CV NEWS FEED // The Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus called the Olympics opening ceremony a “vile and intentional denigration of our faith” at the 142nd Supreme Convention in Quebec.
As covered by a KofC news release, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly addressed over 2,500 Knights, their families, and other guests. He told the Knights that now more than ever the mission of the Order is important, saying, “The days of easy faith are over.”
He took up the issue of anti-Christian bigotry around the world, the news release explains, noting that this bigotry has become more aggressive and blatant, citing the Olympics’ opening ceremony as an example.
“Our Lord and the Last Supper were outrageously mocked,” he said. “The Olympics should be a celebration of God’s gifts and the triumph of human achievement. But in Paris we saw blasphemy — a vile and intentional denigration of our faith.”
He continued that as Catholics and Knights, he and the men around him were rightly angered, “But even more than that, we are resolved: We are Knights and we stand with Christ, our King — and we will not be silent!”
Many other Catholic leaders have condemned the Olympics opening ceremony. These leaders include the bishops of the United States, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries from the Holy Land, and Cardinal Raymond Burke. Donald Trump and religious leaders from New York have also publicly condemned the spectacle, and Slovakia has announced that it will boycott the closing ceremony in protest of the opening ceremony.
Kelly also addressed the Knights’ work in protecting those persecuted for their faith in places around the world, including Nigeria. As a result, the Knights are collaborating with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and Franciscan University of Steubenville, where the Knights will “fund the ongoing formation of priests and lay leaders to reach thousands of parishes and strengthen the faith of millions of Catholics in Africa.”
Despite these challenges to Catholics, the Knights have grown to have more than 2.1 million worldwide members, including a record number of Hispanic men, who account for over half of America’s young Catholics. Last year, over 92,000 men joined, making it “one of its best years of growth in a century,” the press release states.
