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Knights 4 Life
With some 1.5 million unborn babies
being killed by abortion each year in North America, Knights believe that
there is no more important objective they could have at hand than a Crusade
for Life. Since the infamous Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973
the Order has been in the forefront of organizations seeking to defend the lives
of the innocent unborn. It is for the sake of these 1.5 million who cannot
defend themselves that our Order must intensify its campaign to turn the
abortion mentality.
The Crusade for Life asks each state
and local council to appoint a Pro-Life chair couple. The state councils will
organize pro-life Masses and participate in the national marches for life or
organize similar demonstrations in their jurisdictions. The chair couples
schedule and conduct pro-life sessions in their local councils.
The main thrust under the Crusade for
Life is twofold. The first goal is to help pass legislation which would
provide for the right to life of the unborn. The second thrust is to overturn
the Roe v. Wade decision in the Supreme Court. This can be done by pressing for
the confirmation of justices, with all other things being equal, whose track
records might indicate that they would favor a pro-life position. If our
members can help pass pro-life bills in the legislatures and can press for
the confirmation of pro-life judges we will have made inroads against the
plague of abortion in our countries.
The Order continues to help fund the
pro-life activities of the United
States and Canadian Bishops. The Order
also continues underwriting the entire budget of the United States and Canadian
Bishops efforts to promote natural family planning. In addition we provide
funding to the natural family planning program of the Mexican Conference of
Bishops.
The Order has made two grants of
$250,000 each to the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human
Reproduction in Omaha, Nebraska where research is done to study
natural family planning techniques in accord with the Church's teaching.
By way of assistance to the Bishops in their teaching mission, the
Order has underwritten periodic seminars on life-death issues which are
faithfully attended by members of the hierarchy of the United States, Canada,
Mexico and Central America. These workshops are held in Dallas, Texas,
and provide the Bishops with presentations on current moral issues; allows
them the opportunity to share experiences with one another; and also enables
the Bishops to get to know one another better.
The Knights of Columbus profile of
the pro-life work shows how Knights are striving to protect the lives of the
innocent unborn. The Knights have donated millions of pieces of literature to
pro-life groups and have provided office space and manpower for Birthright,
Right to Life and other agencies through state and local councils. Committees
on the state and local levels coordinate members' efforts through ongoing
programs, whether manning display booths at regional fairs, sponsoring
speakers' nights or hosting baby showers for Birthright.
Individual councils also honor
legislators, governors and other civic officials who take a pro-life stand;
set up educational booths to stress the sanctity of human life at various
fairs; sponsor essay contests for high school students; promote respect for
life proclamations and organize special memorial Masses on January 22, the
date of the heartless Supreme Court decision allowing abortions, in memory of
the hundreds of thousands of unborn innocents killed each year.
In addition to these pro-life
endeavors, the Crusade for Life seeks to enlist all potential Catholic men as
members of the Order to become part of this campaign.
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