Supreme Knight speaks up against RH Bill!

From CBCP for Life

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MANILA, April 28, 2012–Pointing out that even the United States is wrestling with the grave consequences of contraception becoming a cultural norm and “reproductive health” being legislated, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson of the Knights of Columbus (K of C) explained why things such as contraception, abortion and sterilization finding their way into a government mandate must be rejected.  [the Worthy Supreme Knight knows what he is talking about.]

I remember this photo being taken with the Supreme Knight.  ;)

“[The RH bill] will change the character and nature of the Philippines if it becomes a law. It’s the beginning of the end of the Philippines’ being a truly Catholic country, the Catholic family, Catholic principles,” he said in his remarks to a group of Council chaplains yesterday on the first day of the K of C Philippines 9th National Convention at The Manila Hotel.

Anderson, who was appointed to the Pontifical Academy for Life in 1998 by Blessed John Paul II then to the Pontifical Council for the Laity in 2002, not only reminded but also thanked the Knights in the Philippines for their dedication to uphold a culture of life and encouraged them to cherish a society that values the life of every person with no exceptions.

“People don’t deserve RH bill. People deserve a culture of life, where everyone when they’re born is welcome, where everyone is respected, where everyone is given an opportunity,” he enthused.

“If you don’t respect some people, you don’t recognize the dignity of some… you can’t build a great society on that. You can have material progress, but you can’t build a great culture on that.”

The Supreme Knight — who is also a consultant to the Pro-Life Committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) — then expressed the group’s all-out dedication to the efforts to fight the controversial legislative measure pending in the Philippine Congress that will change the country’s family- and life-loving culture if enacted into law.

The religious organization’s efforts in defeating the bill must be top priority, he said, and that “We’re not just competing with wealthy organizations and drug companies. We’re also competing against spiritual powers, so we have to use spiritual weapons. We have to be smart, and we have to fight back smartly. So we’re going to tell the convention tonight, the number one issue for the Knights of Columbus: defeat RH bill.”

The RH bill, which is in the period of interpellation in both the Senate and House of Representatives, has been met with an increasingly strong opposition due to its emphasis on taxpayer-funded contraception, a 6-year sex education program for all schools, and forced participation in RH services health care workers, medical practitioners and employers.

The measure will address the nation’s poverty problem, its proponents and advocates repeatedly claim; [weh?] in addition, poverty continues to be blamed primarily on overpopulation, [people are to be blamed why we are poor, not because some people are just plain damn greedy!] despite studies showing that it is demography – or population distribution – that needs to be addressed. [Most people are in highly urbanized centers like Metro Manila!  Why you might ask?  Because there is no government support in the provinces.  Farmers sell their land in order to get a job in the construction industry in the metropolis.  And so the provinces are emptied and Metro Manila is getting all too cramped!]  Based on this, the “need” to limit the size of the population is inaccurate.

Anderson pointed out an oft-forgotten truth about the wealth that any nation should protect and preserve: “What’s the greatest resource of any country? Its people.”

Many countries are seeing much success in terms of economic progress, he remarked, but partly by destroying the family. “So what will their future be?”  [Look at Europe.]

“The Philippines has a bright future because the Philippines has great people, and as long as the Philippines forms people, preserves marriage, preserves family, this country can ultimately have a great future because it has great people,” he enthused.



Anderson was also optimistic and quietly fervent as he underscored the value of the laity staying united with its priests and bishops. This unity cannot be underestimated; in fact, a lack of it will even pose a stumbling block in the fight for a culture of life, as “the first thing that ‘the other side’ does to weaken the Church is to split the laity from our priests. So we have to maintain that that will never happen to the Knights of Columbus,” he pointed out.  [Not all priests are united with their bishops.  Like priests of MST, SVST?]

“The organization that is number one in defeating the RH bill should be the Knights of Columbus. The only way we can do that is if we remain absolutely, unbreakably united with our priests and bishops,” he added. 


“There may be some organizations that are larger, but there is no organization that gives the Catholic men of our countries the leadership potential, the formation potential, the ability to contribute to the life of the Church, and there is no organization that is more united with its priests and bishops than the Knights of Columbus.”  [Prayer and Action in the Order.]

The Supreme Knight then stressed the role of forming good Catholic men and how this is closely tied to spreading devotion to K of C founder [Venerable] Fr. Michael J. McGivney, whose beatification is avidly being promoted.

“We need to form our men, Catholic men, so they will be good husbands, good fathers, good businessmen, good citizens, and for that we need the help of our priests. For that we need to increase devotion to Fr. McGivney, because as we encourage this devotion, we encourage the understanding of the dedication and commitment of every priest who serves the people of God in his parish,” Anderson enthused.

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The Supreme Knight delivered an excellent speech in the National Convention.

I hope to post the entire speech in the blog.