Contact : Jonathan Reyes, 203-812-9438, Jonathan.Reyes@kofc.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson was honored with the 2021 Pro-Life Legacy Award on Friday, Jan. 29, during the 39th annual March for Life Rose Dinner, which was held virtually this year. The award recognizes the Supreme Knight’s lifetime of leadership in defense of the unborn.
“No one has done more to advance the pro-life cause than Carl Anderson. He is a true pro-life warrior, and his work and tireless dedication to the cause is an example to us all,” said March for Life President Jeanne Mancini.
“All of us have our own reason why we are part of this great pro-life cause. For me, it’s best summed up by the saying, ‘Whoever saves one life, saves the world,’” Supreme Knight Anderson said when accepting the award.
Supreme Knight Anderson’s record of pro-life leadership extends more than 50 years. Prior to leading the Knights of Columbus, he served in the White House as Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan and as acting director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, during which time he strongly advocated pro-life policies. Mr. Anderson also served for nearly a decade as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
The Supreme Knight has been repeatedly recognized by successive Popes for his leadership on life issues. Pope John Paul II appointed Mr. Anderson as a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life in 1998, and Pope Francis re-appointed him in 2017. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family in 2008. In addition, he has served as a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities since 2002.
Under Carl Anderson’s leadership, the Knights of Columbus has become a preeminent defender of life in the United States and in many countries around the world. He redoubled the Knights’ support for the annual March for Life and in 2009 launched the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative, which has since placed more than 1,330 life-saving ultrasound machines in pregnancy centers nationwide. Supreme Knight Anderson has called the initiative “the most successful humanitarian effort in Knights of Columbus history.”
Supreme Knight Anderson also led the Knights to commission the annual Marist Poll, which consistently shows a broad pro-life consensus in America. The latest poll, released in conjunction with the 2021 March for Life, shows more than 75% of Americans want to move abortion policy in a pro-life direction. In his acceptance remarks, Anderson predicted the eventual triumph of life: “Each of us, from the beginning of the pro-life movement, has known we are on a lifetime’s journey. The direction of that journey does not bend, it does not waiver, though sometimes it may slow down. But in the end, our pro-life journey has a destination, and that, my friends, is victory.”
Read the full text of Mr. Anderson’s remarks.
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