The Knight's Sword: Spiritual Steel for a New Age

For a blog whose Latin title means "The Faithful Sword", it was only a matter of time before we wrote about an actual sword.  The Knights of Columbus are the largest Catholic fraternal order in the world, boasting over a million members worldwide; what started out as a mutual benefit society for poor immigrants from Ireland and Scotland has turned into an international organization focusing upon charitable works and championing the Catholic faith.  But the journey from that first meeting in 1882 to now has been far from an easy journey; time and again the Knights have been called to defend their faith and principles on local, national, societal, and political stages.  Facing active persecution from the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups, the Knights of Columbus actively pushed for racial integration in schools and public areas (along with their own order) long before the Civil Rights movement gained momentum; they have fought to protect the rights of parochial schools and religious communities, spoken for the most vulnerable members of our society, and have aided countless charitable causes and campaigns.  Although the role of the knight on the battlefield has long since faded into obsolescence, the sword that Fourth Degree knights carry represents the order's determination to uphold the principles of their faith and their fraternity.

The Fourth Degree, known also as the Patriotic Degree, was added to the order's existing three degrees in 1900, when approximately 1,500 Third Degree knights were exemplified (in layman's terms, promoted) en masse; these Knights were given swords to signify their new rank.  Since then, the sword has been one of the most visible symbols of the Knights of Columbus, a physical sign of their devotion.  Early models sported the Eagle of the Republic on the pommel (a nod to the cardinal virtue of the Fourth Degree: patriotism); later, this changed to the head of Christopher Columbus, the patron of the order.  The specific symbolism of the sword has changed with the focus of the Knights' mission, but it's core meaning remains the same.  It is a symbol of what all Christians are called to be: warriors for Christ.  Today's modern battlefield allots swords mostly to ceremonial functions and the walls of collectors, and a Knight of Columbus, though he has taken on a martial title, can usually expect to pass through life without needing to shed blood.  And yet, the sword retains special significance for the Knights of Columbus.  It is more than a mere badge of rank or an interesting dash of pageantry; it is a declaration of the fate that Jesus Himself suffered, and called on us to suffer in His name.  By wearing the sword, the Knight is saying: "Not even death can turn me away from my faith in Christ."  It is as loud a declaration of one's faith as the cross, a very prominent reminder of one's apostolic calling.

As the Knights of Columbus prepare to celebrate their 132nd anniversary on March 29, let us all pray that the members of this illustrious order remain faithful to that calling, difficult as the path may be.  

Reflection: One Year with Pope Francis

One year ago last Thursday, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was sworn in as the 266th Bishop of Rome, replacing Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.  Bergoglio chose Francis as his new name, after Saint Francis of Assisi.  Saint Francis is remembered as a humble man, a man who exemplified Christ's call to cast off worldly luxury and minister instead to those in need.  It should come as no surprise, then, that Pope Francis' first year in office has seen it's share of sea changes regarding how the Vatican, and the Church as a whole, does business.  Gone are elaborate clothes and luxurious apartments; gone is the bulletproof "pope-mobile"; here instead is a pope who calls for a Church that focuses not on herself, but on what Christ called her to serve: the world in it's entirety.

In every mainstream article I've read about our new Pope, the vast majority of comments (from non-Catholics) is something along the lines of: "I like this Pope!"  "I'm not a Catholic but I might consider it!"  "I used to practice, but now I might come back!"  One may take issue with the Holy Father's methods, but there is no denying his results.

Where other Popes have tacitly dallianced with publicity, Pope Francis has charged into it like a knight into battle.  And what a battle he has to wage!  Nestled among the positive feedback is derision and dismay on both sides; traditional Catholics who mourn his shunning of tradition as signs of degenerate modernity, and non-Catholics who moan that he is just "more of the same".  The point is, however, is that Pope Francis has brought Catholicism back into the secular dialogue in a serious (mainly) positive fashion.  As the Holy Father himself said shortly after election:

"We need to avoid the spiritual sickness of a Church that is wrapped up in its own world: when a church becomes like this, it grows sick."

Francis' Church is many things, but one thing it is not is "wrapped up in its own world".  The new Pope calls for an increase in volunteer work and charitable giving, and a decrease in the attention so many Catholics expend on hot-button social issues such as the legalization of gay marriage.  Without changing a mote of Church doctrine, Francis has begun a fundamental shift in the focus of the Church back to the original simple command with which Jesus founded His Church:

"Feed my sheep."

This Lent, we should look to Pope Francis as an example of Christian behavior.  We should strive not to turn inward and become bitter, resenting the outside world or Francis' call to go out into it; rather, we should wear our faith proudly and simply, and when we enter the secular world do so with grace and kindness.  Pope Francis is not a warrior-pope of old, nor is he the scholar that Pope Benedict before him was; many Catholics decidedly dislike his dismissing of the traditions and trappings of his office, and many more deride his recent public statements regarding secular social issues.  But at a fundamental level, Pope Francis' call rings true: we are called not to hide the lamp of our faith, but to show it to the world, and thereby brighten the world.

This Lent, let us not be afraid to venture into darkness.  Not to embrace it or to shun the light, but rather to bring light to where it is needed most.