NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      CINCINNATI (CWNews.com) - The Knights of Columbus opened their 116th annual convention on Tuesday by stating their opposition to same-sex marriages, assisted suicide, and abortion, and declaring their fidelity to the Church, the papacy, and magisterium.

      The meeting, which runs until Thursday, gathers about 2,000 men representing local councils from around the world. Pope John Paul II sent a greeting to Knights, urging them to become even better examples of Christian hope and joy in their families, workplaces, and society as a whole.

      The Knights of Columbus are the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world with 1.6 million members. It was founded in 1882 as an aid society for widows and orphans and now donates approximately $110 million to charities and volunteers 50 million hours of service. More than 70 cardinals, archbishops, and bishops from the United States, Canada, and the Vatican curia attended Tuesday's opening Mass which was celebrated by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of Cincinnati.