Contact : Knights of Columbus News Bureau news@kofc.org, 475-255-0097
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, has been a vocal advocate for religious freedom, both nationally and internationally, throughout his career. His latest book features many of his speeches, essays and articles in defense of this “first freedom,” as well as the sanctity of life, faithful citizenship and the family. Together, they offer insight about the importance of religious liberty and the contributions of faith communities to society.
“What should America be? Can its promise of liberty and justice for all be fulfilled? These questions — over the past year — seem to be tearing our country apart,” writes Anderson. “Is there a greatness or promise in our constitution that should be embraced, or has the American experiment failed to such an extent that it needs to be radically re-constituted? This book, through a series of essays and speeches on the subject of the confluence of faith and public life, speaks to that question.”
The 288-page hardcover volume, titled These Liberties We Hold Sacred: Essays on Faith and Citizenship in the 21st Century was released Jan. 27 by Square One Publishers (Cover price: $24.95). It is currently available for purchase at various booksellers and at knightsgear.com. All author royalties are donated to Knights of Columbus Charities.
As Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus since 2000, Mr. Anderson has guided the 2 million member-organization to new heights in charity and support for Catholic families. Last year, Knights donated $187 million and more than 77 million hours of volunteer service to charity.
In addition to his duties as Supreme Knight, Mr. Anderson has served the Holy See on numerous committees by appointment of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and, most recently, Pope Francis who appointed him as a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Earlier in Mr. Anderson’s career, he worked in public service and higher education. He served as acting director of the White House Office of Public Liaison for President Ronald Reagan and was a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for a decade. He taught family law at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome and was the founding vice president and first dean of the Washington, D.C., campus of this graduate school of theology, now located at The Catholic University of America.
Mr. Anderson has also served on numerous boards, including those of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA); and The Catholic University of America (CUA), where he was vice chairman. He is also a consultant to several committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) focusing on pro-life, religious liberty, marriage and racism.
In addition to These Liberties We Hold Sacred, Mr. Anderson is the author of the New York Times bestseller, A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform The World; co-author (with Msgr. Eduardo Chávez) of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love, also a New York Times bestseller; co-editor (with Msgr. Livio Melina) of The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI’s Encyclical Deus Caritas Est; co-author (with Rev. José Granados) of Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II’s Theology of the Body; and author of Beyond a House Divided: The Moral Consensus Ignored by Washington, Wall Street and the Media. His books have been translated into nine languages.
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About the Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is one of the world’s leading fraternal and service organizations with 2 million members in more than 16,000 parish-based councils. During the past year, Knights around the world donated more than 77 million service hours and $187 million for worthy causes in their communities. The organization also offers extensive life insurance services to members and their families, resulting in more than $114 billion of life insurance in force. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors offers investment services to individuals and institutions in accord with Catholic social teaching and has over $26 billion in assets under management. From helping children in need, to providing wheelchairs for the disabled, to helping stock food banks, to offering top-rated and affordable insurance products to its members, to creating a legacy of giving, the Knights of Columbus has supported families and communities for more than 138 years.
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