Editor’s note: The supreme council of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, passed the following resolutions during its recent convention. The resolutions are part of the Knights “Crusade for Life,” and they strongly support right-to-life issues as outlined in Pope John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae.
Whereas, Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, has reaffirmed that abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide are contrary to God’s law and the common good of every political community in every nation; and,
Whereas, laws which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide are in complete opposition to the inviolable right to life of each person from the moment of conception, and unnecessary resort to the death penalty should be avoided by public authorities as contrary to the dignity of the person; and,
Whereas, the Knights of Columbus, at every level strives to meet the call of Pope John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae that the Catholic people become “the people of life and for them to “activate a great campaign in support for life”; therefore be it
resolved, that the Knights of Columbus reaffirms its historic commitment to be unconditionally pro-life and that it will continue to seek the restoration of full legal protection for the lives of the unborn, the sick, the handicapped, the terminally ill and the elderly and will continue to vigorously oppose the governmental actions which in any way promote, legalize or finance the performance of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia or assisted suicide; and,
Further resolved, that in working to establish a new culture of life, we will continue our active cooperation with the pro-life programs of the episcopal conferences of our respective countries as well as with our responsible pro-life organizations; and,
Further resolved, that 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 against abortion or who advocate the legalization of assisted suicide, euthanasia and other violations of the right to life and security of person.
