Knights of Columbus

[PadraigPearce]

Can you be a seminarian and a knight at the same time? I read that priests and laymen have different initiations, in that the priests take the vows of the order by observing rather than actually taking vows to the order. If a person makes vows to the Knights of Columbus, is that an impediment to becoming a priest in the future?

 

[tee_eff_em]

Yes. Yes. Yes.

There are no conflicts between the KofC and the seminary, and the Knights are great supporters (materially and spiritually) of seminarians. After all: “The seminarian you support today will be the pastor you will work with tomorrow”.

Nor is membership in the order an impediment to Holy Orders. The qualifications to join the Knights are to be a male, 18 years or older, and a practical Catholic. A *practical Catholic *is defined as one who “accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.”

Finally, while I have read the interpretation of some on this forum that priests are exemplified in the Degrees “by observation” as some sort of way to avoid making the promises entailed in them, I believe this is mistaken (and that there is nothing to obstruct a priest making and keeping the promises of the Degrees, which primarily have to do with maintaining secrecy about the ceremonials). Rather, it is out of respect for the office of the priesthood that they observe only the Degrees. Each of the Degrees imparts a lesson in one of the Order’s core virtues of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. That priests observe rather than participate in the Ceremonials avoids placing the laymen conducting the Degrees in a position of authority and instructor over our priests.

tee

 

[jimcav]

Yes, tee-eff-em is quite correct.

And to add, seminarians would be treated like gold in a Knights Of Columbus council. Not only do we support you in all aspects of your education, but one of our main charisms is to pray for the priesthood and for all of the young seminarians. We also work closely with our parish’s, so it would be wonderful for you to have a good relationship with your local council from an early age.

God Bless!

 

[Cowfold]

Can’t really understand some of the posts on this site. Why on earth should a vow given to an organisation have any impact on ones vocation???
Similarly, others posts are submitted by those who do not have a basic grasp of the faith, if, indeed they are Catholic at all.

 

[PadraigPearce]

Can’t really understand some of the posts on this site. Why on earth should a vow given to an organisation have any impact on ones vocation???
Similarly, others posts are submitted by those who do not have a basic grasp of the faith, if, indeed they are Catholic at all.

Well, that’s why it’s called Catholic answers. If you don’t know the answer to a question, you ask, and somebody who knows answers your question. But I’m sure you’ve never asked a dumb question in your life.

 

[Cowfold]

Well, that’s why it’s called Catholic answers. If you don’t know the answer to a question, you ask, and somebody who knows answers your question. But I’m sure you’ve never asked a dumb question in your life.

Common sense!!

 

[SaintJ]

Common sense!!

Common sense is overrated. Thats why politicians never use them.

[rimshot]

 

[Cowfold]

Common sense is overrated. Thats why politicians never use them.

[rimshot]

And by benchmark do you introduce politicians into this discussion?

 

[FaithG]

" Each of the Degrees imparts a lesson in one of the Order’s core virtues of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. "

Forgive me for entering a forum of Knights, but my question is for a Knight. I am a woman interested in a 3rd degree Knight. However, I was raised that a spouses should share themselves completely with each other, and I cannot proceed in a relationship if my husband-to-be could never confide everything in me. This involves the vows and ceremonies. If the purpose of the secrecy is to make it more special for members, and keep prospective entrants from knowing too much in advance, then since, as a woman, I shall never be admitted to a fraternal order anyway, and the pledges are not to supercede religious commitments (including marriage?) would he be allowed to tell me once we were married? I don’t feel right requiring an explanation at this casual stage in our relationship, but I need to know what to expect in order to avoid heartbreak later on. Thanks for any help.

 

[jimcav]

" Each of the Degrees imparts a lesson in one of the Order’s core virtues of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. "

Forgive me for entering a forum of Knights, but my question is for a Knight. I am a woman interested in a 3rd degree Knight. However, I was raised that a spouses should share themselves completely with each other, and I cannot proceed in a relationship if my husband-to-be could never confide everything in me. This involves the vows and ceremonies. If the purpose of the secrecy is to make it more special for members, and keep prospective entrants from knowing too much in advance, then since, as a woman, I shall never be admitted to a fraternal order anyway, and the pledges are not to supercede religious commitments (including marriage?) would he be allowed to tell me once we were married? I don’t feel right requiring an explanation at this casual stage in our relationship, but I need to know what to expect in order to avoid heartbreak later on. Thanks for any help.

No need to apoligise.

I can assure you there is nothing sinister going on at your local KofC council.

