations.
See also
Web links
- Knights of Columbus website (English)
- Knights of Columbus Museum (English)
- Knights of Columbus in Michigan (English)
- Knights of Columbus, Catholic Encyclopedia entry , accessed February 11, 2014