From: Supreme Advocate’s Office
As we begin an election year, the Supreme Advocate’s Office issues the following guidance regarding the nonpartisan status of the Knights of Columbus.
The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal benefit society made up of Catholic men, to help them support each other and their families. The Order’s constant focus is its fraternal, charitable, and evangelical mission; its core principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism; and its dedication to building up Catholic men and the Church. We are not a political advocacy organization.
As citizens of the United States, our members are free to express their opinion on any issue affecting the civic life of their jurisdiction, to petition the government to the fullest extent of the law, and to pursue elective office. But to the extent that members decide to engage in such political activity, they should do so as individual citizens and residents of their local communities, and not as members of the Knights of Columbus. While we encourage our members to become informed and active in the civic life of their jurisdictions, political activity is not a program, event, or activity of the Knights of Columbus.
Our members are not permitted to engage in partisan political activity in the name of the Knights of Columbus. Partisan political activity is defined as action directed toward success or failure of a political party, candidate for political office, or political group. Members must avoid any use of their membership, council meetings, council programs, events, and activities-or the name and emblem of the Knights of Columbus-to appeal for or solicit aid, assistance, or support of any person’s candidacy for public office. See Laws of the Order, Sections 162.11 and 162.23.
The Knights of Columbus has always prohibited councils, assemblies, and chapters from engaging in partisan political activity. Councils, assemblies, and chapters may not provide a forum, advertising, or funding for partisan activities involving candidates for public office, including candidates’ forums, meetings, rallies, and debates. See Laws of the Order, Section 162.23. Accordingly, to the degree that a council considers sponsorship of an organization or an event at which partisan activities may occur, including speeches by candidates for office, it would be in violation of the Order’s commitment to nonpartisanship as reflected in Section 162.23 of the Laws of the Order.
As Catholics, this guidance should be interpreted according to the Order’s principle of patriotism and the lessons of the Exemplification of Patriotism ceremonial:
Brother Knights, you have also promised to take on the moral responsibility of a faithful Catholic to hear, receive, and act upon our Church’s teaching. This is a lifelong task. You must form your own conscience in accordance with God’s truth. And in this way, practice our whole Catholic Faith with consistency as you strive to be a patriotic American.
From the earliest days of our Patriotic Degree, candidates have been charged to be men of principle, of conviction – men directed by conscience. Have we not principles? Then let us stand for them! Have we not convictions? Then let us declare them! Have we not conscience? Then let us heed it! Let us teach the lesson of patriotism by the most efficacious method of all, the force of our own example.
Accordingly, members of the Knights of Columbus, as faithful Catholics, are called to form their consciences according to the teaching of the Church and are directed to look to the Church for guidance in evaluating and responding to any government action, including but not limited to existing or proposed laws, ordinances, and regulations that would affect the integrity of the family, the right to life, or religious liberty. A good starting point for U.S. Catholics is guidance published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), available online here Political Responsibility Statements | USCCB.
In line with these teachings, fraternal leaders may from time to time consider utilizing a state or local council’s communications channels for the purpose of supporting or opposing legislative initiatives and other government actions that bear on matters of faith and morals. In these cases, fraternal leaders should determine whether the local bishop or Catholic Conference has provided written guidance to the faithful on the matter at hand or on principles governing it. If so, it may be appropriate to post this written guidance on a council website, to read it aloud at council meetings, or to utilize other KofC communication channels to circulate the written guidance to members within the council’s jurisdiction. In the absence of such written guidance, however, fraternal leaders should decline requests to utilize Knights of Columbus communications channels to mobilize or activate members for any form of political activity.
Finally, the Knights of Columbus retains its decades-long policies 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, or who advocate for the legalization of assisted suicide or euthanasia. We prohibit our fraternal leaders and other members from: allowing such persons to rent or otherwise use facilities displaying the name and/or emblem(s) of the Knights of Columbus; allowing them to speak at Knights of Columbus events; bestowing on them honors or privileges of our Order of any kind; inviting them to serve as honorary chairpersons of events, celebrations, or committees; or allowing them to hold any office in the Knights of Columbus.