Your prospective husband can tell you everything and anything that goes on there. Only the ceromonies of the degrees are kept secret, but you do have to understand that we guard the ceromonies of our order with secrecy simply not to ruin the experience for the next candidate. It’s really that simple. Husbands and wives have fights. What if you knew the ceromonies and as a way to get back at him, you blabbed about them to everyone you know? Worse, what if you divorced!? This could happen. If the ceromonies got out, they would lose there impact on the candidate and they would no longer be worth having. A candidate comes out of these ceromonies feeling as if he has earned something and he should feel special, and normally he does. He becomes part of a group of like minded men with whom he will have much in common. Becoming a member can open up a whole new world for him. He can move up in rank and the knights are a great place to do the good works that St. James tells us we need to do. He can help other Catholic men and it can also bring him closer to his faith. Believe me, if he is an active knight, you will be marrying a good man. He is a knight because he wants to do good by his Church, family and community. There is no downside here!

Besides, you’ll enjoy the pasta nights, BBQ’s, dances, fish fries etc, etc.!!!

The Church and the Pope look at the K of C as “the strong right arm of the Church”, and with good reason. Our charitable contributions, both in money and in time to the Church and the Pope cannot be matched by any other Catholic group. We are loved and admired by them for our contributions. And, we have many priests and bishops in our order and they all must observe our degree ceromonies.

So please try and understand why this one part of our order should remain secret. It has remained that way, with only minor changes, for 127 years!.

 

[ChristopherJB5]

" Each of the Degrees imparts a lesson in one of the Order’s core virtues of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. "

Forgive me for entering a forum of Knights, but my question is for a Knight. I am a woman interested in a 3rd degree Knight. However, I was raised that a spouses should share themselves completely with each other, and I cannot proceed in a relationship if my husband-to-be could never confide everything in me. This involves the vows and ceremonies. If the purpose of the secrecy is to make it more special for members, and keep prospective entrants from knowing too much in advance, then since, as a woman, I shall never be admitted to a fraternal order anyway, and the pledges are not to supercede religious commitments (including marriage?) would he be allowed to tell me once we were married? I don’t feel right requiring an explanation at this casual stage in our relationship,** but I need to know what to expect in order to avoid heartbreak later on. **Thanks for any help.

Don’t you think that you’re ‘reaching’ here?

If the tens of thousands of other women married to KoC members can tough it out, I think you can too.

 

[FaithG]

No need to apoligise.

I can assure you there is nothing sinister going on at your local KofC council.

Your prospective husband can tell you everything and anything that goes on there. Only the ceromonies of the degrees are kept secret, but you do have to understand that we guard the ceromonies of our order with secrecy simply not to ruin the experience for the next candidate. It’s really that simple. Husbands and wives have fights. What if you knew the ceromonies and as a way to get back at him, you blabbed about them to everyone you know? Worse, what if you divorced!? This could happen. If the ceromonies got out, they would lose there impact on the candidate and they would no longer be worth having. A candidate comes out of these ceromonies feeling as if he has earned something and he should feel special, and normally he does. He becomes part of a group of like minded men with whom he will have much in common. Becoming a member can open up a whole new world for him. He can move up in rank and the knights are a great place to do the good works that St. James tells us we need to do. He can help other Catholic men and it can also bring him closer to his faith. Believe me, if he is an active knight, you will be marrying a good man. He is a knight because he wants to do good by his Church, family and community. There is no downside here!

Besides, you’ll enjoy the pasta nights, BBQ’s, dances, fish fries etc, etc.!!!

The Church and the Pope look at the K of C as “the strong right arm of the Church”, and with good reason. Our charitable contributions, both in money and in time to the Church and the Pope cannot be matched by any other Catholic group. We are loved and admired by them for our contributions. And, we have many priests and bishops in our order and they all must observe our degree ceromonies.

So please try and understand why this one part of our order should remain secret. It has remained that way, with only minor changes, for 127 years!.

Thank you for being supportive of my question with your understanding reply. A different person I asked seemed offended that I even wanted to know. I can see your point about complications with marriage, although please know that I am never in any way the vindictive sort, and don’t believe in divorce at all. I have heard good things about the K of C, although I have also heard one horrible claim about the vows, which is so bad, I cannot believe it at all. I know my knight too well to believe he would have condoned that. To me, it was a question of knowing his priorities, and how a promise made would impact any other commitments in his life. However, if the vows center solely around the ceremonies, then although I assure you I would hold any confidence of his sacred, I will not press the point, since the ceremonies are already done, and I presume his vow does not therefore require a specific behavior or priority for future situations. I suppose it is simply that I was raised to believe that couples should not have any secrets from each other. My parents have been successfully married over 30 years, never divorced, and my grandparents married until death too.
To the other poster, just because thousands of other wives have “toughed it out” is no reason for me to condone a behavior or decide to accept a situation. Millions of couples “tough out” contraceptives, too, without getting divorced. My moral ethics are not determined by the masses – I make my own decisions.
Thanks for the responses.